...if it sounds okay we use it. If we have to use Communist propaganda we do it, but if we have to use Fascist propaganda we will do that as well."

These controversial words come from Daniel B, one quarter of Front 242, already the most famous band in Belgium. The band have arrived simultaneously with the Belgian New Beat phenomenon, but they are anxious to deny any direct links with it — certainly their music has a much harder, more brutal edge to it, and is considerably less commercial.

Quite apart from their music, however, Front 242 have been causing concern in the less reputable areas of the British press, mainly as a result of their apparently heavy "political" stance. In the sanctuary of a West London hotel room, Daniel tries his best to convince me Front 242 aren't the crazed Nazis they first appear.

"It's art, it's like information", he pleads. "We have 30 channels of TV in Belgium from all the countries around us. Consequently you get at least four different national viewpoints on every event. You know none of the four is right, and so you have to make your own mind up. We try to emulate that in the music, and people tend to get lost. In our songs you can find politics, but there are so many different types you don't know what is true."

Aside from being labelled neo-Nazis, Front 242 have also had to deal with the problem of simply being born in Belgium — a country traditionally looked down upon for its abysmal contemporary music scene, and in which such luxuries as record companies, press agents and promoters are in very short supply.

Front 242 have had to fend for themselves in their homeland, but are now doing well in America, even to the point where fans send them sounds and samples they'd like to hear on the next Front 242 record. But Britain has proved a much tougher nut to crack.

"There are a lot of Belgian bands who are successful in the USA or in Europe, but not in the UK", says Daniel. "I don't think it's the British public as such. There's the whole industry which holds back things not created by itself. In turn it can control the press and to an extent the public's tastes by denying them access to anything from outside. For me 'Top Of The Pops' is controlled, the business here is the monster pushing back everything not made by it."

Tough words from a tough band. When Front 242 formed in a music shop nine years ago, they were all "non-musicians" - and saw synthesizers as a way for them to make music. They have since expanded their music directly in line with the technology available. In 1989 they have mastered sampling, and are one of the most innovative bands working in their field. Their approach to creating music is certainly original: they work as four individuals and then pass cassettes and data disks to each other. They have their own 16-track studio for recording and mixing, and although it's not as well-equipped as some commercial studios, it amply fulfils their requirements.

"there are no borders for us..."

"We only buy the latest things if we think they can provide us with something new", Daniel explains. "Around 50% of our work is based on the effects we've used, which include things that are available to anyone, like Quadraverbs, Roland reverbs and so on. Basslines are originated by a reverb quite often, where we only use the treated signal. For example, the bass on 'Headhunter' is only reverb, whereas if you hear the original bass track it was really quite different."

In a recent TV interview, vocalist Jean-Luc De Meyer denied there was any space for emotion in Front 242's music. This is an area of controversy within the band itself, however, because Daniel takes the opposite view. For him, even the electric guitar is a machine, and the emotions he creates are the most important part of his work.

"You can treat the sound of a synthesizer so badly that it can inspire fear in people, and fear is an emotion", he opines. "We don't try to program a human feel into the machines, but that's because there's no real need. They make so many mistakes on their own, especially with MIDI sequencers and samplers, that when you get all of it together it's not machine-like anyway.

"The basic philosophy of Front 242 is that we like heavy, strong emotions, like fear and war, but sometimes we only try to create craziness."

Daniel cites Bomb the Bass, S'Express and Adrian Sherwood as artists he admires, but feels Front 242 are currently not as good as they could (or should) be.

"I see other people working with the same kind of ideas as us, but most of them seem to be succeeding much better", he laments. "I really feel as if I'm doing nothing good for the moment, although that's not the feeling of the band as a whole. Every time we do a concert the public really like it, but I sit there thinking that what we're doing is really shit. I would like to continue... and I think maybe we should start working with other producers who are 10,000 miles away from what we're doing."

If you listen to Daniel B you may think Front 242 are a band to avoid, but if you listen to 'Front By Front', their latest album, chances are you'll come away with a very different set of opinions. Front 242 are often misunderstood, misquoted and misleading. But they're not easily ignored.