Customer Reviews

Still & Raw

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a Front 242 lover since I can remember (at LEAST since the Official Version days), I obviously went nuts when I heard this was coming out. Of course, I also tried to balance my enthusiasm, though, with the realization that it's been 10 years since last we heard truly new material from F242, and the band had likely changed quite a bit (just listen to the Male Or Female project of Codenys and Bresannutti). Interestingly, though, Still & Raw doesn't set out AT ALL to blow you away with some new, radical direction. Instead, it's very simple, well made, straight-to-the-point electronic music that keeps itself grounded very much in the late 80s/early 90s industrial scope, but doesn't sound at all dated or out of phase with the directions the members have been going in. Scathing reviews have scorched this EP for the fact it's "nothing special", but I disagree. It isn't screaming "LOOK AT ME TOO!" trying to one-up all the new, name-brand bands out there in the industrial/electro scene. Instead, the lack of wild beats and super-intensity (like the UP EVIL/EVIL OFF days) is almost a comment on expectations and such. If the music must be compared to something previous, the tracks seem to fit in perfectly with the Tyranny For You days, but even then, there's some new spirit here. The collaboration between members seems up to par, and it's nice to hear J.L. DeMeyer's voice set to these electronic ruminations again. It's a satisfying EP that really allows F242 to be reborn again. Ignore the hype and flutter over their "first work in 10 years"...instead, expect some good electronic music from some of the best in the industry who don't have to conintually change their image or be "sp00ky" just to remain interesting.

It wasn't until I came across an interview with Daniel Bressanutti and Patrick Codenys (the two electronic powerhouses that form the foundation of the legendary Front 242, with vocalist/lyricist Jean-Luc De Meyer and percussionist/vocalist Richard Jonckheere (aka Richard 23) completing the unit) that I realized what I liked so much about this EP of new material (and what I always liked about the group in general). In the interview, the two point out that what the group was trying to achieve for the new album was to recapture the feel of their earliest, rawest material while at the same time giving everything a more modern viewpoint.

Basically, everything that has defined Front 242 is still there, but much more informed by time and experience now. The songs are very subtle, dark, and rhythmic, but at the same time suggesting a complexity of design and assembly that is characteristic of their music. The bubbling, pulsing synth lines are moist and menacing, and J.L.'s unmistakable vocals are enhanced and modified in ways that will make certain other producers take sledgehammers to their vocoders.

If you've never heard Front 242 before, I would actually recommend starting with BACKCATALOGUE, but this EP wouldn't be a bad place either (to start, that is). If you ARE a fan...then you're probably only reading this to see what people are saying about it because YOU HAVE IT ALREADY, DON'T YOU?

Welcome back, guys. We were starting to worry there for a while.

This is a quality EP showing a slight change in direction for Front 242. It's almost melodic at times with piano and keyboard motifs, but don't let that make you think that Front 242 have become passified by time, their music may have lost it's noise, but it's still edgy and scary.

Jean-Luc DeMeyer's vocals are more expressed and melodic than ever before, it's like he is actually singing now, much more than before where he sung with venom and anger to express the bands points of view.

'7Rain' is an excellent song with a low, rolling bassline allied to a tight electro beat. DeMeyer sings smoothly throughout it and the piano keys that wash over it are some of the most beautiful effects that 242 have ever done before.

'Still and Raw' is a top-notch return.

Wow. Boundery pushing EBM/electro/industrial. Good music. Unfortunately this is only a single for 7rain, but the versions on Still and Raw are both better than the Pulse version. For a single, this is a good solid listen, I only wish Pulse had the same feel that Still and Raw does all the way through.

There's a certain stigma carried by bands in any given genre that are the definition by which all other similar bands are compared. While this may not be fair, it's nothing more or less than the nature of the human mind to make these comparisons. The band is held almost constantly to its own definition, and many of us refuse to accept any foray that is not perceived consistent with that definition.

In 1981, Front 242 created, in essence, what we would all come to know as Electronic Body Music. In a sense, we have never forgiven them for that. Too many people haven't let go of the Front 242 of the 80's and 90's. Was it classic? Yes, all of it. But if you can't, as an artist, redefine your own game, then you're no better than VNV Nation. How many more remixes of "Headhunter" is it gonna take, people?

I had to get that out of my system.

So, for the first time in no less than a decade, we've been given a new offering in EP form by the ones we herald so highly. Four entirely new songs, and two additional remixes. But unless you've got the ear for these things (and if you take out DeMeyer's vocals), you'd swear it wasn't 242. For the most part, there's no discernable song structure here, and certainly nothing that really makes you want to get up and shake your groove thang. Train your ears a little bit and look through those facts, now. Can you hear it? Right there, right in front of your ears, is the raw absolute of Front 242's equation: sound design. Okay, sound design and Jean-Luc. If you go back though any and all of the 242 back-catalogue, you'll find the very same elements. It's all there; you just have to listen between the lines.

At least a few people didn't like this EP. They can't be faulted for that, but I personally find this disc fascinating. You can listen to it all day (as I have), and find new elements in the music that weren't there last time. From the reflection of "7Rain" and the brooding of "Loud", to the stuttered, cut-up vocal track on "Strobe", I think this is an EP that I'll be able to listen to, with continued interest, for a prolonged period of time. My favourite track off here is the remix "7Rain (GHost)." The atmosphere is mellow and spectacular, and I particularly liked the added lyric stanzas at the end.

I could have asked for something more, but I'm pleased with what was produced. I do wish the vocals were a little more prevalent, because J.L. DeMeyer still ownz in the vocal department. Supposedly the forthcoming full-length, Pulse, is going to be quite different from Still & Raw. Sadly, it'll have the same butt-ugly artwork. I can only hope that those who weren't satisfied with this one will be sated by the next. I'm sure I myself will enjoy it regardless.

I actually bumped into this CD quite by accident. Who ever thought we would hear more from Front 242 after all these years?

I must say I amazed by the quality and craftmanship on this CD. All too often I've been disapointed when returning to new offerings of the 'old' industrial giants.

'Loud' is absoloutly flawless and evokes memories of the sweepeing soundscapes and the introverted philosophy of 'Up Evil'. Strobe is magnificent example of precision. Morphs from background music in one form or another is so fluid it's impossible to pinpoint the actual change.

Why not five stars? Let's face it, this CD is brutally short. Only four original songs with two remixes. This is like a bad striptease where we are left frantically groping for more. Cross your fingers that they will release additional tracks.

Unreal. This is the coolest electronic music in years. If your looking for the future of music, look here. enough said.

Ahhh, the wait is over. Fresh songs from some other galaxy have arrived in majestic forms. Want to be pleasantly haunted? How about stirred beyond belief? One truly sinks teeth into this hyper rich, darkly substantial landscape of sound - time and time again - allowing neurons to prance and swim in delightful rearrangement and displacement.

242 builds soul-strengthening tunes that draw you in deeper and deeper. They excavate rare gems from the collective unconscious and serve them up like audible oysters on a platter.

Listening to music this unfathomably advanced challenges your nervous system to consider - then realize - glorious transformations.

This is the thinking person's electronica, filled with profound philosophical emotion and intense lyrical insights. These are surprising, stinging grooves that nestle into your neural cavities to breed blissful nuances. You will tap your feet as consciousness is being expanded.

What Giger is to art and Dorothy Parker is to poetry, 242 is to the world of music, taking you truly beyond the norm and into uncharted sentient dimensions.

Astoundingly entertaining music...

Ahhh, the wait is over. Fresh songs from some other galaxy have arrived in majestic forms. Want to be pleasantly haunted? How about stirred beyond belief? One truly sinks teeth into this hyper rich, darkly substantial landscape of sound - time and time again - allowing neurons to prance and swim in delightful rearrangement and displacement.

242 builds soul-strengthening tunes that draw you in deeper and deeper. They excavate rare gems from the collective unconscious and serve them up like audible oysters on a platter.

Listening to music this unfathomably advanced challenges your nervous system to consider - then realize - glorious transformations.

This is the thinking person's electronica, filled with profound philosophical emotion and intense lyrical insights. These are surprising, stinging grooves that nestle into your neural cavities to breed blissful nuances. You will tap your feet as consciousness is being expanded.

What Giger is to art and Dorothy Parker is to poetry, 242 is to the world of music, taking you truly beyond the norm and into uncharted sentient dimensions.

Astoundingly entertaining music...

...That's what these guys are banking on. I was somewhat disappointed with this release and very dissappointed with Pulse. What happened? I can understand that musicians need to grow and their music should reflect that, but on first listen to this release I am left wondering what songs didn't make the cut.

This isn't bad, but it isn't really the band that I grew up with. A line from the song Rain : "Am I getting grey?" Yes, you must be, and a bit tired, chap. Take a virility pill for pete's sake. I can barely lift a glass of water to this music: it motivates me little.

Thank golly I bought these for a fraction of the price on eBay.

This is far better than Pulse.

Songs worth mention: Strobe and Collision

I love these guys, but to be honest, it falls short of their prime brilliance. Here's a "Damn" for the record.