Front 242 ‎– Official Version

This album opens with the longest track, clocking up an impressive 7'28" and showing a new strength of composition & sampling very much to the forefront - apparently fracturing composition which shows a skill & diversity hitherto only hinted at. "Rerun l Time" is another 'song', a vocal lead composition showing FRONT 242 moving away from instrumental music. What's more, the vocalist has a creepy late-night-horror-flick tone to his voice - a little like CHROME used to use - 'B' movie drama over a danceable piece of music. "Television Station" chugs in on a nervy sequencer, lower & darker than the previous tracks. It's a dramatic, serious piece, again a proper song, rather than an instrumental, although it's probably the tune which is most memorable - a simple but effective sound. "Agressiva Due" is a hard & occasionally noisy piece of pure dance music, drums bludgeoning through their unswerving path. "Masterhit - Part I & II" comes next, using taped voice to introduce a fast-paced track which might be described as typical 242 although, either through the mix or a growing familiarity with the instruments, it has a smooth, honed-down feel to it. Again a 'song', full of interesting effects, punctuated by occasional harsh synth sounds - fanfares and sudden jolting noise. "Slaughter" is actually the 'title track' (in that the chorus consists of the words 'Official Version'). It's a slightly different thing for them, an unusual rhythm which I feel still falls into the Body Music category. "Quite Unusual" is a well-known piece by them, a catchy little track - simple but effective - which most of you are probably aware of. Darkly sombre without being either threatening or 'evil'. "Red Team" is a transmuting, changing instrumental, heavy dance with taped voice, switching back to a more passive beat, then back, making it a 'difficult' track. "Angst" follows this with a taped Evangelist ranting & raging. The sound itself is a swell of sound - non-beat - which rises through the fanatical shouting, then fades away again. Next up comes two tracks from the "Interception" 12" - versions of "Quite Unusual" & "Agressiva", the latter being a little different- the final two tracks are culled from the 1987 "Masterhit" 12", the first, "Masterblaster" & "Hypnomix", both being standard FRONT 242 recordings for this period of time. The former has some interesting synthetic fireworks, great sparkling sprays of sound, taking "Masterhit" a few steps further, and the latter lacks the brutal density of many 242 works, giving it a refreshingly thin, although hardly minimal sound.
An album which shows them losing obvious influences & perfecting their own unique sound. The mix is muscular & the sound full of promise.

Originally reviewed for Soft Watch.