Front 242 - Official Version
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CD Details
Artist: Front 242Edition: Music CD
Format: Original recording reissued
CD Release Date: 1992-06-02
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
- W.Y.H.I.W.Y.G.
- Rerun Time
- Television Station
- Agressiva Due
- Masterhit (Part I & II)
- Slaughter
- Quite Unusual
- Red Team
- Angst
- Quite Unusual
- Agressiva
- Masterblaster
- Hypnomix
Music reviews of Official Version
Music Review: Front 242 come into their own
Rating: 5 Stars
"Official Version" shows Front 242 finding for the first time the nuances, production values, and maturity that make them a classic group. Compared to "Geography", their previous full length, this album is much more powerful, layered, melodic and memorable. It's also consistent. The use of rhythmic, spliced samples is prevalent, and the synth work has grown beyond "tweaking" into full blown melodicism. Every song is a constantly shifting patchwork of sounds.
Jean Luc de Meyer is obviously much more comfortable with his elegant, low, smooth voice here. His vocal hooks provide most of the memorable moments on "Official Version". Unlike all but the best of "Geography", these lyrics are hard NOT to memorize. You'll have "The way morning broke was quite unusual" (Quite Unusual) and "It's up to you to decide!" (Agressiva Due) running through your head for days. Every lyric seems to function as a catchy, anthemic slogan, and yet they are all so meaningful. The attitude here is classic 242: clinical and analytic, yet socially conscious, mature and honest.
This album is FULL of classics. "Masterhit" is a danceable song with a beautiful, tasteful refrain that proves that an absurdly catchy EBM chorus need not be irritating or lacking in depth. "Quite Unusual" is a similarly wonderful dance track. "Rerun Time" shows their newfound ability to build tension over the course of a song. "Television Station" is one of my favorite tracks... a 2 minute build up that starts off sounding like late Skinny Puppy with a disjointed rhythm, whispered vocals and airy atmospherics (think "Mirror Saw" from Last Rights), and culminates in an indescribable melodic flourish.
There are several tracks here that branch into new directions, different from anything 242 have ever done. "Red Team" is such a track; a monologue over beautiful synth washes. de Meyer's political and intelligent lyrics shine here. The song is written from the perspective of the aggressor... "My willingness to destroy is your chance for improvement".
I could go on about every track here, but I've already written enough. Suffice to say "Official Version" is near perfect, and one of the absolute classics of 80's electronic music/industrial/EBM, on par with Skinny Puppy's "VIVIsect VI", Clock DVA's "Buried Dreams", Depeche Mode's "Black Celebration" and others. 5 stars.
Description of Official Version
Official VersionThis title is manufactured "on demand" when ordered from Amazon.com, using recordable media as authorized by the rights holder. Powered by CreateSpace, this on-demand program makes thousands of titles available that were previously unavailable. For reissued products, packaging may differ from original artwork. Amazon.com?s standard return policy will apply.
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