FRONT 242 Don't crash

Front 242 is a pioneering Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. 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 electro-industrial and electronic artists.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. 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.

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 late 1981. Although some members now claim that the name does not have a particular meaning, in an early '90s interview on Belgian TV, Daniel Bressanutti said that the '242' part comes from him swearing '242!' instead of 'damn!' when he was young.[verification needed] Also, the similarities to UN Security Council Resolution 242 have not been lost on those interested in the Arab-Israeli conflict. 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. 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. 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.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• FRONT
• 242
• Don't
• crash
• Electronic
• Body
• Music
• 90s
• nineties
• 1990s
• techno
• EBM
• industrial
• old
• skool
• electro-industrial
• live
• target

[alexnordh]

When playing this at my teens, my mum (naturally) shouted "stop that noise" When now playing this from a noisy tape at the cassette recorded in the christmas holidays she said "oh, its that ...it´s rather good...belgians right? "

[autodafeh242]

omg......want a 242 tattoo?

[MrDFWG]

good )

[mravka9]

Front 242 were my first concert experience when I was 18 in Montreal. They played at the Rialto Theatre and came out on stage with robot helmets and red laser guns. It goes without saying that they brought down the house.

[Feeschn]

days of no horizon.... heard this with 17 and I´m hearing it with 41 also... Front 242 will be one of my favourites all my life :-)

[MrAntipattern]

Don't crash is my favorite FRONT 242 Song at all - from the EP Politics of Pressure ...

[autodafeh242]

It would be nice to have a 242 tattoo so you can check in everytime you want....because your part of the club....ohhh thats an 242 fan ...let him in!!!

[dens904]

toujours aussi puissant

[myshelby500gt]

one of my favourite tracks from thiis great band.

the synths on this are pure bliss.

i play along to this on my korg mono/poly and roland mc 909.

great upload.

thank you.

[MrAntipattern]

This is my favourite Song of Front 242 - It is from the EP Politics of Pressure

[fabiopadraic]

faz mi lembrar da época do retrô, armagedon, muito bom rs..

[whiteboyfunk1]

Perhaps others will now understand whiteboyfunk....