Patrick Codenys (Front 242) joins talkshow in Brussels – Order your tickets now
Photos by Lina Wielant, DR, Alexandra Beyer, Alice Khol
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, the Maison poème in Saint-Gilles will host “C’est Belge Ce Que Tu Écoutes ?!”, a talk-show celebrating Belgian music. This event is part of the Semaine de la Musique Belge, running from January 25 to February 2, 2025. One of the four artists present will be Patrick Codenys from Front 242.
Apart from Patrick Codenys there will be 3 other artists, Julie Rains (Juicy) who is a Brussels-based singer and composer known for blending jazz, soul, and electro influences; Carl Roosens (Les Hommes-boîtes, Peritelle) who is illustrator, musician, and filmmaker active in various musical projects; and Alice Khol who is a Brussels-based photographer and director with a diverse portfolio in film and music videos.
All 4 guests will be sharing their favorite Belgian albums, discussing the records that have inspired, moved, or influenced them. They will delve into how they discovered these albums and the personal anecdotes or memories associated with them.
The discussion will be moderated by Chloé Payen from Radio Campus. Following the talk, the Discothèque Nationale de Belgique, a project by Médiathèque Nouvelle, will present a DJ set to conclude the evening.
Admission operates on a “Pay What You Can” model, with suggested contributions of €6, €11, or €16. Doors open at 7:00 PM, with the talk-show commencing at 8:00 PM. The venue is located at Rue d’Écosse 30, 1060 Saint-Gilles.
About Patrick Codenys
Patrick Codenys, born on November 16, 1958, in Brussels, Belgium, is one of the absolute pioneers in (Belgian) electronic music.
Before co-founding Front 242, Patrick Codenys collaborated with Jean-Luc De Meyer in a project called Underviewer, active from 1978 to 1981 and reactivated in 2016 for releases on Alfa Matrix.
As a founding member of Front 242, he co-engineered the emergence of Electronic Body Music (EBM), a genre that seamlessly fuses industrial rhythms with synthesized melodies.
In the early 1980s, Codenys, alongside Daniel Bressanutti, Jean-Luc De Meyer, and Richard Jonckheere, formed Front 242. The band’s innovative approach to electronic music, characterized by its aggressive beats and provocative imagery, quickly garnered attention. Their 1988 track “Headhunter” became an anthem of the EBM movement up until now.
In the early 2000s, alongside Daniel Bressanutti and vocalist Elko Blijweert, Codenys formed Male or Female. The group released multiple works, including an album, an EP, a double album, and a DVD/CD combo.
Partnering with Richard 23, Codenys also launched Coder23, a live DJ set project. And collaborating with South African artist Kendell Geers, Codenys co-founded Red Sniper, an interdisciplinary group based in Brussels.
Next to this he has also collaborated on sound installations and multimedia projects.
In 2024 Front 242 announced their “Black Out” tour. The tour included performances across Europe and North America, offering fans a final opportunity to experience their influential sound live.
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