Front and Fantasy – Treatment 12”
It’s been a minute since we’ve had a post here – sorry about that, folks. Been a rough few months here. It’s ALSO been a minute since we’ve had a true dark synth/wave classic featured on these pages, so with that in mind, let’s highlight this lone 12” by Front and Fantasy, a Danish duo featuring a pair of Martins: Martin Krogh and the ever-prolific Martin Hall. This 12” is the only release by the duo, dropping in 1985, the same year Hall himself released his first non-cassette solo recording, the equally excellent Relief. Martin Krogh was in a handful of goth/post-punk bands, many of which only had a handful of tracks, and sadly, he passed away in 1987.
For those uninitiated, Hall and his many collaborators certainly had a knack for creating some of the most arrestingly powerful darkwave records, many of which could have been heard on a weekly basis at NYC’s Wierd party (and elsewhere across the globe, I’m sure). Tracks like SS-Say’s “Care,” Ballet Mécanique’s “Lied,” and Under For’s “Free-Force Structure” were staples in my own personal DJ sets, and it’s easy to decree the A-side from this 12” in as an instant classic in the same vein, from the moment the stabbing synth bass lines take hold. I can almost taste the fog now, as those warm synth pads kick in, while Hall’s deep croon cuts through the pulsing electronics.
The B-side is an interestingly deconstructed mix of the track- focusing primarily on the isolated vocals and empty spaces, with a distant beat and the otherwise minimal guitar line driving the second half of the piece. It’s a curious addition, worth a listen or two. Come for the icy dance floor smash, stay for the more experimental dub mix.
Enjoy! More posts to come soon!
Front and Fantasy- Treatment 12”
1. Treatment
2. Re-Treat
July 25, 2022 at 2:45 pm
Thank you Frankie, always good to know you’re there.
July 25, 2022 at 6:52 pm
Yay! Looking forward to future features.
🙂
July 30, 2022 at 11:16 pm
Glad you’re still posting on this great blog, only a few people are still going when it comes to posting cool stuff from the 80s.
Might want to also check out the lost but not forgotten series at the new wave outpost, Paul is posting some really obscure gems from the 80s.
September 10, 2022 at 11:11 am
Thank you very much !
December 1, 2024 at 5:05 am
Thank you!