Citizendia

Front 242
OriginBelgium
Genre(s)Industrial
Techno
EBM
Years active1981-Present
Label(s)Another Side, Red Rhino Europe, Animalized, Wax Trax!, Epic
Members
Jean-Luc De Meyer
Daniel Bressanutti
Patrick Codenys
Richard Jonckheere

Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. Techno is a form of Electronic dance music (EDM that emerged in Detroit, Michigan, USA during the mid to late 1980s Electronic body music ( EBM, also known as aggropop) is a Music genre that combines elements of Industrial music and Electronic In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Wax Trax! Records was a Record label in the United States. Wax Trax! began as a record shop in Denver Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. Jean-Luc De Meyer (born 1957 in Brussels) is a vocalist and lyricist who is best known as the lead vocalist of innovative Belgian EBM group Front 242. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Electronic music is music that employs Electronic musical instruments and Electronic Music technology in its production The 1980s was the decade spanning from January 1 1980 to December 31 1989. During their most active period (effectively ending in 1993 with the albums 06:21:03:11 UP EVIL and 05:22:09:12 OFF) they influenced many industrial and electronic artists. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar)

Contents

History

Founding of Band

When industrial music developed in England in the mid-1970s with Cabaret Voltaire and Throbbing Gristle, these groups used electronic instruments, percussion with found objects, and looped samples of "found" soundbites, elements later taken up by Front 242. Industrial music is a loose term for a number of different styles of Experimental music, especially but not necessarily Electronic music. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Cabaret Voltaire were a British music group from Sheffield, England. Throbbing Gristle are a British Avant-garde music and Visual arts group that evolved from the Performance art group COUM Transmissions These techniques can be seen as an extension of the use of electronic sources of sound as musical instruments and percussion with found objects by composer Edgard Varèse. WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse

Front 242 was created in 1981 in Aarschot, Belgium by Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen, who wanted to create music and graphic design using emerging electronic tools. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Aarschot is a City and Municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those The first single, Principles, was released late in 1981. Although some members now claim that the name does not have a particular meaning, in an early '90s interview on Dutch TV (the Tragedy >for you< period with slo-mo version of that track playing in background), Daniel Bressanutti said that the '242' part comes from him swearing '242!' instead of 'damn!' when he was young. . Also, the similarities to UN Security Council Resolution 242 have not been lost on those interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict. United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 (S/RES/242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967 Perhaps more to the point, after the Second World War 242 Belgian citizens were condemned to death for collaboration with the German occupiers.

Patrick Codenys and Jean-Luc De Meyer had separately formed a group called Under Viewer at about the same time, and the two duos joined together in 1982. Jean-Luc De Meyer (born 1957 in Brussels) is a vocalist and lyricist who is best known as the lead vocalist of innovative Belgian EBM group Front 242. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) Bressanutti, Codenys and De Meyer took turns on vocals at first, until they settled on De Meyer as the lead vocalist (early recordings with Bresanutti on vocals have recently been released). De Meyer came to write most of the lyrics. They decided not to use the regular waveform settings on their synthesizers, arguing that creating the waveform for each note was part of the creative process.

Their next single, U-Men, was released in 1982, followed by the band's first album Geography that same year. Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) These first releases were cited as influential to other artists in the genre; however, they were not strong and hard-hitting as the group's later efforts. In 1983, Dirk Bergen left the band to pursue graphic design, and Richard Jonckheere, referred to as Richard 23, joined as a backing vocalist and charismatic stage presence. Richard Jonckheere (born January 20, 1963 in Brussels, Belgium) aka Richard 23 or Richard JK, is an Industrial

Rising Popularity

Front 242 became a popular musical group in Belgium. Their next album, No Comment, was the first to introduce the term "Electronic Body Music" in association with their sound. No Comment is the Front 242 album that was first released in 1984 on the Another Side music label Front 242 signed with the Wax Trax! label in 1984, and started their first tour in the United States with Ministry. Wax Trax! Records was a Record label in the United States. Wax Trax! began as a record shop in Denver Colorado opened by Jim Nash and Dannie Flesher Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981 This tour led to the creation of Revolting Cocks by Richard 23, Luc Van Acker, Alain Jourgensen of Ministry and others. Revolting Cocks, also known as RevCo, is an American industrial rock band that began as a musical side-project for Alain Jourgensen of Luc van Acker is a musician from Tienen, Belgium. He began writing and releasing solo material in 1982, and worked with a few other bands and with Al Jourgensen (born October 9, 1958 in Havana, Cuba) is an American musician best known as the founder and frontman of the Industrial Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981

The 1985 album Backcatalogue collected material from the group's earlier years, but their international breakthrough did not occur until the release of Official Version in 1987, on the Red Rhino Europe label, followed by their "Official Warfare" tour in support of the album. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Red Rhino Records, also known as Red Rhino, was a British Record label which was developed by the independent record shop and wholesaler of the same name all formed

The wildly popular 1988 "Headhunter" single (with a video by Anton Corbijn) and its accompanying album Front By Front would prove to be among the most commercially successful and enduring records in the entire history of industrial music and EBM. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) "Headhunter" is a song by the Belgian EBM band Front 242. Anton Corbijn ( pronounced) (born May 20, 1955) is a Photographer and director from Strijen, the Netherlands By this point, Front 242 had developed a style of strong backbeats, slices, samples, and ominous vocals. The band drew on militaristic samples, mock-evangelism, and television images, but without clearly defining a message. The band stated instead that they were merely presenting the world around them as it was.

1990s

In the 1990s, the band went through many changes. Tyranny >For You<, released in 1991, had a much denser, multi-layered sound. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Tyranny was also the first album they released under contract with a major corporate label, Sony/Epic, after the widespread popularity of "Front by Front". Sony/Epic also acquired the rights to the band's back catalog from Wax Trax! and issued re-released versions of the albums with new cover art and bonus tracks taken from singles and EPs.

In 1992, Bressanutti returned to combining graphic arts with music, taking his lithographs on tour to three U. S. galleries. Bressanutti also composed a solo half-hour atmospheric recording called Art and Strategy (or The Art Corporation) to play during viewings of the lithographs, and released it in a limited edition of 1,000 CDs. This is the only known solo work from any of Front 242's members.

Front 242's style shifted abruptly with each of their next two albums, released in rapid succession in 1993 (originally planned as a double-CD): 06:21:03:11 UP EVIL and 05:22:09:12 OFF (the numbers correspond to letters, spelling "FUCK UP EVIL" and "EVIL OFF"). However, strains were emerging, with the band members apparently having different artistic views.

Neither of these albums had significant input from Richard 23, and 05:22:09:12 OFF only included their lead vocalist, Jean-Luc De Meyer, on a remixed track originally from Up Evil. On the other hand, a variety of new contributors were listed as members of Front 242 on these albums: Jean-Marc Pauly and Pierre Pauly (of the Belgian electronic group Parade Ground) on Up Evil, and 99 Kowalski and Eran Westwood on Off. Parade Ground were pioneers in electro body music and cold wave,the band consisting of Belgian brothers Pierre and Jean-Marc Pauly.

99 Kowalski is the stage name of Kristin Kowalski, making a tradition out of Richard 23's idea of number-as-name. Kowalski and Westwood were originally members of a New York City band called Spill who Bressanutti and Codenys had brought to Belgium to produce their debut album. The City of New York After the recording sessions fell apart, they contributed to Front 242 on the Off release.

A broader public was exposed to Front 242's music in 1992 in the film "Single White Female" starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Single White Female is a 1992 thriller based on John Lutz 's novel SWF Seeks Same. Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an Emmy - and Golden Globe Award -nominated American actress. Jennifer Jason Leigh (born February 5, 1962) is a Golden Globe -nominated and two-time NYFCC Award -winning American Actress In the film, obsessed roommate Leigh ties up Fonda to a chair but leaves her with the television remote control. In order to attract attention, Fonda tunes in to a music video channel and turns up the volume. The video playing at the time is Front 242's "Rhythm Of Time", from the album "Tyranny >For You<". Also in 1992, the television commercials for the film "K2" were set to the Front 242 song "Moldavia", also from the album "Tyranny >For You<".

After the release of 06:21:03:11 Up Evil and 05:22:09:12 Off there was no new material from Front 242 under any lineup. Instead, the band released a stream of live recordings and remixes. However, this period also saw a proliferation of side projects, an inordinate number of which involved De Meyer.

Earlier, Richard 23 played in the Revolting Cocks, and De Meyer had a side project doing vocals for Bigod 20 for their debut single, "The Bog" in 1990. Revolting Cocks, also known as RevCo, is an American industrial rock band that began as a musical side-project for Alain Jourgensen of Bigod 20 was a German EBM and Electro-industrial band which was formed in 1988 by Music producers Andreas Tomalla (aka In 1995, De Meyer met Marc Heal of Cubanate at a Front Line Assembly concert, and the two of them collaborated along with Ged Denton and Jonathan Sharp, to record as Cyber-Tec Project for the new (and short-lived) Cyber-Tec record label. Marc Heal (born February 20, 1965) is an English musician He was one of the most prolific and influential Industrial music artists in the 1990s mixing Cubanate is an Industrial metal band from London, founded in 1992 by Marc Heal and Phil Barry with Graham Rayner and Steve Etheridge Front Line Assembly (sometimes written as Frontline Assembly, also known by the Acronym FLA) is a Canadian Electro-industrial bandformed C-Tec was a band originally formed as a Side project in 1995 by Jean-Luc De Meyer (of Front 242) Jonathan Sharp (of New Mind) and Ged Denton

After the departure of Sharp and the demise of the Cyber-Tec label, the remaining group continued working under the name C-Tec. C-Tec was a band originally formed as a Side project in 1995 by Jean-Luc De Meyer (of Front 242) Jonathan Sharp (of New Mind) and Ged Denton De Meyer also took over as vocalist for Birmingham 6 for their 1996 album "Error of Judgment". The Birmingham Six were six men — Hugh Callaghan Patrick Joseph Hill Gerard Hunter Richard McIlkenny William Power and John Walker — sentenced to Life imprisonment in 1996 also saw the debut album "Elemental" from Cobalt 60, which De Meyer formed with Dominique Lallement and Frederic Sebastien of Reims, France, members of Kriegbereit. Cobalt 60 is a Front 242 side project featuring Front 242's Jean-Luc de Meyer and Dominique Lallement. Reims (alternative English spelling Rheims; riːmz in English and /ʁɛ̃s/ in French) is a city of the Champagne-Ardenne région of northern This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. This was the start of a number of releases from Cobalt 60. Cobalt 60 is a Front 242 side project featuring Front 242's Jean-Luc de Meyer and Dominique Lallement. Meanwhile, Richard 23 recorded with the groups Holy Gang and later LaTchak.

The four core members of Front 242 regrouped in 1998 to compose radically reworked versions of many of their songs, which they then performed on their first tour in five years, appropriately called the Re:Boot tour. They acknowledged the influence of The Prodigy and their "Fat of the Land" album in crafting the new, more techno style of Re:Boot. The Prodigy are an Electronic music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree Essex, England.

The new tour material was the subject of Front 242's new recording contract in the U. S. with Metropolis Records. Metropolis Records is a Philadelphia Pennsylvania based Record label, distributor, and mail-order store specializing in the Electro-industrial Front 242 also indicated at this time that they were recording new material. However, they had little activity after 1998, making occasional appearances in Europe and Mexico, while Codenys recorded under the name Gaiden with Steve Stoll in 2001. (a Japanese-language word often translated as " Side story " or "tale" is used to refer to an Anecdote or supplementary biography of

2000s

Then 2002 saw the beginning of a wave of new material from Bresanutti and Codenys, and then from Front 242. In August 2002 a DVD/CD two-disc set called "Speed Tribe" was released by Dance. com. The DVD was a collaboration with experimental documentary filmmakers Rod Chong and Sharon Matarazzo, who filmed the 2001 24 Hour Le Mans. in the video, the racecars, clouds, rain and spectators form an impressionistic visual backdrop for the music.

Several months later, the first release from Male or Female, also known as Morf, a new project for Bresanutti and Codenys along with vocalist Elko Blijweert. In 2002 and 2003, Morf released an album, an E. P. , a double album, and a DVD/CD two-disc combo, on the Belgian record label Alfa Matrix, and went on tour through the U. Alfa Matrix is a Belgian Record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including Aggrotech, dark elektro S.

Then, 2002 and 2003 also saw the release of the new material from Front 242 in a decade: the E. P. "Still and Raw" and the album "Pulse", released on XIIIBis Records in Europe and Metropolis in the U. S. These represented another iteration of Front 242's explicitly stated goal of reinventing itself. The style of the two new releases is more mellow than some of their past work, using more "glitchy" and "bleepy" sounds. As well, it uses the manipulated voice as a musical instrument. The new releases have a much more emotional style from De Meyer, which was presaged in his later recordings with C-Tec and particularly Cobalt 60 on its album "Twelve". C-Tec was a band originally formed as a Side project in 1995 by Jean-Luc De Meyer (of Front 242) Jonathan Sharp (of New Mind) and Ged Denton Cobalt 60 is a Front 242 side project featuring Front 242's Jean-Luc de Meyer and Dominique Lallement.

Front 242 promised a new U. S. tour to perform new material from "Still and Raw" and "Pulse". They have made occasional appearances in Latin America and Europe, even being rejoined by Dirk Bergen for a reunion concert in Aarschot in 2004 under the original lineup of Bresanutti, Bergen, Codenys and De Meyer. This performance was kept secret until two days before the show but when the scene magazine Side-Line and the band's label Alfa Matrix launched the news, tickets were quickly sold out. Side-Line was an online music magazine History Side-line was started in 1989 by two university students David Noiret and Seba Dolimont who noticed that there was a distinctive Alfa Matrix is a Belgian Record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including Aggrotech, dark elektro

The band has now also set itself to re-release its entire backcatalogue both as a normal CD and as a limited edition consisting of a 2CD set holding lots of previously unreleased material. For this the band is working together with the Belgian label Alfa Matrix label that already took care of releasing the albums of the Front 242 side-project Male Or Female. Alfa Matrix is a Belgian Record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including Aggrotech, dark elektro The first re-release is their debut album "Geography", this time newly remastered personally by Bresanutti to surprisingly powerful effect and including 3 extra tracks (two hidden ones) on the normal CD format.

Meanwhile their enthusiasm for side projects has continued, as Patrick Codenys started appearing with a new group called Red Sniper, Bresanutti started recording with a new group called Troissoeur, Codenys and Richard 23 formed a quasi-DJ project called Coder23 which toured in late 2004 and early 2005 as the opening act for VNV Nation, and De Meyer collaborated as a vocalist with Glis in 2005. VNV Nation are an Electronic music band originally from Wexford and London, now based in Hamburg, that combines elements of trance Glis is an Electronic / Industrial music project founded in 2001 by Shaun Frandsen of Seattle, WA (USA

Front 242 toured through twenty venues in North America in November 2005, their first tour as a full band since 2000. The band performed at the Roskilde Festival in 2006. Roskilde Festival is held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the four biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe (the other three being The band's sold out two day performance at the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels has been recorded for a future release via Alfa Matrix. Alfa Matrix is a Belgian Record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including Aggrotech, dark elektro More releases are expected in 2006 or 2007.

In December of 2006, Front 242 announced from their MySpace page that they were writing music for a video game called Cipher Complex and provided a link to a teaser trailer with a short sample of one of their scores. [1]

In 2007 Jean-Luc Demeyer announced a new project: 32CRASH via the Alfa Matrix label. Alfa Matrix is a Belgian Record label. Founded in 2001, the label releases various musical styles including Aggrotech, dark elektro The band is preparing for an album release in October 2007 after the release of the EPCD "Humanity". [1] Early audiopreviews show that the project is very much electro(clash) minded.

In August 2008, Front 242 will be playing live at the Infest Festival in Bradford, UK. Infest is an annual three day Music festival held at the University of Bradford Union in the United Kingdom, featuring

2008

On June 1st the Alfa Marix label announced that Front 242 would makes an ultimate statement towards abusive audio compression by releasing the free 2-track download, "First moment", in 5 various audio sound quality formats:

1. Mp3 - 192Kbps (medium quality) 2. Mp3 - 320Kbps (good quality) 3. Wave - 16bits/44Khz files 4. Free Lossless Audio Codec (Flac) - for PC 5. M4A Apple Lossless - for Mac

To get hold of this free 2-track download, which will hit the online world on June 15th, fans need to register[2] on a special page.

Band members

Occasional Band Members / Collaborators

Discography

Singles

YearTitleChart positionsAlbum
US Hot 100US Modern RockUS Mainstream RockUK
1990"Tragedy (For You)"-#18--Tyranny (For You)

Side Projects and Guest Appearances

References

  1. ^ 32CRASH announces pre-sales debut album
  2. ^ FRONT 242 - "First moment" free 2-track download

External links

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