EMQ’s With The Raging Project

EMQ’s With The Raging Project

Hi everyone! Welcome to another EMQs interview, this time with French Electro-Metal project, The Raging Project. Huge thanks to their Pianist/ Drummer/ Vocalist, Ivan Jacquin, for taking part. 

What is your name, what do you play, and can you tell us a little bit about the history of the band?

My name is Ivan Jacquin, I play piano, keyboards, drums and I’m a singer. The Raging Project rises from Project Rage, born in 2007 in East of France formed by guitar player Lionel Fevre and myself, an Electro-Metal duet, joined by female vocalist Jeannick Valleur. In 2009, we had released a 5-track EP well welcomed in the European underground press and audience at that time. The project would have turned to a real band but after several gigs, this attempt failed, and music had been at rest during all these years.

How did you come up with your band name?

Most of the songs are talking about the way we are treating our planet, and this will lead to the end of mankind. So, I was sad, angry and a bit desperate while writing music and words, so the name was found without any problem. Project Rage was used so many times in the world, so I decided to keep the subject into another kind of title, it became The Raging Project.

What Country/Region are you from and what is the Metal/Rock scene like there?

I’m from East of France (Franche-Comté) and the scene is really alive with amazing little bands playing Classic Rock, Heavy and Extreme Metal. But unfortunately, most of these talents don’t even cross the frontiers of our region, and it’s a pity.

What is your latest release?

The first single ‘Don’t Want’ from this upcoming album ‘The Raging Project’ came out some days ago, before this, I released the second album of my Rock Opera Foreign “The Symphony Of The Wandering Jew Part II” in 2020. It was already a studio project with guest musicians, less Metal and more Symphonic and “World Music”.

Who have been your greatest influences?

Oh, my musical tastes are really open. I would say Pink Floyd, Iron Maiden, Helloween, Scorpions, King Diamond for the oldest influences. Kansas, Marillion, Magma, Dream Theater, Vanden Plas, Rhapsody, Symphony X for the 90’s and 2000’s, and Ayreon, Pain of Salvation, Within Temptation, Nightwish, Evergrey, Lacuna Coil, for the more recent ones.

What first got you into music?

My parents brought me to a piano teacher when I was 6, and I studied in the Music school Conservatory of my town, after 8 years of classical music, I learned to play jazz, improvisation and at the age of 16, I composed my first songs, and I became a rocker.

If you could collaborate with a current band or musician who would it be?

There are so many musicians I would like to collaborate with, but if there is only one to choose, I would say Steve Vai. He had given one of my more intense emotions with his album “Passion and Warfare”, he is a real genius, he makes his guitar talk as a human being.

If you could play any festival in the world, which would you choose and why?

Hellfest, because it’s in France, my country, it would be a dream come true to be on stage there, among all the amazing bands playing every year over-there.

What’s the weirdest gift you have ever received from a fan?

Hum… a kiss and a glass of wine from a very old woman who seemed to be in love with me… very weird moment…

If you had one message for your fans, what would it be?

If you want to support The Raging Project, pre-order the album on the Bandcamp page, with preference for physical CD instead of digital or stream, you have the power to make this music as known as possible.

If you could bring one rock star back from the dead, who would it be?

Only one ??? Let me talk about 3, please. Jon Lord, Ronnie James Dio and Andre Matos.

What do you enjoy the most about being a musician? And what do you hate?

I love when notes and rhythms come out of my brain and become slowly music in my keyboard sequencer and my PC, and I love sharing emotions and music on stage with my musicians and people in front of us. What I hate the most is the sacrifice we sometimes have to make to be able to release our art and to try to live with our music, energy, money, time and sometimes misunderstandings and solitude.

If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?

I would eradicate streaming, it is the worst thing created and it’s killing the sense to be artists day by day… I know it’s great for fans and for music listeners, but music has become a commercial product too technical, without any more sense, we have lost the poetry of creativity and the emotion of immediacy. And musicians are so badly paid for their creations, it is a shame.

Name one of your all-time favourite albums?

“Brave” from Marillion!

What’s best? Vinyl, Cassettes, CD’s or Downloads?

Vinyls are so great for old albums, recorded in analogue until middle of eighties, CDs have been an improvement for some styles of music, classical and pop, even jazz and metal… But as an old-school guy, I will always prefer vinyl because of the large front cover, the happiness to have such an object in hand and the organic soundings of the instruments and voices.

What’s the best gig that you have played to date?

I think it was four years ago, my band Psychanoia and I had opened for the Rock au Chateau Festival in France, before Flower Kings and it was amazing, so many people who were rock and metal prog fans were fantastic. 

If you weren’t a musician, what else would you be doing?

I think I would be a writer – I already wrote four books – and a photographer (nature, portrait, landscapes, wild animals…).

Which five people would you invite to a dinner party?

Charlize Theron, Eva Green, Cristina Scabbia, Sting and Steve Hogarth, it would be fun, no?

What’s next for the band?

We will see how the sales are going on, but as a project, it might be changed if I decide to make a second album, the guests will be new ones. Let’s see what the future brings…

What Social Media/Website links do you use to get your music out to people?

Facebook, Bandcamp, Youtube, Soundcloud and a bit Instagram.

Jaffa Cakes? Are they a cake or a biscuit?

If there is no chocolate, no interest for me, ha ha !

Thank you for your time. Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Thanks for your interest for The Raging project, I hope the music will be appreciated by the most people around the world!

Disclaimer: This interview is solely the property of Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.