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| Reviews
of "conversion.factor" |
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“
'Do You Miss Me' grabs my attention in the first few seconds
with electronically enhanced conversation. Then the dance/pop
music kicks in, and Liz adds her haunting, soothing vocals.
Her voice is another instrument, blending with the music instead
of fronting it. The fact that I can’t really understand
the words makes her voice even more musical. This song is
beautifully composed.
Liz sings again on the sad love song 'Garden,' fronting the
music this time, and the sound is New Age Electronica. Very
interesting, very alive. And on 'I Believe,' the success is
in the contrast of sounds. Liz sings a smooth melody over
a frenzied pounding heartbeat of music. They really got it
right here. This song is electric soulful energy, not just
electric noise."
Jennifer
Layton
Indie-Music.com
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“Some
nice music..."
"The composition and mood are cool..."
Neil
Harris
Jive Electro
Records NY, former A&R rep, London Records
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| Reviews
of the "breakup" EP |
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Excerpts
- a letter from Frank Capra, Jr., dated 11/13/98
Thank you for your letter and for sending me your music. I
enjoyed listening to them very much....I have taken the liberty
of giving your CD and tape to Dave Frederick, owner of Sound
Werx, which is a music technology company located on our studio
lot....I wish you continued success in your career aspirations.
Frank
Capra Jr.
Producer, Dawson's Creek
President, Screen
Gems Studios
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A
Dual Review of "breakup" and Friend Side Monkey's "Those Pesky
Bubbles" (CitySearch, 5/98)
Friend Side Monkey-Those Pesky Bubbles (Self Released)
DJ FM-breakup (Self Released)
"What we have here are two of the area's premire electronic
outfits. First up is FSM's long-awaited debut, 'Those Pesky
Bubbles', a six-song trip-hop extravaganza. An offshoot of the
Whifflefist Collective, this is probably the most listener-friendly
thing to come out of that group, period. The music is a mix
of weird tape loops, funky bass lines and some serious trip-hop
beats that any good tech-head is sure to like. They are also
one of the first Triangle bands to do the electronic thing live
in a club, so go see 'em.
"DJ FM, however, goes for the more techno side
of the electronic spectrum. While it is a little more 'mainstream'
(I just say that because everyone and their brother seems
to be into it these days), 'breakup' strays a little from
the norm with its use of some Latin rhythms. 'Proton Girl'
would make any little club kid happy (i.e.-it's a GREAT dance
track), and 'Valley' reminds me of something David Bowie would
have done (or may still do) in his techno/dance days. If you
want a good representation of where the electronic/dance genre
is going in the Triangle and the talented musicians doing
it, pick up these two discs. They won't disappoint."
Jeff Ware
CitySearch
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"No
shock to the system in terms of approach, but Dj FM sets a gently
stimulating, groovy mood. I particularly enjoyed "Dreamstate,"
a high-BPM number that places shimmering guitar arpeggios and
New Wave keys against a techno-inspired groove; the tune's endlessly
ascending chord changes are certain to get the house rocking.
For those who like their electronica on the poppy side, this
seven-song EP is a good bet."
Jim Santo
Demo Universe
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"DJ
FM (aka J. Gerler) again proves to me that the lines between
techno/trance and darkwave/electro/goth are blurring at an increasingly
faster rate. Not long ago a techno release with actual singing
was unheard of, now we have the above review and this gem, and
gem it is. Strong trip hop and trance beats, ambient swirls
of keyboards, and on a few tracks, absolutely wonderful singing!
The human element once again appears in this genre and none
too soon! Elizabeth's vocals on "Baranquilla" are perfect, but
combined with Christopher's amazing vocals on "Valley" the duet
takes this entire cd to a level never before attained by a techno
artist. What are they putting in the water down there in North
Carolina? Both DJ FM and Captive Audience both have a sound
that is similiar yet each have their own identity and they are
both completely set apart from anything I've heard recently
in the techno genre. Production on this cd however is superior
and of high commercial quality. DJ FM writes extremely good
trance songs that bridge the gaps between a lot of different
genres and stay cohesive. If you like good electronic music,
order this puppy! I recommend it!"
Jeff Boyle
Electrozine
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"....I
just wanted a few of you who are looking for a good chill out
disc after a party to check out DJ FM and The FM Initiative's
CD entitled Breakup. The CD itself is a 7 track wonder and excellent
cross section of sound.
Myself just receiving this CD in the mail the other day was
surprised even by the cover art/CD liner graphics design. Even
looking at this thing when I opened the package told me that
I was in for a really interesting soundscape journey. (So far
I've listened to it 5 times since yesterday so it passes quality
control for sure. :-)
The first track entitled Introducing has a very interesting
array of two or three sound samples thrown in there that took
even me a few hours to ID but they are so cool if you have a
keen ear and can figure them out.
There are 3 tracks in general I will call to your attention
on this CD release:
Proton Girl - The second track of the CD is a very familiar
crossing of styles that reminds me of the works of Moby and
The Crystal Method, a rather cool sounding track with excellent
production on the drum and synths line and comes in second on
my list of favorites on this release.
Escape-This is the third track of the CD and my personal #1
favorite of the whole disc. A very energetic and inspiring track
for those who like their flavor of music on the Drum 'n' Bass
style like most of us do then this track is for you. :-)
Dreamstate - An energetic combination of piano, synths, and
I'd almost classify it "Ambient" except for the really hard
drum line that is contained within it and it's worth checking
out.
If you'd like more info on DJ FM or The FM Initiative or to
download some of their tracks in the MP3 format (I know that
Proton Girl and Dreamstate are there in original and remix format)
check out the link at the end. There's also there are some other
great tracks from other CD releases. Be sure and download their
newest track "I Believe" and the links to their main page are
provided at this site as well."
Jamie "Mookie" Mac Millan
Cherrybomb.dynip.com
(Canadian Rave Site)
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"dj
fm combines many different electronic styles to create some
very good songs on his debut cd. trip hop beats meld with sweeping
synth lines and swirling pads while keeping a decidedly danceable
quality throughout the seven tracks. the problem is that, with
the mix of styles, this music tends to be a little of everything,
and not a whole lot of anything in particular. the fast hiphop
beat in valley, the d'nb in escape, the four on the floor in
dreamstate, they're well done, but lack the power and energy
that should emanate from them. they end up sounding like watered
down versions of the styles they originated in. having said
that, there are numerous good qualities to all the songs on
the album, not the least of which is the excellent production.
every sound is clean and well mixed, the pads are lush and the
melodies shine through. another welcome surprise is the addition
of vocals in songs like baranquillia and valley. very nicely
layered and the voices themselves are great. valley in particular
stands out as a heavier dance song with dual harmonies and a
subtle piano melody. the male and female vocals complement each
other and blend into the mix like they are supposed to. a quiet
vocal dance tune that shines through for its mood and depth.
the ambience of dj fm's music is something not often found in
dance music, and he does a good job of keeping a true feeling
in his songs while introducing the dance floor element. surely
music to check out.
Alex
Reviewer
Raw42 Electronic
Music
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"A
trip through electronic time and space with your fearless leader
Jonathan Gerler: aka DJ FM. Recorded down near the railroad
tracks at Osceola Studios in Raleigh, FM takes his techno, dance
and ambient influences and creates a little head travel of his
own. The songs Proton Girl and Dreamstate you could easily imagine
in a big city nightclub but aren't quite the norm for the disc.
The most outstanding track on "break up" is Baranquilla. A hypnotic
number with a soft female voice (credited to "Elizabeth") speaking
in a foreign tongue. This tune drains your senses and was probably
designed for designer drugs! Another excellent track is Valley.
An equally hypnotic piece where Elizabeth accompanies the singularly
named Christopher in a song that sounds like it could have been
lifted from U2's Eno produced Zooropa album. The set closes
out with a dark sunset that a high priest of New Age like Patrick
O'Hearn would be proud of. While one might say that this CD
lacks consistency in style, it should be thought of as a soundtrack
for time travel."
Dave Rogers
raleighmusic.com
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"Ambient
Like a Racehorse, DJ FM's breakout single 'Proton Girl' lays
down the law, the law being (rave, rave, techno-rave). 'Proton
Girl' plays out like an action thriller. DJ FM has taken an
obvious knack for rhythm and turned it into a rave-ready, break-beat
collage that has dance hit written all over it. He doesn't hurt
your ears with tinny tones either, instead he chooses to take
the time to carve it up nice and phat."
Pinky
Reviewer
RedButton.com, San Francisco, CA
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"....thanks
for submitting some very fancy music....!"
Braden Merrick
VP Marketing
RedButton.com, San Francisco, CA
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"Very
professional. I listened to it as soon as I got it. Very, very
good tracks. The production is phenomenal and the drums slam.
I particularly enjoyed the first two songs: Proton Girl and
Escape."
Universal Tribe Electronic Music
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"CMJ
is doing a profile on our station next month. One of the last
questions is, 'What as a MUSIC director are the top 5 CDs that
you have on your desk right now?....
.... #5) Dj FM - breakup!!!"
Joe Madonna
Former Music Director, 88.1 WARY-FM, Valhalla, NY
Former MCT Management
Representative
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"Very
ambient....I know good music when I hear it."
Dave Russell
Top 50 Chart Reporter
DMA (Dance
Music Authority)
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"Your
CD shows a lot of talent. Keep up the good work!"
Mark Staton
John
Garabedian's Open House Party
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"I'm
listening to 'Baranquilla' right now. It sounds really cool
- I especially dig the Spanish lyrics."
Fawn Goodman
Polygram Records
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"I
think you're a hook away from progressing to the next level."
Neil Harris
Jive Electro
Records NY, former A&R rep, London Records
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"I
listened to your CD and in my humble opinion you are quite good."
Michael Kurtz
The
Record Exchange
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"I
like the material a lot - keep pushing."
Dave Keats
Wind-up
Entertainment, NY
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"The
CD is very good. All of us here really like it."
Peter Hay
Twin Vision, Ltd., New York
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"'Proton
Girl' is my favorite track on the album. Very 'chemical' - even
with the tabla! It does rock, and an excellent intro...getting
to be a habit...!"
Adam Reeve
Screeming
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"'Baranquilla'
was my favorite track. It's all pleasant music to listen to
and it seems quite trippy like some stuff from San Francisco...."
Bryan Horrocks
Crackdown Dance Records
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"Looks
and sounds great!"
Tanju Canli
Soundclick
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