One record at a time: 527. Front 242 - Tyranny For You

I first heard Front 242 not long after "Tyranny >For You<" was released in 1991. At the time, my musical universe revolved around cassettes and compact discs, so the idea of buying this album on vinyl was as alien as wearing lipstick: fine for some, but not for me. Whilst I still don’t wear lipstick, I did buy this reissue of the LP in 2023. The vinyl sounds good; there are some crackles here and there but the strong dynamics mean the music jumps out of the speakers. 

Musically, this album marks the zenith of Front 242’s output for me. They had made great records before it, not least "Official Version" and "Front By Front", but this is where everything seems to lock into place with unnerving precision. The production is sharper, and the atmosphere is both clinical and oddly human.

The singles, “Rhythm of Time” and “Tragedy >For You<”, are fine examples of this album's sound. Both are brash, tightly executed and delivered with the confidence of a band who know they have found an audience. “Rhythm of Time” has the most immediate pull, driven by a clipped, marching momentum and a chorus that almost qualifies as accessible, provided your idea of accessibility includes concrete, steel and a light threat of surveillance.

“Tragedy >For You<” is even better: dramatic, disciplined and just theatrical enough without tipping into pantomime villainy. Jean-Luc De Meyer sounds magnificent throughout the record, his voice cutting through the programming like an instruction issued from a bunker. Richard 23’s presence gives the whole thing extra bite, and the classic line-up feels fully intact here, each part contributing to a record that sounds designed rather than merely assembled.

The album is not just about the obvious singles, though. “Sacrifice” opens with real menace, setting out the record’s cold, martial mood without needing to over-explain itself. “Moldavia” is one of the great deep cuts, all pressure and momentum, a track that seems to move forward by mechanical obligation. “Trigger 2” and “Gripped by Fear” deepen the atmosphere, while “Neurobashing” strips things back into something lean, brutal and effective. Even “Leitmotiv 136” feels like a necessary tightening of the screws before “Soul Manager” closes the standard album with a hypotonic bassline and stuttering rhythms.

One irritation with the vinyl edition is the absence of the hidden CD material, “Hard Rock” and “Trigger 1”. It is a shame, because those little buried extras add to the sense of the record as a complete artefact, slightly mysterious and faintly hostile to anyone who just wanted ten neatly labelled songs and no funny business. Still, the core album is strong enough to survive the omission, even if some of us still feel the need to mutter about it whilst standing in front of our Kallax shelving units.

What makes "Tyranny >For You<" so compelling is that it feels like both a culmination and an endpoint. After this, Front 242 would fragment stylistically, bringing in new contributors and shifting the role of the classic vocal presence. Some of that later work is interesting, but it rarely feels as cohesive as this. Here the balance is perfect: industrial severity, dancefloor force, cryptic slogans, physical percussion and just enough melody to make the punishment memorable. 4/5

One record at a time: 150. Front 242 - Front By Front

"Front by Front" was released in 1988 and here I am playing a copy of the original European vinyl I bought from eBay about six months ago.

"Until Death (Us Do Part)" is driven by a Yamaha DX7 bassline and riffs played on the classic 12 String preset that would be used later by The KLF on "3 A.M. Eternal". The mix of samples and FM synthesis continues on the fantastic "Circling Overland" and "In Rhythmus Bleiben" which keep the bar high.

Things fall off a bit with "Felines" and its annoying reverse vocal sample, but the pure EBM of "First In/First Out" soon banishes these doldrums.

"Blend the Strengths" is an instrumental that fills time before the centre piece of the album "Headhunter" kicks in. This song has a catchy chorus and beats clearly designed for the dance floor. Whilst you could never call this a conventional pop song, it does bear some sonic resemblance to bands like Depeche Mode and even had a video directed Anton Cobijn.

"Work 01" is another instrumental augmented with samples culled from films that feels a bit like album filler. Due to its positioning on the album the next track "Terminal State" is a bit overlooked but this is a fun track with an almost funky groove and great lyrics: "We're in the doldrums!"

Things close out with the classic "Welcome to Paradise". The concept of sampling American TV evangelists was first used on "Angst" from the previous album but on this track everything gets turned up to eleven. 4/5

One record at a time: 149. Front 242 - Official Version

"Official Version" is the album in which Front 242 honed their sound and delivered a hit single in the form of "Masterhit".

Here I am playing a copy of the original UK LP which I bought from the same shop in Hull where I acquired "No Comment".

Things kick off with the epic "W.Y.H.I.W.H.G." which has always been one of my favourite 242 tracks. I love the samples on this song and everything seems to gel perfectly. "They're coming down! They're coming down! They're coming down for you!"

"Rerun Time" is another example of a track that seems to flow effortlessly and has plenty of tricks to keep the listener interested. "Television Station" completes the opening trilogy of perfect brooding EDM with its pounding rhythms and dark vocals. I've never been a big fan of "Aggresiva Due" simply because of the distorted electric guitar that features through out, but it is still very interesting. 

The single "Masterhit Parts 1 and 2" will be well known to anyone with even a passing interest in EBM or industrial music. This track is catchy and has a good melody under the burbling synths and deadpan vocals. After about five minutes the track moves into "Part 2" which is a more instrumental section that builds into a swirling cacophony before ending abruptly.

The title of the album is derived from the lyrics to "Slaughter" which features some fantastic Emulator marcato strings alongside the usual driving rhythms. My favourite track on here is "Quite Unusual" which is a new version of the track released on the "Inception" E.P. the year before. "Red Team" is a beat driven instrumental that trundles along quite nicely before the television evangelism of "Angst" sees us out. 4/5

One record at a time: 148. Front 242 - No Comment

Front 242 released their second album "No Comment" in 1984. Whilst this vinyl is a reissued version from 1989, it is still fairly difficult to come by. I bought my copy at a second hand record shop in Hull earlier this year and it is in great condition. I also need to point out that this LP has a different sleeve to the original and features a running order which is different to CD or digital version of the album.

It is worth noting immediately that this album is quite a departure from its predecessor. The analogue synths of "Geography" have been jettisoned and the sounds of a Drumulator, FM synths and a sampler dominate. There has also been a change of personnel with Dirk Bergen departing to be replaced by a second vocalist Richard 23. 

Things open with the nine and a half minute long "Commando (Mix)" which revolves around a distinctive DX7 bassline. Band member Daniel Bressanutti layers atmospheric samples on the top and tweaks the drums with some fills here and there. I've noticed this track gets a lot of love amongst Front 242 fans and some even regard it as their best. Personally I think it is OK, but definitely not their best.

Next up is "S. Fr Nomenklatura (Part I & II)" which I have never liked much as it has a really annoying sample that is repeated throughout. All of these instrumental tracks tend to wander down a bit of a musical cul-de-sac and aren't developed a great deal. The next track "Deceit" does feature some vocals from Jean-Luc and Richard 23 but they sound like overdubs thrown down to add a little texture rather than being the centrepiece.

The flip side kicks off with "Lovely Day" which offers the first flash of the sound the band would come to fine tune on later albums. The highlight of the album for me is "No Shuffle" which is a rambling ode to the North Pole with a groove ready for the right dance floor. Things finish off with "Special Forces" which samples a line from "Apocalypse Now" and turns it into a relentless slice of EMB. To me this album sounds like a band trying to master new technology: sometimes they get it right and sometimes things misfire. This album is interesting, but it only offers us a glimpse of the heights they would go on to achieve. 2.5/5

One record at a time: 147. Front 242 - Geography

Front 242 are true pioneers of electronic music. In fact, they were such visionaries that a new genre had to be invented just to describe their sound. Today, anyone who creates music that even vaguely resembles that of the Belgian masters will labelled as Electronic Body Music (EBM).

I first became aware of Front 242 in 1991 when a friend made me a 'best of' cassette using some CDs he had borrowed. I loved almost every track on that tape and was most intrigued by the material taken from their debut LP "Geography".

Here I am playing a remastered red vinyl from 2016 which came with a free CD and was supposedly limited to 242 copies.

Things kick off with one of the best cuts the band ever produced: "Operating Tracks". The bass on this track pulses from ear to ear as Jean-Luc's growls his largely incomprehensible lyrics. When I first got access to the internet in the late nineties I began looking up the lyrics of many Front 242 songs and realised that the real words bore little resemblance to my interpretation. Sometimes the romance of a misheard lyric is much more valuable that being precise; so I still sing along with my version and accuracy be damned.

The next three tracks are largely instrumental affairs composed of distorted white noise snares and distinctly analogue synth patches that remind me of The Future and early recordings by The Human League. Things kick up again with the excellent "U-Men" which has an irresistible bassline and a great hook. As there are only two repeated verses this track is done and dusted in a little over three minutes 

"Dialogues" is more analogue instrumental fun but "Least Inkling" resurrects the pulsating bass sequences and brooding vocals. The next track "GVDT" feels brighter due to its melodic vocal but the chorus becomes chaotic and transforms the song into something more daring. "Geography I" is a strange track as it has no kick drum and the vocals are mere mumbles. "Black White Blue" is a fast paced and strangely hypnotic instrumental that must have been pushing the boundaries in 1982. 

Strangely the closing track "Kampfbereit" plods along at 97 beats per minute and is sung in German. The TR-808 seems to emerge more prominently for this closing number and, as good as this song is, it feels a bit out of place on here. 

Still, this is an enjoyable album for anyone who has even a passing interest in early eighties electronic music. Despite its relatively experimental nature, this record somehow remains accessible and even in its quirkiest moments it still has the ability to make people dance. 4/5

Sell me it again Sam

Having recently purchased the ‘remastered’ versions of Blancmange’s three albums and with New Order’s ‘collectors’ editions in the post, I have begun to consider why I’m buying music I already own. 

In recent years, I have purchased numerous ‘remastered’ CD’s including the entire back catalogue of Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys and Yello, along with various reissued versions of albums by Front 242, Level 42, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Gary Numan. These are the CD’s that immediately come to mind, I am sure if I thought further there would be many more. The amount of money I have spent is quite staggering and yet I already own much of the music I am buying; I am being sold the same thing twice. So why am I a sucker for reissued albums and singles? 

Well firstly, there is the lure of previously unreleased material or remixes that are otherwise difficult to acquire. Secondly, these CD’s boast that they offer considerably enhanced audio quality. We are also enticed by new or improved artwork, which provides a feeling of luxury or elitism. 

Yet the reality is not always the experience we are promised. On purchasing a new ‘remastered’ CD, I often find myself immediately jumping to the bonus tracks. Often it becomes apparent why this ‘unreleased’ material was not made available originally: its crap. I have even come across CD’s where the master tape is obviously missing and thus a recording has been made from a vinyl source. Hardly the high fidelity experience you are enticed with. 

Similarly, 99% of reissued CD’s seem to have been created by people unfamiliar with the artists work or just plain incompetent. Often you will find that tracks have substituted for their ‘single mix’ or an uncredited alternate version with absolutely no explanation. Remixes are often labelled incorrectly, glaring omissions are made or the running order has been altered. Not one of the reissued CD’s I have purchased have been immune from one, or more of these mistakes. So record companies take note: if you want people to buy even more of the music they already own, get someone competent to compile it.