Jean-Marc Lederman (The Weathermen, Fad Gadget, The The, Ghost & Writer, Lederman-Demeyer) has released a new release under the Jean-Marc Lederman Experience moniker. With this project he calls up singers from different niches and countries to write lyrics and sing them on a common theme. The end result is then being packaged in a 2CD 36 pages hardcover art book with artwork and pictures by Erica Hinyot.

2019 saw the release of “13 Ghost Stories”, and now he offers “Letters To Gods (and fallen angels)” including performances from 21 different singers, from the USA to Italy, Mexico or Wales. The concept this time is very topical in this strange reset time: “You can write a letter to a God, or a fallen angel. What do you say?”

This time, the artists are:

• Agi Taralas (Our Banshee, Greece)
• Emma Barson (Promenade Cinema, UK)
• Ghost & Writer with cello by Jo Quail (Germany/Belgium UK)
• Mari Kattman (Helix, USA)
• JP Aston with backing vocals by Julianne Regan (Gene Loves Jezebel/Wales All About Eve/UK
• Coline Wauters (Atome, Belgium)
• Christina Z (comics Witchblade writer, Magnesium Burn/USA)
• Das Vintage (Mexico)
• Lucia Fairfull (Lusca And The Best Boys/ Scotland)
• Stefan Netschio (Beborn Beton/Germany)
• Hunter S. Thompson (Writer, USA)
• Elena Alice Fossi (Kirlian Camera/Stalingrad Valkyrie Italy)
• Tom Shear (Assemblage 23/ Helix USA)
• Mark Hockings (MESH/ UK)
• Jenna Fearon (USA)
• Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm/USA)
• Miriam Christina (The Other Side Of Who, 580 Miles/ Germany)
• Haydn Park-Patterson (The Ninth Wave/ Scotland)
• Rodney Orpheus (The Cassandra Complex/ EU)
• Louise Fraser (USA)
• Lis van den Akker (Holland)
• Claus Larsen (Leaether Strip/ Denmark)
• Friedrich Nietzsche (Patrimonia Universal de la Humanidad)
• With 3 novels by:
• Christina Z. (comics Witchblade writer, Magnesium Burn/USA)
• Ceratomia (USA)
• Philippe Genion (à;GRUMH /Belgium)

Check the previews below.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, body-pop, EBM.

Background/Info: Our Banshee is one of the newest signings on Dependent. The band seems to have been set up a while ago, but because of other involvement nothing really happened till now. The band features Agi Taralas (Greece) and Stefan Böhm (Germany). Böhm is a recognized and talented artist who got involved with bands such as Pzychobitch, S.I.N.A., Mono No Aware and of course Nullvektor. “4200” is the band’s debut full length.

Content: This album sounds clearly inspired by electronic-pop standards and might appeal to lovers of Mesh, Beborn Beton, Rotersand and Informatics. It’s a refreshing piece of work mixing melancholic tracks together with harder EBM-influences songs. The songs have been accomplished by empowering guitar playing, injecting a touch of wave-pop.

+ + + : The opening song reminds me of the cool “Accidents In Paradise” from Informatics. It sounds pure pop-like, but with this extra refreshing flavor on top. But this album is quite diversified, mixing different elements and emotions. Now into melancholia and next inciting you to dance, Stefan Böhm confirms to be a musician with an open-minded spectrum. I’ve a preference for harder cuts while I also like the delicate arrangements the songs have been accomplished with. From raw and analogue-like sound treatments to astral sweeps and solid bass lines this album also reveals a great singer, which can compete with more recognized electro-pop singers from this scene.

– – – : Our Banshee doesn’t stand for ‘traditional’ electro-pop, but it’s sometimes easier to be a Depeche Mode-clone instead of a band striving for originality. Therefore “4200” needs a few listenings before you can really seize the essence and beauty of the work.

Conclusion: Dependent Records once again confirms to have a nose for original and talented formations. Our Banshee is maybe not the ‘hottest’ newcomer of 2017 although it will ravish electro-pop lovers in search of something ‘different’.

Best songs: “Down & Out”, “The Answer”, “Christ”, “It’s Not Real”, “River”.

Rate: (8).

Band: www.ourbanshee.com / www.facebook.com/ourbanshee.official

Label: www.dependent.de / www.facebook.com/dependent.records

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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