Front 242 - Pulse

Their first album in a decade, close to 74 minutes of continuous music, this is what electronic music fans have been yearning for. Metropolis. 2003. Album Description

 Good, but not as good
I bought this cd because of my long-lived affection for the Up Evil and Off discs. Even Official Version is quite good. This one falls a bit short of the mark, in my opinion. Those other two discs are far more interesting. This is still, however, a good listen, but it won't blow you away as the first two I've mentioned will October 23, 2007

 Excellent
"Pulse" is Front 242's first album in 10 years, but unlike many of the other great electronic giants of the 80's, they haven't lost a bit of what made them great. This album covers a hell of a lot of ground in its long running time, and while one could argue that it might be over-cluttered with short synth tweaking experiments, there's enough undeniably great material here that I have a hard time understanding the complaints. I also feel I should add that there have always been shorter, instrumental tracks such as these on 242 albums.

The strongest aspect of Pulse is its wonderful production. 242 uses modern technology to a degree rarely seen, proving that their long history does prevent them from keeping step with the times. Every song on this album winds through endless subtle shifts- clear rhythms morph into clips, synths phase in and out of the mix. Every sound is perfectly arranged. Ideas are repeated, but not looped mechanically. The sounds never become remotely repetitive. The synth patches themselves are evidently painstakingly fine tuned to fit the rest of the music. The production on this album surpasses even that of "Up Evil" and "Off", which was years ahead of its time. Along with Autechre, Front 242 are the best electronic producers. The scope of textures they create is amazing. This aspect makes the short instrumental excursions all worth listening to. In a single riff there is a huge amount of detail.

Pulse, to me, doesn't really seem like the band taking a completely new direction, as some have said. Yes, there is as much in common with 90's dance / techno as there is with the original 80's EBM as found in "Official Version" and "Front By Front", but this was equally true of their previous album "Off". The vocal pieces on this album also remind me of those on "Up Evil".

I'm not one to care about the dancability of music, and I find it absurd to declare this album a disaster simply because it is more subdued. Some of the nearly beatless songs on Pulse are in fact some of my favorites, such as the slow and almost suicidal "Triple X Girlfriend", which really is new territory for this group (wonderful string patches). "Beyond the Scale of Comprehension" likewise is beautiful slow and honest, and is one of my favorite 242 songs ever. I absolutely cannot put it into words.

I believe reports of the underuse of vocalist Jean-Luc de Meyer have been exaggerated. While he does not have prominent vocal melodies or complete sets of lyrics in probably half of these tracks, his voice is most often somehow present (like in "No More - No More"). This is similar to older 242 as well, where a single phrase would repeat at intervals throughout a song ("Aggressiva").

Finally, there ARE some seriously energetic, vocal driven songs here. "Together" has as much life and energy as any track they've ever done. "7Rain" has another fantastic vocal melody. "Matrix: Megahertz" truly is an anthem. These songs are as close to EBM as anything you will find today.

I should also mention that the "Seq666: PULSE" tracks provide an excellent overture to the album.

This is probably 242's most aurally colorful and diverse release, and at the very least its an EXCELLENT addition to their catalogue. I really hope they continue and make many more albums, as they're obviously not short on new ideas or directions to take. Highly recommended for any fan of electronica and/or Front 242. May 20, 2007

 Pulse PLus
I have every 12 inch from the early 242 days. Some might say that stuff wasn't listenable. 242 has always been rigid and I feel they've always been best at thumping the 4/4 i.e., Agressiva, Quite Unusual, Masterhit, Welcome to Paradise, Tyranny for You, Headhunter, etc., etc. I like the ambience on this one, but of course I yearn for the thunder. I want to hear the deep sinister vocal over top, but after 10 years, what should I expect? I just love the fact that 242 gave us more. Thank you - KarzenX July 15, 2005

 Different but Excellent...definitely 242
The style for this is a bit different from other Front 242 offerings. It's a bit more mellow in some areas...and focuses more on beats and atmosphere. In any case, I really enjoyed it and I'm glad to *finally* have more new material from them and look forward to even more. July 7, 2005

 Feel the pulse...
It has been ten years since Front 242 graced our ears with their infectious array of beat-driven electronic experimentation. As one of the purveyors of what is now known as EBM, 242 were at the forefront of the synthesizer revolution of the '80s. By the early '90s, the band started to run into some turmoils; the two vocalists didn't agree with the new direction the instrumentalists were taking. Instead, 242 started to incorporate a more layered approach, building ambience upon their old formula coupled with abrasive guitar textures, ultimately creating a more grating sound that put the band on par with their industrial counterparts. Over the next ten years, the members of 242 would pursue other projects, as well as revamping their older material for the Re:Boot tour that ran from '97 to '02. Some didn't agree with their more techno-fied reworkings of their classics, but in this day and age of Nine Inch Nails, Prodigy, Crystal Method, and other such electronic and industrial bands who have taken the technology to new lengths, 242's old sound is now obsolete. Many fans don't seem to understand this, but the band can not exist in this day and age sounding like they did in the '80s. Not only would it sound hacknyed and rehashed, but it would be unoriginal and not in line with the band's adventurous spirit. They've always been about taking things further and pushing the limits of what is possible musically and technically. The old sound is over...it's time to move on.

So after ten years, Front 242 returns with an album of pure experimental synthesis. "Pulse" is an apt title, with the music still relying on a strong beat as the backbone. The difference now...the beats are more subdued, which may lead to some people feeling the music is too mellow for 242. I won't argue, the music does feel less harsh than much of the band's previous output, but harshness does not necessarily equal intensity. The level of sonic textures at work on this album are nothing short of impressive. Sure, to gearheads all over the world, some of it may sound derivative, like they took the presets and just recorded themselves tweaking with them to the point of being unrecognizable. Consider this...that's what much of their earlier material was in the first place as well, thus the band is returning to their roots in a sense. With so many palettes of sound going on, it's a good thing that the beats were toned down to allow the listener to hear the music as a work of music and sound, not just as something to dance to. Much of this material could easily be remixed to be danceable, or even transformed for live performances (as the band is known for altering their music to suit the live environment, I wouldn't be surprised of a song like "Triple X Girlfriend" could be made danceable in live shows). The intro track(s) "Seq666 (P.U.L.S.E.)" are 12 minutes of pure electronic bliss, perfect for the modern rave or the electronic connessieur. Songs like "Matrix (MegaHertz)," "No More No More," "One," and "Together" harken back to 242's good old mix of aggressive energy and melodic lyricism. Jean-Luc de Meyer's vocals may seem lighter than they've been in the past, but so what? The man can still deliver those dark and passionate vocals we've come to know and love. Other tracks like "Beyond the Scale of Comprehension" and "Never Lost" may sound like self-indulgent works of synthesizer tweaking, but I'll bet if they had a dance beat to them, people wouldn't be complaining.

All in all, I have to say that "Pulse" did take some getting used to. I wasn't at all prepared for Front 242 to sound like this, but over time I've come to appreciate the album for what it is, a work of pioneering electronic mastery. So there may be traces of Daniel B's and Patrick Codenys' Male or Female project in the music, but that's only natural, there's no getting around it. Any musician will tell you, no matter how many projects they have, elements of all of them will blend into each other...the people are the common thread, so it's going to happen. However, there is a distinct sense that this album is undoubtedly Front 242. Change is a good thing if you allow it to be. The Front 242 of the '80s is over...it's time for a new Front 242. The band members are older, wiser, and more experienced. How do you start from scratch? The answer is you make an album like "Pulse," to start with no preconceptions of what Front 242 are "supposed" to sound like and return to the original intention...experimentation. Front 242 was about pushing the envelope. That envelope has been pushed. It's time to find a new one, and "Pulse" pushes for that. It doesn't always succeed, but what first effort does? There are hits and misses, but that's what hindsight and improvement are for. Who knows? Maybe their next album will contain more vocal tracks, maybe not. Maybe their next album will be heavier on the beat, maybe not. Time will tell, but it is not the choice of the fans what direction 242 move in...it's the band's choice. All we can do as fans and listeners is give it the chance. It will not please everybody, but whatever does? "Pulse" is both the return and the rebirth of Front 242. Put your preconceptions aside and do as the band did...start from scratch. Don't deny the past, just remember that it is the past. It's over...it's time for the future. This is Front 242 in the now. Just give this album a chance...it is indeed worth it. April 20, 2005

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