Compilation of the Week: New Life 13 Years of Electronic Lust

Here we have an interesting compilation from 1996, with a virtual "who's who" of early industrial and electronic body music...

"New Life 13 Years of Electronic Lust" is not really a compilation or sampler per se, but what I gather "New Life" is billed as "The Ultimate Sound Magazine". So this is a CD representative of the music and artists featured therein.

Issued on the COP International label, it has the catalogue number COP 020.
The liner notes state that this collection was compiled by Uwe Rothhaemel.

The Front 242 track presented here is "Quite Unusual."
While it is easily one of my favorite Front 242 tracks, I'm not so sure that it is the most representative of Front 242's body of work. But I guess "Headhunter" or "Welcome to Paradise" should not be on every compilation!

In addition to 242, some of my other favorite artists are featured on this CD.
Laibach has the outstanding "Geburt Einer Nation" and other standouts include tracks by Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, Die Krupps and Nitzer Ebb.

Track List:

1. Laibach:  "Geburt Einer Nation"
2. Front 242:  "Quite Unusual"
3. Chris & Cosey:  "Driving Blind"
4. Moev:  "Wanting"
5. Skinny Puppy:  "The Choke"
6. Click Click:  "I Rage, I Melt"
7. Die Krupps:  "Machineries of Joy"
8. Mussolini Headkick:  "Your god is dead"
9. Numb:  "Hanging Key"
10. Psyche:  "Brain Collapse"
11. The Klinik:  "Cold as Ice"
12. Frontline Assembly:  "Landslide"
13. Cassandra Complex:  "One Million Happy Costumers" (Note this really should be "One Millionth Happy Customer")
14. Nitzer Ebb:  "Let Beauty Loose"
15. Severed Heads:  "New Life"

New Life picture sleeve (Front)

New Life picture sleeve (Reverse)

New Life picture sleeve liner notes

New Life Trayliner

New Life disc

T-Shirt of the Week: Wax Trax! Retrospectacle

As most 242 fans know, Front 242 headlined the fantastic Wax Trax! 33 1/3 Retrospectacle on April 15 and 17, 2011.
The shows were phenomenal and I hope to eventually post some video and pictures of this fantastic once-in-a-lifetime event!

Here we have one of the many 242 shirts for sale at the event.
This is an homage to the "Official Warfare" shirt that was for sale in the Wax Trax! catalogue for many years. It features the helicopter that can be seen on the Kommando Remix shirt still available at Transmission 242 today.

The reverse features the 242 numbers forming the word "2HI4AG2" which is a clever variation of "CHICAGO".

Patrick reported to me that perhaps some of these shirts might eventually make it for sale on the 242 site or on the Wax Trax! Retrospectacle website.

Wax Trax! Retrospectacle "2HI4AG2" shirt (front)

Wax Trax! Retrospectacle "2HI4AG2" shirt (back)

Bootleg of the Week: Re:Boot Arvika Festival CD-R

With their "rebooted" sound, Front 242 toured extensively throughout much of 1997-1998, with the Re:Boot material continuing to be presented past 2000. This material was well represented with the official Re:Boot release in all its many formats.

But with the tour, came many opportunities for fans to collect their own material. Here we have one such item. This is a fan-made CD-R recording from Front 242's appearance at the Arvika Festival in Sweden on July 11, 1997.

This appears to be from a radio show that was broadcast, as both the "Intro" and the closing track "Body To Body" feature intro/outro commentary by a broadcaster. Along the way, we have brief commentary in the form of "Mellansnack". With my Swedish friends quick to correct me, Google translates this term as "between talking" or "between chat"...

The fan made artwork is very nice, with a wonderful picture of Richard 23 on the front, in his silver trench coat that he sported on this tour, and a picture of J-L on the back.

The sound quality is excellent!

Track List:

Intro                                   1:02
Happiness                    6:43
Masterhit                    4:43
Motion                            4:15
Mellansnack 1            0:12
Moldavia                    4:33
Melt                                    3:40
Soul Manager            4:26
No Shuffle                    5:33
Im Rhythmus Bleiben    4:32
Mellansnack 2            0:09
Crapage                            4:37
Headhunter                    4:15
Welcome To Paradise    4:57
Body To Body            3:28

Re:Boot Arvika Festival CD-R Picture Sleeve

Re:Boot Arvika Festival CD-R Tray Liner

Memorabilia of the Week: More 242 Pins

I came across some new high-quality Front 242 pins in recent months on ebay.
These are not "official" by any means, but the production and execution of these "bootleg" pins is quite outstanding!

First we have 242 "jellyfish" that can be seen on Re:Boot T-shirts and the Re:Boot fan-edition album.

Next we have the classic "noir" Front 242 cover to Geography. Iconic.

One can never go wrong with the Front 242 "target" logo.

Finally, a more recent addition: the poster image from the 2005 concert at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco. My post and comment about this image is here:
http://target242.blogspot.com/2010/11/poster-of-week-dna-lounge-san-francisco.html

Once again, top-notch quality in "bootleg" form.
It's a shame that Transmission 242 doesn't sell more stuff like this...obviously I would buy it!

Recent Front 242 pins

Record of the Week: Endless Riddance CD

Here we have one of the 'big hits' that broke Front 242 in America: "Take One", found on the EP "Endless Riddance."

Up first is the RRE version. It can be collected in the regular "slimline" jewel case version as well as a 3 inch "mini disc".
The artwork on both RRE versions varies slightly.
The "slimline" version has a prominent white band bordering the Front 242 map graphic and logo on both sides. The 3 inch version comes in a cardboard sleeve, with a much tighter map and logo.

Both versions have the map design repeated on the reverse, with prominent black, yellow, and red bars, with release details. The "slimline" version mentions Play It Again Sam as a subsidiary of RRE, where the 3 inch omits this.
Both RRE versions carry the catalogue number: MK-3-CD.

Endless Riddance RRE 5 inch "slimline" version picture sleeve front

Endless Riddance RRE 5 inch "slimline" version picture sleeve reverse

Endless Riddance RRE 5 inch "slimline" version disc

Endless Riddance RRE 3 inch cardboard version picture sleeve front

Endless Riddance RRE 3 inch cardboard version picture sleeve reverse

Endless Riddance RRE 3 inch disc with plastic adapter

The American Wax Trax! version differs ever so slightly.
The picture sleeve resembles that of the RRE 3 inch version, but in much lighter washed-out gray tones. The reverse sleeve omits the black, yellow, and red bars.

The tray liner also sports only a small portion of the map, and lists credits and song details on a simple gray background.

The Wax Trax! disc closely resembles the RRE 5 inch disc, but sports a larger Front 242 logo and song titles are listed here with the bpms, rather than the track times, as is listed on the 5 and 3 inch RRE versions. It has the catalogue number: WAX CD 004

Endless Riddance Wax Trax! version picture sleeve front

Endless Riddance Wax Trax! version picture sleeve reverse

Endless Riddance Wax Trax! version tray liner

Endless Riddance Wax Trax! version picture sleeve inside

Endless Riddance Wax Trax! version disc

All three versions are fairly common, with the 3 inch with adapter being a little more harder to obtain.
All three versions feature the 3 same song cuts:

1. Take One
2. Controversy Between
3. Sample D

Finally here is a picture from the recent Wax Trax! 33 1/3 Retrospectacle. In between sets, a montage of Wax Trax! pictures flashed on screen. Here is a nice wall-to-wall "Endless Riddance!"

Wax Trax! Retrospectacle "Endless Riddance"

Poster of the Week: Tyranny For You (Giant)

Here we have a massive and beautiful poster from the album "Tyranny >For You<"
This poster is quite impressive when viewed up close: it measures 60 inches by 40 inches (5 feet by almost 3 1/4 feet) and is one of the largest Front 242 posters I have ever seen. It is very reminiscent of a subway-style poster.

I suspect it also is a bootleg poster. Although the "Tyranny" era was from the early 90s, the barcode sticker attached to this poster reads "Tyranny For You (Giant)" Oct./97. So this lends also to the fact that it is not a licensed poster.

Nevertheless it is very stunning with all the bright colors and dominating image of the "Tyranny" swimmer.

Tyranny >For You< "Giant Poster"

Detail

"Swimmer" Detail

242 Logo Detail

Compilation of the Week: Play It Again OOR!

Here we have a promotional mini 3" disc that was issued with the Dutch Magazine OOR back in 1990. It features artists from the 4AD, One Little Indian, Factory, Antler, and PIAS labels.
It has the catalogue number PROMOBIAS 008.

From what I have gathered, this was released with Issue number 23, although I do not have it in my possession. If anyone has it, especially if it contains information about Front 242, please contact me!

The 242 track is the 7" single release of "Tragedy >For You<" clocking in at 3:12.
The picture sleeve itself is noteworthy in that it features one of the "Swimmer" pictures from the "Rhythm of Time" single, rather than that of "Tragedy >For You<".

Track Listing:

1. The Shamen: "Possible Worlds"
2. Front 242:  "Tragedy >For You< (7" version)"
3. New Fast Automatic Daffodils:  "Fishes Eye"
4. Serenes:  "Follow The Rural Coast"
5. Pixies:  "Debaser"
6. Northside:  "Moody Places (7" version)"

Note OOR can be translated as "Ear".

Play It Again OOR! picture sleeve (front)

Play It Again OOR! picture sleeve (reverse)

Play It Again OOR! minidisc

T-Shirt of the Week: Traxx

After a little respite from the computer, I shall hopefully get back to the 242 blog!

242 excitement is in the air, as everyone is preparing for the once-in-a-lifetime concert experience that is happening next week: The Wax Trax! Retrospectacle.
If you have not heard by now, Front 242 will be headlining tribute concerts celebrating the greatness that was Wax Trax! Records, and the creative geniuses behind it.
More information can be found here: http://www.waxtraxchicago.com/

Here we have a beautiful T-Shirt that can still be purchased from Transmission 242.
This is the "Traxx" shirt. It has a very nice Front 242 graphic logo composed of songs from the entire catalogue from "Principles" to "Pulse."
The back has the classic line/song title: "Until Death (Us Do Part)"

You may still purchase it here:
http://www.front242.com/site/content/merchandise.asp?type=1&id=13

Traxx T-Shirt (front)

Traxx T-Shirt (back)