Front 242 Essentials

Formed in Belgium in '81, Front 242's initial work was inspired most by the avant-garde sounds of early electronic music. The pioneering outfit quickly developed a style combining the aggression of industrial with the hypnotic grooves and samples of early techno. The sound became known as "electronic body music", and by the late '80s, the band were one of the scene's biggest, releasing a string of singles that became club hits across the world. The group have since incorporated the harder edges of metal and hardcore into their already heady mix.