Formed in 1981 in Brussels Belgium by programmers Patrick Codenys and Dirk Bergen, Front 242 have been credited for popularizing Industrial Dance along with bands such as Skinny Puppy, Severed Heads, and Ministry. Taking the robot pop beats from Kraftwork and fusing them with a thunderous cacophony of mechanical noise, tape loops, extremist anti-melodies and bludgeoning beats of Throbbing Gristle, Front 242 successfully carved out a groove and an ambiance that would become mainstream in the 1990’s. While the band never got the attention as some of their contemporaries, artist’s such as the Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method and Fatboy Slim were certainly listening to these pioneers in high school.
Now two decades after their debut recording, Geography, they return with their first disc of original material since 1993, Still & Raw. While the EP still has the trademark Front 242 stamp, they have clearly grown as band. The disc is much more mellifluous then earlier projects. Not to say they have followed the Orb into the abyss of ambient atmospheric sounds. The first track, “7Rain”, has a very vigorous vibe as the group tweaks the vocals with severe echo. The remix of this song-one of two- is equally as effective as they turn the intensity down a notch while maintaining the aura of the original. Vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer has never been a screamer like Al Jourgensen or Sascha Konietzko. Rather, his voice seems to blend into music as it does on the cut “Loud”. Even though you won’t find anything as fierce as “Headhunter” or “Never Stop” on this cd, this is unmistakably Front 242’s second coming.
After over 20 years Front 242 sounds as fresh as hey did in 1982 and this EP is evidence that this band have not lost their passion for pushing the boundaries beyond the scope of popular music or trends.