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| Biography |
Photos
of Dj FM (c) J. Meriano |
Download Dj FM's Online Press Kit Here (10MB Adobe PDF)
Though his fascination with music has been lifelong, Jon Gerler's musical
existence as Dj FM is a journey that began a mere eight years ago.
Following the dissolution of his band S.G.O. in 1997, Gerler and
producer Tom Mohbat began work on Dj FM's debut EP "breakup." The album
introduced FM's signature blend of danceable beats, world percussion, live
instrumentation and the haunting vocals of singer/actress Elizabeth
Fountain. Tracks from the album were featured on MTV's "Real World," "Road
Rules," and the Abercrombie & Fitch website. The song "Baranquilla" appeared
on the Record Exchange's 1999 "Notes from Home" compilation CD which led to
significant regional airplay on college radio, as well as a mention in
CMJ.
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The
FM Initiative circa 2000 (from left: Ravi, The Avenga, Liz,
Dj FM) |
FM then began his most ambitious plan to date: moving his music out of the
clubs and assembling a group of musicians to help him perform in a live
setting - The FM Initiative. Enlisting the aid of S.G.O.'s drummer Jason
Clevenger and Mohbat's alter-ego Ravi on percussion, FM played a series of
local live dates, including a benefit performance at Club Metro in Asheville
and the Freakadelic Records Freak-for-All in 2000 at Local 506, Chapel
Hill.
The group took a hiatus following FM's move to Baltimore, Maryland, where he
began focusing on honing his DJ-ing skills, as well as the completion of his
second LP, "conversion.factor". He DJ-ed at small clubs in and around
Washington D.C., including the Galaxy Hut and Clarendon Ballroom in Arlington,
VA. "Conversion.factor" was released online in early 2001 through a
fledgling website called mp3.com, and 2AM Artist Management's Keith Haas
invited FM's live group to perform at 2AM's Artist Showcase in Springfield,
MA before an audience of over 2,000.
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The FM Initiative circa 2000 (from left: Dj FM, Ravi, Liz, The
Avenga) |
Back in North Carolina, FM began work on his 3rd release, the "Land on your
Feet" EP. Tracks from all three of his releases continued to be used by MTV
as well as various PBS programs including "In The Mix," and online indie
retailer The Orchard helped the "breakup" EP see distribution through
Apple's hugely successful iTunes Music Store. Along with former Resonance
Project DJ Tom Foolery, HiJinx Records was founded and FM began a year-long
Friday night residency at Rush
Lounge, in the center of Raleigh's up-and-coming South Glenwood
district.
After concluding his residency at Rush in early 2005, guest appearances at
Aries Lounge, Oliver Twist, Talulla's, and a high-profile gig opening for
the Backstreet Boys at the Progress Energy Center followed. For this he was
voted as Best DJ in the Triangle for 2005 by the Independent Weekly. Yet for
all the publicity, Dj FM's first priority is the completion of his 4th
release, Encrypt (slated for late 2007).
Sure to be his most personal and accessible work to date,
Encrypt is about hidden love, keeping secrets, and longing. "It's
about wanting something out of reach," says FM. "It's about trying to come
to terms with the internal conflict that results." |
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