"Front 242" is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s.
Front 242 was created in 1981 in Aarschot, near Brussels, Belgium, by Daniel Bressanutti and Dirk Bergen, who wanted to create music and graphic design using emerging electronic tools.
The first single, "Principles", was released in 1981. The front part of the name comes from the idea of an organized popular uprising. 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. Bressanutti, Codenys and De Meyer took turns on vocals at first, until they settled on De Meyer as the lead vocalist (early recordings with Bressanutti on vocals have recently been released). De Meyer came to write most of the lyrics and Valerie Jane Steele also wrote several tracks including "Don't Crash". 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.
"Front 242" became a popular musical group in Belgium. Their next album, No Comment, released in 1984, was the first to introduce the term "Electronic Body Music" in association with their sound. "Front 242" signed with the Wax Trax! label in 1984, and started their first tour in the United States with Ministry. This tour led to the creation of Revolting Cocks by Richard 23, Luc Van Acker, Alain Jourgensen of Ministry and others.
In 1987, Front 242 signed with Wax Trax! Records in the U.S. and Red Rhino in Europe, and released Backcatalogue and Official Version,.
In 1988, Front by Front was released, and in December of that same year, "Headhunter" (with a video by Anton Corbijn), became the band's first club hit, reaching #13 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart.
| Label & Catalogno | Band/Performers - Album Title |
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RRE Records RRE 21 LP
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FRONT 242 - 06:21:03:11 Up Evil ( Utilising a simple alphanumeric conversion from numbers to letters, i.e. 1=A, 2=B, 3=C, ..., 26=Z, the title can be interpreted as: 06 = F Which gives a full album title of Fuck Up Evil. The band referred to the album as Upheaval in an interview after the album's release. |
Animalized SPV 08-1389
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FRONT 242 - Front by Front (1988, Germany) "Front By Front"'s album's sound was characterized by a combination of abrasive industrial sounds, driving percussion, and melodic synth lines. The album's opening track, "Until Death (Us Do Part)," is a classic example of this sound, with its driving beat and distorted vocals. |
Red Rhino Europe RRE 08-024559 Les Editions Confidentielles
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FRONT 242 - Geography (1982, Benelux) Front 242's "Geography" is a 1982 album that helped define the EBM (Electronic Body Music) genre. The album features tracks that combine industrial rhythms, aggressive synths, and distorted vocals, creating a unique and influential sound. Songs like "Operating Tracks" and "U-Men" became club hits, and the album's influence can still be felt in modern electronic music. |
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Red Rhino Europe RRE 08-024577 
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FRONT 242 No Comment (Holland) "No Comment" is the "Front 242" album that was first released in 1984 on the Another Side music label. The album was the first reference to Electronic Body Music (EBM) when the band included the phrase "Electronic Body Music Composed And Produced On Eight Tracks By Front 242" in reference to their use of an 8-track recording device. Though the album was their second full length album, the Belgian band had released several singles and EPs prior to No Comment. The clip of dialogue featured in the track "Special Forces" is from the movie Apocalypse Now |
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Red Rhino Europe RRE LP5 Les Edition Confidentielles
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FRONT 242 Official Version (Belgium) Front 242's "Official Version" is a 1987 album that cemented the band's status as pioneers of EBM (Electronic Body Music). The album features a polished, dancefloor-ready sound that still retains the band's signature aggression and political lyrics. It became club staples and helped popularize the EBM sound around the world. "Official Version" remains a landmark album in the history of electronic music. |
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Netttwerk NT12-3004
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FRONT 242 - Interception Quite Unusual (1986, Belgium) "Quite Unusual" is the maxi-verson of this track which was first released on the album "Official Version" |
| RRE LP 11
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FRONT 242 - Tyranny for You (1991, Belgium) "Tyranny For You" is an album by Front 242, released in 1991. The song "Rhythm of Time" proved a minor hit and became a music video, appearing briefly in the film "Single White Female" playing on a TV. |
