Jean-Marc Lederman – The Helpless Voyage Of The Titanic (Album – Wool-E Discs)
Genre/Influences: Soundtrack, Electronic, ambient.
Format: Digital, CD.
Background/Info: During the past few years Belgian electro pioneer Jean-Marc Lederman is mainly focalizing his music upon imaginary Soundtrack compositions. This work is a fascinating concept about the drama of The Titanic sinking in 1912, but remains an inspiring theme for film directors, musicians, conspiracy theories, divers, treasure hunters ao. Jean-Marc Lederman worked around the mythic Titanic composing thirteen tracks, which were released one year ago.
Content: Jean-Marc Lederman’s concept started with the early beginning, the departure of the Titanic in Southampton (UK) on April, 10th, 1912. Samplings from that event are accentuating this beginning, which will have a fatale issue. Quite progressively he invites us to visit the different parts of the ‘indestructible’ ship from White Star Line. From the boiler room to the dancehall and the Captain’s quarter the sphere is progressively evolving till the crash with the iceberg. The music becomes more bombastic while you can hear S.O.S. Morse codes in the background. Industrial sound treatments have been injected to express the collision. And quite progressively while the Titanic is sinking the musician created new impressions from the lifeboats till the piano room. The album ends with an adaptation of the familiar folk song “Nearer My God To Thee”.
+ + + : Lederman is once again taking me by surprise, creating original concepts while transposing images into sound. This work is a pure soundtrack, which could be perfectly matched with original pictures and/or black & white reports from that time. He perfectly reproduces the atmosphere you can imagine on board of the Titanic till the very last moments. The work has something minimal and masterly reinforced by epic arrangements at the most important parts of the work. There also is an interesting and essential introduction in the booklet by Brooke R. Calder making a connection between this tragic accident and our world of today.
– – – : I just regret the most dramatic passage of the work remains pretty short. It could have been a little bit more extended and empowered with extra Industrial sounds and/or crashes. That’s probably my fantasy and personal interpretation of the facts…
Conclusion: Jean-Marc Lederman created a fascinating sonic voyage getting us back to the tragedy of The Titanic.
Best songs: “Newfoundland, April 14 1912”, “Save Our Souls”, “The Captain’s Quarter”, “Nearer My God To Thee”.
Rate: (7½).
Artist: www.jmlederman.com / www.facebook.com/jeanmarc.lederman
Label: www.wool-e-discs.be / www.facebook.com/woolediscs Read the news on ‘The Helpless Voyage Of The Titanic’.
About Jean-Marc Lederman
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.
Lederman has released concept-driven solo soundtrack albums including “The Helpless Voyage Of The Titanic” in 2020 on Wool-E Discs, followed by “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.
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