Pulse (Front 242 album)

Pulse is the eighth studio album by Front 242, released on May 6, 2003 through Metropolis Records. It was the group's first full-length studio release in ten years since 1993's 05:22:09:12 Off, marking their largest gap between albums. In 2016, a restructured version of Pulse was released under the title (Filtered) Pulse.

Pulse
Studio album by Front 242
Released	May 6, 2003
Studio	Art & Strategy
Genre	Industrial EBM techno IDM electro
Length	74:07
Label	Metropolis Records
Producer	Daniel Bressanutti
Front 242 chronology
Still & Raw (2003) Pulse (2003)
(Filtered) Pulse cover
Released in 2016

Content

Pulse is a blend of electronic body music and industrial music. Unusually for Front 242, the album predominantly comprises a set of suites divided into sub-tracks.[1]

(Filtered) Pulse reissue

On June 24, 2016, a restructured, heavily shortened, and remastered version of Pulse was released under the title (Filtered) Pulse.[2] It was released through Alfa Matrix as part of Front 242's thirty-fifth anniversary series of reissues.[3] This release was organized by Front 242's own Daniel Bressanutti.[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Exclaim!	Unfavorable[5]
Release Magazine	[6]
Uncut	1/5[7]

Pulse received mostly mixed reviews. John Bush of AllMusic appreciated the album, writing, "Pulse sounds like the record Front 242 wanted to make, the type they could make only once the pressure was off."[1] Release Magazine's John Carlsson was more lukewarm, praising its technical construction but deeming it samey and unchallenging.[6] Writing for Exclaim!, Coreen Wolanski lamented how Front 242 had fallen from being the indisputable pioneers of electronic body music to being so repetitive.[5] Uncut magazine provided the most scathing review, writing, "Had this record been released in 1988, it would have been hailed a masterpiece. But memories of the glory days of “Headhunter” have receded, and the rest of the world has long since caught up with and overtaken Front 242."[7]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"SEQ666" (P)	4:02
2.	"SEQ666" (U)	1:13
3.	"SEQ666" (L)	1:20
4.	"SEQ666" (S)	0:50
5.	"SEQ666" (E)	5:09
6.	"Together"	5:27
7.	"Triple X Girlfriend"	3:45
8.	"No More No More"	7:23
9.	"Beyond the Scale of Comprehension"	7:22
10.	"Song" (Untitled)	3:58
11.	"Song" (StarCandy)	2:40
12.	"One" (With the Fire)	3:26
13.	"One" (Reverse)	2:23
14.	"Matrix" (OpenStatic)	2:24
15.	"Matrix" (MegaHertz)	3:50
16.	"Never Lost" (Faust)	3:41
17.	"Never Lost" (Riley)	7:01
18.	"7Rain" (Filter)	4:10
19.	"Pan" (Dhe)	1:56
20.	"Pan" (Mihk)	3:07
Total length:		74:07

(Filtered) Pulse reissue

No.	Title	Length
1.	"7Rain"	3:47
2.	"Together"	5:22
3.	"Loud"	3:54
4.	"Strobe"	3:24
5.	"One"	3:25
6.	"Matrix"	6:12
7.	"TripleXXXgirlfriend"	3:42
8.	"Collision"	5:10
9.	"Strobe (Fragments)"	4:13
Total length:		39:09

Personnel

All credits adapted from Pulse liner notes.[8]

• Jean-Luc De Meyer – lead vocals
• Richard Jonckheere – percussion, backing vocals
• Daniel Bressanutti – graphic design, mixing, producing, publishing
• Patrick Codenys – mixing, producing, publishing

Chart positions

Chart (2003)	Peak position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard)[9]	20

"Pulse" single

"Pulse"
Single by Front 242
from the album Pulse
Released	2003
Length	28:54
Label	XIII BIS Records
Producer(s)	Daniel Bressanutti

In advance of both Still & Raw and Pulse, the single "Pulse" was released through the French label XIII BIS Records.[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Seq666 - PULSE "1. Seq666 - P" "2. Seq666 - U" "3. Seq666 - L" "4. Seq666 - S" "5. Seq666 - E"	12:33
2.	"Triple X Girlfriend"	3:42
3.	"One "1. With the Fire" "2.  • Reverse"	5:49
4.	"Song "1. StarCandy" "2.  • Untitled"	6:50
Total length:		28:54

Personnel

All credits adapted from "Pulse" liner notes.[10]

• Jean-Luc De Meyer – lead vocals
• Richard Jonckheere – percussion, backing vocals
• Daniel Bressanutti – graphic design, mixing, producing, publishing
• Patrick Codenys – mixing, producing, publishing

Still & Raw EP

Still & Raw
EP by Front 242
Released	April 8, 2003
Length	27:56
Label	Metropolis Records

Still & Raw is an EP[11] by Front 242 released on April 8, 2003 through Metropolis Records. It was intended to be a preview of Pulse.[12] Like the music on that succeeding album, Still & Raw's sound is calm and slow.[5] In 2016, a compilation combining Pulse and Still & Raw was released.[13] Matthew Jeanes of Brainwashed wrote about the EP, "Still & Raw isn't liable to turn the heads of those firmly glued to Mille Plateaux and Rephlex platters, but It's a worthwhile effort from an old standby that warrants a listen if you were a fan and at least a glimpse if you weren't."[14]

Track listing

No.	Title	Length
1.	"7Rain"	3:52
2.	"Loud"	3:58
3.	"Strobe"	3:27
4.	"Collision"	5:13
5.	"7Rain (GHost)"	4:05
6.	"Strobe (Fragments)"	7:21
Total length:		27:56

Personnel

All credits adapted from Still & Raw liner notes.[15]

• Jean-Luc De Meyer – lead vocals
• Richard Jonckheere – percussion, backing vocals
• Daniel Bressanutti – graphic design, mixing, producing, publishing
• Patrick Codenys – mixing, producing, publishing

References

1. Bush, John. "Front 242 – Pulse". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
2. "(Filtered) Pulse (Remastered)" (Press release). Alfa Matrix. 2016. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
3. "What is '(Filtered) Pulse' all about? Daniel B. from Front 242 explains". Side-Line. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
4. A., Alex. "Front 242, "[Filtered] Pulse"". I Die: You Die. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
5. Colanski, Coreen. "Front 242: Pulse". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
6. Carlsson, Johan. "Front 242: Pulse". Release Magazine. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
7. "Front 242 – Pulse". Uncut. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
8. Pulse (CD liner notes). Front 242. Metropolis Records. 2003. MET282.CS1 maint: others (link)
9. "Front 242 Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
10. "Pulse" (single) (CD liner notes). Front 242. XIII Bis Records. 2003.CS1 maint: others (link)
11. "Front 242 – Still & Raw". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
12. "Still & Raw – Front 242 – Metropolis Records" (Press release). Metropolis Records. 2003. Retrieved 2018-06-27.
13. "Front 242 – Pulse / Still & Raw EP". AllMusic. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
14. Jeanes, Matthew. "Front 242, "Still & Raw"". Brainwashed. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
15. Still & Raw (CD liner notes). Front 242. Metropolis Records. 2003. MET 277.CS1 maint: others (link)