When I discovered cyberpunk in the early ’90s, its dark, sleek aesthetic was instantly appealing. Of course, exploring cyberpunk was a bit difficult in Omaha, Nebraska. Still, I bought a copy of Neuromancer from Omaha’s now-defunct Merchant of Venus sci-fi bookstore, played R. Talsorian’s Cyberpunk RPG (I was a solo, of course), sought out any issues of Mondo 2000 that I could find (which were very few and far between), and jammed out to Front 242.

Unfortunately, the band’s popular 1991 album Tyranny (For You) isn’t available on streaming services even though it contains some of their best and most well-known songs, like “Rhythm of Time” and “Tragedy (For You).” As Jean-Luc De Meyer’s half sings, half intones about a femme fatale who “drove her clutches into me” and “left me dislocated, disemboweled, and twitching,” the song’s strobing synths and throbbing beats make you want to don your mirror shades and leather jacket, stuff your pockets with New Yen, and hit the neon-soaked streets of Chiba City for some danger and excitement.