Intuitive Music

Front 242

The Belgian band Front 242 are considered the fathers of the EBM (Electronic Body Music). Front 242 was formed in 1981 in Brussels (BE), inspired by industrial music and early synth pop artists such as Cabaret Voltaire, kraftwerk and Throbbing Gristle.

The group was originally a duo founded by programmers Patrick Codenys and Dirk Bergen and was extended in 1982 with Richard 23 (drums), Daniel B. Prothese (programmer), and Jean-Luc De Meyer (vocals). In 1982, Front 242 released their debut album “Geography”, which was basically a synth pop oriented work. After Dirk Bergen’s departure to manage the band in 1984, the band’s sound got more aggressive and industrial oriented, to giving way to the EBM sound. This caused the controversy in the press media when the band was related with the fascist ideology and connected them with several right-wing groups, to what they claimed that they “only reserve their right to freedom of artistic expression.”

Front 242 has been also characterized by their violent shows and a social and political criticism in their lyrics. The band is known for having avoided show their faces in promotional material such as album covers and videos, often wearing worker suits and sunglasses. By 1987, Front 242 was one of the most important industrial artists and signed to Chicago’s Wax Trax! label, which reissued part of the group’s back catalogue and old recordings.

Richard 23 finally left the band in 1993 after a disagreement with the band about the release of the “Stainless Steel Providers” in 1988, but Front 242 band still continued recording without him. Later in 1995, Jean-Luc De Meyer quit to work in his solo projects. Jean-Luc de Meyer and Dominique Lallement has worked in the EBM project Cobalt 60 to release the albums “Elemental” (1996) and “Twelve” (1998) and also producing music for the PC games “Command and Conquer” and “Conquer: Red Alert”. De Meyer has also produced under the moniker of Cybertec. In 1996, Front 242 released the remix-album “Mutage Mixage” featuring remixes by The Orb, Underworld and The Prodigy.

Today, Front 242 is a cult band which has influenced a whole generation of EBM and industrial rock bands in the 90’s.