Jean-Marc Lederman Experience – The Raven (Album – COP International)
Genre/Influences: Electro-Pop, Cinematographic, Experimental.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: Jean-Marc Lederman has achieved a new work featuring guest singers. In the past few months he released similar albums like “13 Ghost Stories” and “Letters To Gods And Fallen Angels”, and also “Venus Chariot” as a collaboration between him and Emileigh Rohn. “The Raven” is driven by a new concept where Lederman asked his guests to work on old texts from poets like (Byron, Poe, Plato, Shelley, de Froidmont ao.
Content: The guest singers for this album areMari Kattman (Helix, Mari & The Ghost), Christopher Hall (Stabbing Westward), Mark Hockings (Mesh), Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera, Spectra*Paris), Azam Ali (Niyaz), Dr. Strangefryer (aka John Fryer), Jim Semonik (Red Locust), Lis Van Den Akker (Misery, Psy’Aviah), Ken Mageman, Jean-Luc De Meyer (Front 242, 32Crash), Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton), Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm), Christina Z.
Sound-wise the work is pretty eclectic, moving in between a free interpretation of Electro-Pop compositions and more pronounced Cinematographic music. The songs feature numerous, typical Cinema music arrangements, which are sometimes bombastic, but also pretty evasive. I also noticed very Minimal-Electro driven pieces. The songs have been sung/performed in English, French and Italian.
+ + + :Each time, Jean-Marc Lederman Experience again sounds like a new and fascinating journey. First there is always an interesting concept and I like this one for mixing old poems together with music, which as an imaginary Soundtrack has been performed by the artist. There’s once again a true symbiosis between music and vocals, seeing Jean-Marc transforming himself into a sonic chameleon. Music and performer are totally complementary, now resulting in a sensual composition like the one with Mari Kattman, then into a kind of Lounge approach with Mark Hockings, becoming totally minimal with Dr. Strangefryer, getting us into a dreamy part with Lis Van Den Akker. But the most surprising- and poignant track is the one with Jean-Luc De Meyer inspired on a poem of Hélinand de Froidmont. It’s an old and tenebrous poem, which has been masterly interpreted by the Front 242 lead singer and adapted into a horror-like music composition. There are several noticeable cuts on this album, which is more an album to listen to instead of dancing.
– – – : The album once more creates the illusion listening to a compilation instead of an album composed by one artist. That’s part of this concept and I’m sure Jean-Marc Lederman still has enough ideas and creativity to move on with it.
Conclusion: Jean-Marc Lederman Experience and his guest singers stand for a true sonic intercourse. This is a new brilliant piece of music and the perfect successor to “Letters To Gods And Fallen Angels”.
Best songs: “The Worms Of Death”, “Invocation”, Frankenstein”, “Smouldering Corpse In The Morning Sun”, “The Cold Heart Slept Below”.
Rate: 8.
Artist: www.jmlederman.com / www.facebook.com/Music-composer-Jean-Marc-Lederman-1585277635023000 / www.facebook.com/jeanmarc.lederman
Label: www.facebook.com/copint
About Jean-Marc Lederman Experience
Jean-Marc Lederman is a Brussels-based Belgian keyboard player, composer and producer. Active since the late 1970s, he worked with Fad Gadget, The The, Gene Loves Jezebel and Front 242, and co-founded projects including The Weathermen, Kid Montana, Jules et Jim with Julianne Regan, Ghost & Writer with Frank Spinath, Lederman / De Meyer with Jean-Luc De Meyer, and the Jean-Marc Lederman Experience. He also composes for film and videogames.
The Jean-Marc Lederman Experience is built around invited vocalists. “13 Ghost Stories” appeared in 2019 on Dependent and “Letters To Gods (And Fallen Angels)” in 2020 on Wool-E Discs, both with a large cast of guest singers. “Venus Chariot”, his 2021 duo album with Emileigh Rohn of Chiasm, came out on COP International, the same label releasing “The Raven”.
Lederman’s later solo work includes “The Bad-Tempered Synthesizer” in 2021, “Night Music for Seahorses and Manatees” in 2022, “Soul Music For Zombies” in 2023, “Sci-Fi Revisited” in 2024 and “Electronic Slipper Music” in 2025. The Rohn-Lederman duo continued with “RAGE!” in 2022, “Black And Bleu” in 2024 and “Forbidden Planet” in 2025. “The Raven” sits in that sequence as the third Jean-Marc Lederman Experience album built on guest performances.
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