The Jean-Marc Lederman Experience returns with a new set of material. The theme, this time, is a throwback to the synthetic sounds of Lederman’s formative years.
Lederman escaped Brussels and Digital Dance at the beginning of the 1980s with Phil Wauquaire. The two met up with Frank Tovey, at Daniel Miller‘s suggestion, and became the original backing band for Fad Gadget. That freed up Tovey to get more physical on stage, which often led to broken bones and bruises while the Belgians took refuge behind their synths. After a short European tour and a period of recovery, Fad moved to his next stage with a new band.
Lederman, in turn, moved on to Kid Montana; combining trendy shirts and solid beats with a persistent sense of humour. More commercial material followed, using a similar formula: The Weathermen, a collaboration with Bruce Geduldig of Tuxedomoon, skewered alternative pop with tongues firmly planted in cheeks. Across all of his projects, Lederman has maintained a distinct sense of levity, no matter how heavy the grooves.
Which brings us to Electronic Slipper Music. With lyrics written by Emileigh Rohn (Chiasm) and Jacques Duvall (of “Banana Split” fame), the album maintains Lederman’s penchant for collaboration. With its retro-electronic feel, it is a nostalgic trip into the modular and single-oscillator sounds of Lederman’s early forays into music.
“Last night, I saw the ghost of Alan Vega,” he intones over a track infused with the style of Suicide. Lederman doesn’t often sing on his own songs; but that is a pity, as he conveys a subtly comedic element that carries the theme.
On “False Start,” the beats are wrought from iron, but there is no let-up in the hints at levity. Electronic Slipper Music sounds ridiculous as a title, but Lederman’s humour is entirely self-depracating.
Overall, the album succeeds in its references to the late 70s and early 80s, despite being made using very modern equipment (Ed: Now that is ironic, Alanis Morrissette). It is also hugely entertaining.
The full album is out in physical and digital formats on 31 August 2025.