After 30 years at the forefront of modern electronic music, what you may wonder, do Front 242 have to say about where they’ve been, and where we are now? We ask Patrick Codeyns what he feels F242s legacy is, and how their philosophy has influenced the direction of industrial and EBM today.
So, given that 2011 is nominally Front 242’s 30th anniversary, is the band doing anything in particular to celebrate?
We believe that the best way to celebrate is to release new tracks to the public, which is a process that, for now, is still under construction and will take time. This is the most important thing, to create a new and interesting imagined universe with sounds and images, the expression of what Front242 is today. So, we need to first deal with that part before we invite our guests for a “celebration”.
Significant anniversary dates like this are always a time to reflect, for both a band and its followers. Arguably both pioneers and major influences of the industrial scene in Europe, how much of a part do you think you have played in it all?
I don’t really know, since we were ourselves influenced by bands before that. The whole industrial-EBM-electro world is like a big wave starting in the 70’s and encompassing a lot of bands, each having their own legacy. F242 is particular for its philosophy based on trying to build a specific musical aesthetic by itself, different to a lot of musical standards, combining research and more attractive sounds with a personal touch. But we never look back to what we’ve achieved or who we’ve influenced – the point of that philosophy being to always look forward, to the future, the new challenges.
Do you ever feel that your ‘legacy’ for want of a better word, constrains you in what you can do in terms of new projects, or puts you under pressure to break new boundaries?
No, not really. Since the beginning of the 80’s, we’ve been doing music the way we wanted. At the time, some albums were considered as innovative, so F242 would be thought of as avant-garde, or pioneers, and maybe this is less the case now, since electronic music has become such a huge genre. But we always produced different albums, sometimes naïve or pretentious, with female vocalists, against our record label policy, or whatever else.
But we always kept a form of integrity in what we believed in, so the point is to keep a coherent vision of what we do – a kind of Art form.
You guys are just back from some Wax Trax events over in Chicago – you’ve worked with them in the US for many years now, what was the thinking behind these show?
That was a very sentimental trip. We were close to the owners Jim and Dannie – who both died – and that show was a tribute to their spirit. They introduced industrial-electronic music in the US and were always strongly behind F242.
Recently at least, your live schedule has been fairly heavily weighted towards the US, Belgium and Germany. Are these, to use industry terms, your ‘key territories’, or simply great areas to play?
As a matter of fact, we play as much in Scandinavia or Spain in proportion; but we love and are loved by the audience of every country for very different reasons. Germany has always been our strongest market, with a full understanding of our music as being EBM, whereas Spain would classify us as electro-dance precursors, and the US quote us as “industrial”.
Every area is great to play when people enjoy the band and the band enjoys sharing with the people.
You’re hitting the UK in December for two shows, in Glasgow and London. Given that these will be your first UK shows since an appearance at Infest festival in Bradford in 2008 – what are your feelings towards the UK and the industrial scene in anticipation of these shows?
For me, the UK in general has always been a sort of “enemy”, since it is a country that imposes their artists on the world, and there is big business behind it. It was always hard for us to fight against that establishment, with even most Belgian journalists being totally corrupted by the UK industry. There is a lot of talent in the UK, don’t get me wrong, but money rules.
Regarding the UK industrial scene, I have a totally different attitude. We have always had tremendous support from our English fans and the UK remains a major player in the industrial music scene, starting with bands like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire. There is an important underground culture - very aware, well informed musically - and a devoted following to F242. We need to honour that.
Side projects can be key in terms of innovation – of the many side projects you’ve been involved in, have you seen these more as an outlet for new ideas, or a way of testing new concepts for Front 242?
To me, “surround sound” is a key innovation. The visual world is perceived on a 30 degree vision cone – extended sometimes to 90 with satellite vision – so, the audio is just “added” to the image when people place 2 speakers next to a screen, a stage, or to listen to music. But sound is in fact 360 degrees and can physically create an environment where the body is fully enveloped in audio-sensory perception.
I’d love to experience a full 5.1 surround-sound concert with F242 as I do with other projects, we would have to question every song again and create a particular concept around that.
With electronic creative sound and visuals evolving side-by-side, would you say that Daniel’s original visual work that has accompanied much of your music is a key part to the experience, or something that has grown in tandem?
It is a key part of the experience as well as defining the message and structure. We are talking about “concepts” – not just a musical album – encompassing images, political statements, propaganda and live clips as part of the global artistic campaign. Sadly, iTunes and YouTube among others have killed that way of moving forward.
As Front 242, there have been no significant new releases since 2008’s Moments. Are there any plans for new material (or new arrangement) releases? If not, what is on the horizon in terms of new music otherwise?
We are working on new material, but as mentioned above, the whole concept will need time to take place, so you can expect a long wait while we fine-tune everything I’m afraid…
