How did Yello function as a dictatorship? What does Dieter Meyer think about pornography? Should he have received a Grammy for the lyrics of “Oh Yeah”? These are the issues that came up when Front 242 interviewed Meyer.
Front 242, the legendary EBM act from Belgium, have taken to social media to announce their final tour. After the heart problems of Jean-Luc de Meyer in 2022, there was some speculation that the band would struggle to carry on, but de Meyer returned to the stage with impressive energy. Now, however, the group has decided it is time for one last round.
The full text of the message from Front 242 follows.
BLACK OUT – A Personal Message to Our Fans
Today, we reach out to you, our fans, with a heavy yet hopeful heart to share the news of our final concerts. Now, we are preparing to bring down the curtain on our live performances as FRONT 242, we find ourselves navigating a sea of emotions.
For nearly four decades, we’ve journeyed together, creating unforgettable moments and sharing the profound joy of music. You’ve been more than an audience; you’ve been a part of our extended family, witnessing our evolution and sharing in our highs and lows.
The decision to step back from performing live has not been easy, but we believe it’s important to end this chapter on a high note, preserving the essence of Front 242 that you’ve grown to love. We want to leave you with memories of our band at its peak, full of energy and passion.
So, we are extending our invitation to you: join us for one last adventure. Let’s make these final shows a celebration of the incredible journey we’ve shared. We promise to deliver performances that capture the heart and soul of Front 242, a fitting farewell to a story we’ve written together.
Our final concerts:
EU24
04 Aug LOKEREN – Lokerse Feesten – B
10 Aug HILDESHEIM – M’Era Luna – DE
US24
06 Sept TAMPA – Jannus Landing – US
07 Sept PHILADELPHIA – Union Transfer – US
08 Sept CLEVELAND – Agora Theater – US
13 Sept LOS ANGELES – Mayan Theater – US
14 Sept PORTLAND – Roseland Ballroom – US
15 Sept SAN FRANCISCO – Great American Music Hall – US
EU24
12 Oct HAMBURG – Markthalle – DE
17 Oct UTRECHT – Tivoli Ronda – NL
18 Oct BERLIN – Huxley’s Neue Welt – DE
19 Oct OBERHAUSEN – Turbinnenhalle – DE
25 Oct MÜNCHEN – Backstage Werk – DE
26 Oct LANGEN – Neue Stadthalle – DE
US24
08 Nov HOUSTON – Rise Rooftop – US
09 Nov DALLAS – Granada Theater – US
10 Nov DENVER – Reelworks – US
15 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US
16 Nov CHICAGO – Metro – US
EU24
29 Nov GOTHENBURG – Film Studios – SE (FutureRetro)
30 Nov STOCKHOLM – Berns – SE (FutureRetro)
06 Dec LILLE – Black Lab – FR
07 Dec PARIS – Le Trianon – FR
08 Dec LONDON – UK
13 Dec BARCELONA – Sala Apolo – SP
14 Dec MADRID – Sala La Paqui – SP
25 Dec CHEMNITZ – Dark Storm Festival – DE
EU25
10 Jan COPENHAGEN – Pumpehuset – DK
24 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B
25 Jan BRUSSELS – Ancienne Belgique – B
The spirit of resistance is strong with REIN. The Stockholm-based producer and songstress has fought to strike her own path in music, despite attempts to pigeon-hole her style. Like Björk, REIN has approached her art with a vision that she controls, and has grown with each new release.
REIN spent part of 2022 criss-crossing the United States with Front Line Assembly, and she has dates coming up with Front 242 and Nitzer Ebb in Sweden, but her electro/avant-pop style has never been confined to her EBM roots. Yes, she can construct beats from iron girders and hammer out bass lines with the ferocity of a Viking falling on a Saxon monastery; but, on Reincarnated, she showed a touch that was sensitive and tuneful enough for radio.
REIN’s new album, God Is a Woman, represents a new step in the evolution of her sound; levelling-up with influences from Robyn, Missy Elliot, Aaliyah, Eurythmics, The Prodigy, Depeche Mode, Christine and the Queens, Fever Ray, and Kraftwerk. With themes referencing biblical myths, Lennart Nilsson in utero photographs, and life in dystopia, REIN has collected her new material under a banner of empowerment:
I have always been fascinated by how powerful women are, that we can create life inside of our bodies. I am also fascinated by history and religion. Like why have we, as women, been so oppressed for such a long time
and still is to this day? I still can’t understand why. We should be the leaders of this world
The first track released from the album, “How’s It Gonna Be?”, is characteristically personal:
It’s about the experience of being together with a person that is hot and cold, and the conversations you have with yourself. You know that the relationship is going to end someday but you are still hopeful. I would also say ‘How’s It Gonna Be?’ is the twin of my older song ‘Bruises’, people like it when I sing soft and from the heart.
With rhythms inspired by Computer World and a lifting vocal line, the result is a cross-over that will work on your FM dial as easily as it does live. Full of hooks and stabs, and with long-term collaborator Djedjotronic joining proceedings, it is a prime candidate for the dancefloor.
The full album drops on 30 November 2023. It comes in two limited editions of black or pink vinyl, which can be ordered from REIN’s Bandcamp.
REIN has four confirmed dates around the new album and the coming single tracks:
- 2 November 2023: “Rockefeller” Oslo with Front 242 + Nitzer Ebb
- 3 November 2023: “Trädgårn” Gothenburg with Front 242 + Nitzer Ebb
- 25 November 2023: “Slaktkyrkan” FutureRetro Weekender Stockholm
- 9 December 2023: “Club Meet Factory” Prague
We are in the year of the fortieth anniversary of Play It Again Sam Records. It is also the year that Bruce Geduldig, Tuxedomoon’s visuals artist, would have turned 70. Fitting, then, to find a six-track EP of songs by The Weathermen on release from PIAS.
A collaboration between Geduldig and Jean-Marc Lederman from Fad Gadget’s first touring band, The Weathermen leaped onto the stage with “Deep Down South” in 1985. From their base in Brussels, they combined the electro-intensity of Front 242 and Kraftwerk with a sense of humour that mercilessly mocked rock tropes and the lovers of Svetlana Alliluyeva. Named after a group of middle-class American radicals, who used to recruit youth by attacking them in the street and were known for blowing themselves up, The Weathermen took nothing seriously except the mixing of their samples and heavy-duty beats.
For their third communique, John F. Kennedy had been roped in for lead vocals on “Let Them Come to Berlin.” Using the cut-up tape style of Cabaret Voltaire, The Weathermen managed to turn the dead president’s anti-communist speech into a dancefloor classic. It set a template for subversion, both on and off the dancefloor, and anticipated Berghain decades before the queues started to form.
The 40 EP collects these songs with four others from the band’s very respectable back catalogue. The stand-out track, and the one that had the greatest reach for the duo, is “Poison,” in which Geduldig plays the role of stalking groupie, Suzanna Stammer. Over Lederman’s classic electro track, which featured sampled metal and a menacing bass line, Stammer leaves a series of threatening voice messages. The scary part is that there are real Suzanna Stammers, from Plan K to Pustervik. Thanks to The Weathermen, you can dance to genius tracks like “Bang!” in the club while she scratches up your Bruce Springsteen records back at home. Best have a word with your drummer about who he lets in.
It’s 2023. Bruce is gone, but the beats remain.
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This was the year of the music book. Instead of running the pop charts, many legendary figures migrated to the bestseller lists with their memoirs. Dr Martyn Ware provided his version of the Human League 1.0 in Electronically Yours. Trevor Horn offered some insights into his career in Adventures in Modern Recording. John McGeogh wasn’t here to write his own story, so Rory Sullivan-Burke took it on in The Light Pours Out of Me. Richard Evans’ Listening to the Music the Machines Make told the story of electronic music through the pages of the British music press. For Depeche Mode fans, the Halo book, revisiting the recording of Violator, was possibly more interesting than a press conference to announce a forthcoming album in the spirit of, well, Spirit.
Depeche Mode lost Andy Fletcher this year, reducing their original formation to two. Another casualty of 2022 was their former associate, Robert Marlow, who died without having achieved the broader recognition many thought he deserved. Nick Cave lost a second son, in an almost unimaginable tragedy. Hawkwind’s Nik Turner had lived a fuller life, but he couldn’t evade inclusion on a death roster that included Keith Levene, Klaus Schulze, Manuel Göttsching, Jet Black, and Vangelis. Front 242’s Jean-Luc De Meyer almost joined them, after running into heart problems. Andy Ross of Food Records wasn’t as lucky. There were constant reminders to show appreciation for artists while they are still alive.
There were plenty of opportunities to do so, as live shows were crammed into the calendar. The post-lockdown rush to get back on the road saw tours by many artists. Front 242 were up-and-at-them, as soon as the cardiologists were done, with a storming show. Rein took Manhattan (and a number of other US cities) as support for Front Line Assembly and other big name acts. Even the Electronic Summer festival returned en gång till, introducing Sierra and Piston Damp to a Swedish audience. Dave Baker’s Lonelyklown project had its stage debut. Minuit Machine valiantly returned to live performance after Helene de Thoury experienced significant inner-ear problems, but by year end de Thoury had to withdraw from live work. Kitka went to the Legion in Calgary for fries and draft beer. Test Dept beat the retreat with shows in Europe and the UK.
Mind you, some artists raised eyebrows. Patsy Kensit thought it was appropriate to snap the coffin at Fletch’s funeral and post to her IG account. We disagreed. Kanye West went full Yitler. Those lads from Right Said Fred continued to promote far right conspiracy theories. Just because you can sing doesn’t mean that everything that comes out of your mouth is golden.
Where the year fell short was in the number of quality new releases from established artists. Simple Minds, Dubstar, Leftfield, The House of Love, Wire, and William Orbit had new material on offer, but the release schedule was impacted by a combination of tour commitments, production backlogs, and record company apathy. When music is all about TikTok background sounds and streaming service statistics, a band could get lost. Add to that the economic pressures on artists who struggle to make even a basic living, while the LiveNation monopoly sucks all the oxygen from growing scenes. It’s all about dynamic ticket pricing and pre-saves on Spotify: at the end of 2022, the crisis in music is in full swing.
22. Sierra – See Me Now EP
Kicking off our list is Sierra from France. The solo artist has been making highly sought after releases for several years, but — hands in the air — we didn’t have her on the radar until the Electronic Summer festival in Gothenburg. That is an error we are happy to correct, because her music fuses the old school sounds of Vangelis and Jarre with the hardness of the dark wave set. After the insufferable flotsam of most synthwave, this is what we hoped for from the next generation of electronic musicians. It delivers in spades.
21. Alanas Chosnau and Mark Reeder – Life Everywhere
Released into the political crisis caused by the Russo-Ukrainian war, Life Everywhere was a timely release by Chosnau and Reeder. Built around a fear of government control, the tracks embed hidden caches of New Order and Human League, while making Orwell danceable.
20. Blancmange – Private View
Neil Arthur is one of the epic showmen of British entertainment. Unfortunately, due to serious health concerns, he has had to continue Blancmange without Stephen Luscombe; but he has bolted his songs to Benge’s electronics without losing his step. Private View proves that aging is no reason to give up making strong material or switching to blues-rock stylings.
19. Mark Stewart – VS
The Pop Group giant has never been the shy one. Here, he storms the heavens with industrial dub and other delights delivered by the likes of Front 242, Leaether Strip, Stephen Mallinder, and Eric Random. Stewart’s got a bone to pick with the universe, and he isn’t letting it rest until he gets a result. That makes us hopeful for more of this in the future.
18. Francesca e Luigi – Dirty Disco
The Swedes are going to dominate this year’s list — prepare yourself now. This track is one of the reasons: they are congenitally unafraid to play with disco, Italo, and other stylings that might be dismissed as cheese by others. Choose fun!
17. William Orbit – The Painter
The return of William Orbit, after some health challenges, was welcome news. The Painter found him collaborating with a range of vocalists — from Beth Orton to Polly Scattergood — while playing with the spacial capabilities of Dolby Atmos. Orbit’s bag of tricks is always full of bubbling delays, and this set of tracks was loaded with them. It is an exercise in recovery, rather than dancefloor beats, and no less beautiful for it.
16. Kitka – House of K
From the north of Sweden came House of K by Kitka, which married pop, synthwave and trap stylings to good effect. It’s not your father’s electronic music, but it is exactly the kind of creative work that needs to keep coming.
15. Karin Park – Private Collection
Page could have reissued Glad and been happy with the enthusiastic response, but Eddie Bengtsson has some of that 1970s UV spirit in him. “Vi kommer tillbaka” [EN: “We Are Coming Back”] arrived as a single just as the year was running out, easily outpacing the competition with a slice of golden poptronica.
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Karin Park returned this year with an album reimagining some of her previous compositions. Reaching back across two decades, the songs retooled on Private Collection were her own favourites; but they included many of ours, as well. Motherhood and time in the deep woods have had their effects on how Park hears her work, and we found the songs stood up well to a stripped-down, raw, and unapologetic approach.
14. The Ändå – Update & Reboot
The Ändå were back this year with this track that breaks down several boundaries. We have to wait until next year for the Twice a Man compilation, but Karl Gasleben and his collaborators in this project know how to keep the theatrical flame nurtured by the band alive. Is it silly? Is it serious? You would never ask that of Laurie Anderson, would you?
13. Fifi Rong – There Is a Funeral in My Heart for Every Man I Ever Loved
Fifi Rong went heavily into NFTs, using the emergent technology to share her music with fans. The Crypto Winter has possibility dampened the market for trading in tokens, but her current double album (one part English and one part Chinese) is also on CD. In any format, the songs on There Is a Funeral… are creative treats. The Yello collaborator has taken the indie route further than most, but her album deserves to reach the mainstream.
12. Waterflower – Mycelium (Step by Step)
Waterflower’s work incorporates plant-life, which conduct electricity in ways that can be processed. The signals generated by mushrooms are measured, timed, and turned into music that accompanies the vocals of Sabine Moore. This might sound like just a Tesco Disco, but the material is rich and enveloping — like the forest itself.
11. Front 242 – Rewind
Front 242 put on what was arguably the Concert of the Year in London, despite Jean-Luc de Meyer’s recent health scare. They weren’t touring a new record, but their countrymen at Alfa Matrix released a set of remixes this year, with Terence Fixmer, The Hacker, Kant Kino, and Radical G taking turns to play with some classic tracks. Rewind was originally planned for release last year, to mark the 20th anniversary of the label and the 40th anniversary of the band, but Covid did its thing.
10. Strikkland – Bodypop
Sweden’s love of EBM is well known, and the fact that new bands keep emerging to fan the musical flame is encouraging. Representing the west coast, Strikkland have finally issued their first album, and it is a stormer. Mixing body music and pop, the duo have made the most of their inheritance.
9. Emmon – RECON
Another Swedish act that has embraced the pop-body combination is Emmon. Previously known for seriously danceable pop, they have shifted direction to embrace all of the sounds from Emma Nylén’s DJ days. That means a bit of Goldfrapp, a dose of Depeche Mode, a shake of Nitzer Ebb, and a pinch of Front 242, blended until smooth. Representing the east coast, they have retained the sophistication and sexiness of their earlier work while turning up the body element of the mix.
8. Lederman – Rohn – Rage
This collaboration between Jean-Marc Lederman (Fad Gadget, The Weathermen, Kid Montana) and Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm) quickly punched its way up the alternative charts with an aggressive, menacing sound. It is a long way from some of Lederman’s more pastoral output, but the composer covers a lot of ground. Just the thing for a new Matrix movie, don’t you think?
7. Lau Nau – Puutarhassa
The promotional material explains this album better than we can:
“In the summer 2020 Lau Nau did a video performance Live in the Orchard for the Munich based concert series frameless. She built a little transportable wagon that fits a modular synth, a miniature recording studio and a sound system, and created a concept for the performance where she made field recordings in the garden while playing the synth. This record includes two straight takes from the live performance, remixed with other material Lau Nau recorded in the same vein in the same place, a tiny village on an island in the Western coast of Finland.”
What we can add is that this is exactly the kind of experimentation that Lau Nau does like no other. While Virginia Astley bottled the essence of British summers in From Gardens Where We Feel Secure, Lau Nau’s approach is less constricted by cultural expectations. Where Astley supplied familiarity, Lau Nau delivers surprises based upon observation and engagement. Call it quaint but never twee. A band should be named after this, called And Also the Bees.
6. Lonelyklown – Funny Sunday Morning
Together with Simon Leonard, Dave Baker is responsible for some of the best love songs ever made–even when they are about satellites and walks through Muswell Hill. There is only one track on this album written with Leonard, but the plaintive vocals and catchy melodies show direct descent from the ouevre of I Start Counting, Fortran 5 and Komputer. The twist is that it is impressed with a classic 70s vibe and more songs about things feline than The Stranglers ever managed.
5. Minuit Machine – 24
Minuit Machine are one of the top acts in the dark wave scene for a reason. Their ability to weave together haunting vocals and catchy electronics breathes humanity into the machines in ways that few other scene acts accomplish. Sadly, news came at the end of the year that Hélène de Thoury’s health would prevent her from touring in the future.
4. Amusi – EP-A
A combination of Joakim Montelius (Covenant), Khyber Westlund, Richard Hansson, and Ulrika Mild (Computer), Amusi are an alternative Swedish supergroup. Don’t confuse them with the Travelling Wilburys.
3. Page – Glad REISSUE OF THE YEAR
The original release of Page’s third album has been out of print for many years. Issued in 1995, on CD only, it has changed hands between collectors for full price ever since. Now issued for the first time on vinyl, Glad is a classic of Swedish pop. Marina Schiptjenko and Eddie Bengtsson stopped working together after this album, while the former concentrated on an ultrapop career and the latter explored guitar sounds, but their all-synth reunion has brought new life to these songs.
2. Dubstar – Two ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Since they reorganised as a duo, Dubstar have become more sophisticated and thoughtful. The release of Two gathered up some singles, including “Hygiene Strip,” and some new material crafted with producer Stephen Hague (New Order, Pet Shop Boys). The latter made it out to Dubstar’s release event at Rough Trade East, where Sarah Blackwood and Chris Wilkie performed some of the songs for an entranced audience. Blackwood’s vocals are as strong as ever, while Wilkie’s guitar work is accomplished and confident. You would have to be to have been through the Machine and come out the other side with an album that is essentially faultless.
1. Page – Vi kommer tillbaka SINGLE OF THE YEAR
When John Foxx left Ultravox!, they lost more than their punctuation mark. Foxx’s presence gave the band bite. Midge Ure made excellent, soaring pop but left no teeth marks–well, apart from the time he kicked Warren Cann out of the band he had founded. Musically, at least, there is something to be said for having an edge.
Page could have reissued Glad and been happy with the enthusiastic response, but Eddie Bengtsson has some of that 1970s UV spirit in him. “Vi kommer tillbaka” [EN: “We Are Coming Back”] arrived as a single just as the year was running out, easily outpacing the competition with a slice of golden poptronica.
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Stockholm’s Emmon have established a reputation for classy pop music, infused with sexiness, energy, and melody. Recent releases have seen the evolution of Emma Nylén’s project, as it has absorbed vibes from the alternative club night: in particular, old school Nitzer Ebb and Front 242.
RECON, the fifth Emmon album, gathers the material from recent EPs and adds new recordings impressed with the sounds uncovered by digging through Nylén’s record crates. This exercise in sonic archeology has given new fuel to the project.
The background is that a support slot for Nitzer Ebb made Nylén rethink her entire approach. While Emmon’s driving pop has earned respect and a solid following over the years, she missed the feel of the songs she used to play as a DJ. With help from her partner, Jimmy Monell, she set out to capture the textures of those sets. That might explain why, besides the usual EBM heroes, we hear John Foxx in “Purebloods” and Goldfrapp in “Machines,” Depeche Mode in “The Battle,” and Miss Kittin in “Mindfull.”
The entire album is a love letter to the scene Emmon emerged from. The sexiness of “Lips on Fire” is still underlying proceedings, but with a heavier, sequencer-led rhythm section substituting for the electroclash tension. This is serious, grown-up stuff, but it clearly has poptronica in its DNA. RECON is designed for the night.
From the opening of “First In/First Out,” which saw Jean-Luc de Meyer and Richard 23 enter with industrial-grade flashlights and strict rhythms, Front 242’s return to London promised to be a special event. Touring in their fortieth anniversary year, the band had nothing to prove except that they could keep up the energy of their youth. Whatever the advice of de Meyer’s cardiologists, they did just that.
With a set list full of their best-loved tracks, from “Funkahdafi” to “Operating Tracks,” the Front were armed to the teeth with killer songs that kept heads nodding in capacity crowd. There aren’t many bands with a “Commando Mix” or “Quite Unusual” in their arsenal, but the Belgians have a back catalogue supplied by Fabrique Nationale.
There wasn’t a misfire all evening. As de Meyer and 23 strode the stage, Patrick Codenys handled the main keyboards and beats were added by drummer Tim Kroker. Audience participation came during “Headhunter,” with hundreds of fingers raised aloft to demonstrate the popularity of lists.
As an encore, the band returned with the classics, “Agressiva” and “Welcome to Paradise.” Hard electronics and sampled preachers are their raw materials, and Front 242 provided a masterclass in industrial production. The band who defined EBM still have the tools to perform at the highest level.
(With thanks to Frank Drake at Flag Promotions)
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Front 242, the Belgian EBM pioneers, have announced a second show in London, extending the UK leg of their 40th Anniversary Tour. They will perform at the 02 Academy on 17 July 2022, having sold out their first show on the 16th. Their press release tells the tale:
Front 242 began in 1981 when Daniel B. laid down his musical ideas on a single entitled ‘Body To Body’. He was joined a year later by Patrick Codenys (keyboards) and Jean-Luc De Meyer (vocals) for debut album ‘Geography’, followed by Richard 23 (vocalist/stage performer) in 1983.
Developing their own independent recording and graphics facilities, as well as a unique on-stage presentation, the group soon began reaching progressively larger audiences via the release of a series of records in a brand new genre that they termed Electronic Body Music (EBM), seeing it as a collage and synthesis of music and sounds recycled from the media or TV that was often reflected or enriched by other artistic disciplines. In 1984, the group signed a US deal with the Chicago-based label Wax Trax! and released the EP ‘Take One’. They would go on to enjoy massive success Stateside.
Gaining experience in the mid-80s by performing at large European festivals and from US touring, Front 242 established itself as a powerful live unit and their EBM spread across Europe and beyond. The albums ‘No Comment’ (1985), ‘Official Version’ (1987) and ‘Front By Front’ (1988, including the indie/club hits ‘HeadHunter’ and ‘Welcome to Paradise’) sealed their international breakthrough and status as an innovative and pioneering outfit.
The group’s vision evolved toward full maturity following the acclaimed ‘Tyranny For You’ (1991), while their next albums – ’06:21:03:11 Up Evil’ and ’05:22:09:12 Off’ (both 1993) broke the classic Front formula by bringing in new vocalists, live guitars and drums, plus outside producer Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Sonic Youth). This began a period of redistributing roles and rules within the group, albeit retaining the scope of invention and the radical attitude that were key ingredients in their music.
A hiatus between 1993-1997 saw the release of ‘Live Code’ (recorded during their most recent world tour) and ‘Mut@ge – Mix@ge’, a compilation album for which star names such as The Prodigy, The Orb and Underworld provided innovative remixes of Front 242 songs.
The original quartet reunited in 1997 and (with German drummer Tim Kroker) once again began performing concerts, with several ensuing live releases that captured the group’s energy and also reflected the numerous changes brought in by the versions of Front songs being performed on stage.
After a lengthy absence from the studio, the EP ‘Still & Raw’ and album ‘Pulse’ were both released in 2003. Based on the aesthetics of the 1970s and 80s, these records saw Front 242 recreate the original sound at the centre of their art, but enriched by two decades of experience; analogue technologies and vintage machines pulsing into deconstructed tracks where emotion and research were still conveyed by a purely electronic attitude.
Having reissued their back catalogue in newer, enriched editions, and breaking from the perceived tradition that every live campaign be preceded by a new album, Front 242 continue to perform worldwide with the same levels of intensity and success as ever, encouraged by crowds of loyal fans celebrating the band’s uniqueness and renowned integrity.
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The howl of human misery is Mark Stewart’s fellow traveller. It is in his voice. It is in his words. Even when he lets love lead the way (e.g., the magnificent “Stranger Than Love”), the rasp and rattle of anxiety and despair shape his sound. Then there is the anger. Stewart’s eyes see the deeds of the wicked, and he gives both barrels to them (e.g., the even more amazing “Hypnotised”). Everything he shares is impressed with the message: get off your knees and dance.
VS is a collage of rhythm against repression. Beginning with Patrick Codenys tearing the seams of dub for “Rage of Angels” – a track cast as Mark Stewart vs Front 242 – the premise of the album is cast. The head-strong and the world-weary are thrown into action, in a blur of post-punk personalities. Stewart is triangulated with Stephen Mallinder and Eric Random for “Cast No Shadow,” which gets the Leaether Strip treatment. Random reappears for “Ghost of Love,” aiming his sequencers into the void. There is dark matter there, and transmissions can be detected from Consolidated, Mika Vainio, Mike Watt, KK Null, Ye Gods, Adrian Sherwood, and Lee “Scratch” Perry. Two of the contributors are no longer living, but Death is no A&R man. Get up, said James Brown, and the time for the big payback was here.
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It has been twenty years since the label, Alfa Matrix, started to issue material from its base in Belgium. From the trip-hop of Hungry Lucy through to the solo projects of EBM’s godfathers, Front 242, the label has covered a lot of ground. Artists on their roster include Nitzer Ebb, Recoil, Psy’Aviah, Leaether Strip, and Kant Kino. Sweden’s Circumpolar rub shoulders with Germany’s Armageddon Dildos in the Alfa Matrix catalogue, nestled alongside local synthpop champions, Metroland. Chances are, if an EBM, dark wave or industrial artist has hit the radar, at some point they will have passed through the Alfa Matrix offices.
Alfa Matrix’s (L-R) Dolimont, Blanchart and Van Isacker
Founded by label and artists manager Séba Dolimont, promo manager Bernard Van Isacker, and head of design Benoît Blanchart, Alfa Matrix has survived the transition to digital platforms and the evolution of trends. We spoke with Van Isacker about the label, its role as a champion of alternative music, and his experience of the past two decades.
Going back to the beginning, what were your ambitions for the label, and are there any still to be fulfilled?
Séba, Benoît and I basically wanted to create a label that was fair to its bands and that also gave a platform to new talents next to bands that already had a following. Even today, these are still the core ingredients in how we work.
We started in 2001, when more labels were closing doors than actually started; and, actually, back then several people considered us foolish to do so. Over the past 20 years, we launched a lot of new bands from electro and darkwave to even gothic metal acts like Lovelorn Dolls and Star Industry – which are post-punk avant la garde, to be honest. I must say that, in the first half of our existence, we were limiting ourselves to the more electronic acts.
Alfa Matrix has handled releases from some legends of the scene, including Front 242 and Recoil, and broken a number of new artists, but it is still a select group. How have you chosen who to work with?
With Front 242 and Recoil, it was all about trust. Seba knew the Front 242 people quite well, and I had dealt with them in the past – I did their online merchandise sales when I worked at an e-commerce start-up. So they knew they could trust us. With Recoil, aka Alan Wilder, it was a long friendship which culminated in a collaboration. Other bands were projects by friends: Nebula-H had Stephane Froidcoeur as the singer, and he has always been writing for Side-Line; Metroland’s Andy and Sven are longtime friends, as well; thesame for Implant’s len Lemeire; Steffen Gehring from Technoir is a friend of my ex and I, and so on.
Since Séba had done A&R for various labels in the past, it was not accidental that some of his contacts would, one way or another, also land with us. Other bands sent us demos. Once we agree – all three – then we offer them a deal. I don’t think we are hard chasers, as such. We see what appears, and we keep our eyes and ears open for talents.
What are you most proud of, looking back across two decades of releases?
That we have built up a legacy. I never expected this to become so big. As it stands now we have constantly been in the top three of all labels active in the dark wave scene, although we never have been boasting about this, nor have we ever planned to live from it. We all have solid jobs – as a result, we can invest more in the label.
There have been a number of structural changes in the industry since you started, such as the shift to streaming services. What would you say to someone starting a label today?
Keep your costs under control and be realistic. I think that, as a starting label, it’s wiser printing 100 CDs or vinyls and selling them all than sitting on a pile of stock which you will never get rid of. Apart from that, invest heavily in data and make sure you own your own data, via your own shop or Bandcamp. I do think streaming will be the biggest digital platform, as such, but you are very dependent on what they do. And you are too dependent on their algorithm, which is not very favorable to young bands on indie labels, if I may say so, as the algorithm is triggered by the initial boost a track gets. So, it may take a while before you will see any traction unless one of your bands suddenly breaks through – and that is roughly 1% of all the bands active. Even less, actually.
But I welcome new labels as they often have the tendency to discover bands nobody knows. And it’s in the end all about getting to hear good and interesting music
There have been some scandals in the scene over the past two decades – from festivals where the money disappeared to kickstarters that never delivered and badly behaved groupies. What are the lessons we should take from those experiences?
There have been even way more scandals…! The lesson I learned personally is, first of all, this: never, ever trust people when your gut feeling tells you something is off. I lost a lot of money because I wanted to believe the people I worked with. I should have known better, as my gut feeling said, “Back out of this, Bernard. Something is wrong here.”
Secondly, bands who do kickstarters and never deliver the goods are pure thugs. I have seen this happen a lot, and it happens again and again. Each time, I saw alarm bells going off with these kickstarters, but the fans didn’t notice those signals. And, as far as groupies is concerned, I would advise everyone who has some kind of ‘leading’ role (as a band, as a label owner, as a writer) to vet every possible date you pick up inside the scene. You’d be surprised what the real agenda is, and you will not be the number one on that agenda! 🙂
What is next for the label? Another twenty years?
I’m 47 now, so when I’m 67 I think I will have entered into a more jazz and blues direction. I will have set up Rednote Records, maybe :). But your question shows how fast time goes by. A lot has happened: two marriages, two kids, lots of nice things, a few less nice moments. I guess you have the same sentiment as you are more or less my age. I’m the youngest of the three label owners – the others have jumped on the wagon near 50. I think we still haven’t completely unearthed what we are capable of, so who knows.
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