"Back Catalogue" is a compilation album released by Front 242, a Belgian electronic music group. This group has been incredibly influential in the Electronic Body Music (EBM) genre, inspiring many artists with their unique sound and style. The album was released in 1987, marking their 5-year anniversary. It consists of revisited versions of some of their best tracks from previous albums such as "Geography", "No Comment" and "Politics of Pressure."
"Back Catalogue" can be considered as a representation of the band's evolution from 1981 to 1985. At this point in time, the band had distanced itself from the more experimental and avant-garde music scene and began salvaging ideas from their early days. Experimenting with hard, danceable beats and succinctly effective sequences to create incredibly rhythmic tracks that inspired what later came to be known as EBM.
The album includes tracks like ‘U-Men’, ‘Lovely Day’, and ‘Special Forces’. This release sees the group revisiting their past works, not to recreate but to improve on what was already there. There's a real sense of evolution and change heard in this release, highlighting the unique style the band had crafted in the mid-80s.
Front 242, which was formed around 1981, is led by Daniel Bressanutti and Patrick Codenys, who handle the programming for the band, and vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer. As of the release of "Back Catalogue", the band also included Richard 23, who contributed additional vocals. Central to the band's aesthetic and sound is a militaristic vibe combined with elements of technopunk and industrial sounds.
