“WoBBle FaCTory Remix works for us!”
Ilan Flaishler, The Flash Brothers
“Premonition (original mix)...deep house, my fav! i'll play, deep!!”
Manuel Innaro, Manuel Innaro Project
“DJ FM is a talented local guy from Raleigh, NC. He's always expanding his sound in new directions, and pretty adventurous in his production. So far I've heard his hard-edged old-skool progressive material and his more recent neo hip-house material on the EP Influenced–he did that one with another local cat, Big Hop,. More recently he seems to have explored a deeper, more melodic house sound with spacey grooves and bass lines. Like a lot of the folks into electronic dance music in the area, he found his way into electronica through a different genre. . .metal. . . Well people are complex, and not everything can be explained, but this remix he sent me recently is so good I wanted to talk about it a little. Enjoy!”
DJ Monte La Monte, The Soul Reflector
“Love It!!!"”
DJ Deev, Zona 8 Radio Show, Portugal
“Cool Jump Up Bizness. :-)”
Momu (Mark Musselman), DJ/Producer
"You got some nice DnB going on....”
CarbonBass, DJ/Producer
"Killer Track...Lovin' the MC...”
Lost Nomad, DJ/Producer duo
“'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
“Some nice music...the composition and mood are cool...”
Neil Harris, Former A&R rep, Jive Electro Records & London Records
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
A Dual Review of “Breakup” and Friend Side Monkey's “Those Pesky Bubbles” (CitySearch, 5/98):
“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
“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
“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/COP Int'l
“....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 MacMillan, Cherrybomb.dynip.com (Canadian Rave Site)
“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 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
“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
“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.”
Braden Merrick, Former VP Marketing RedButton.com, San Francisco, CA - former manager, The Killers
“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
“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
“Very ambient....I know good music when I hear it.”
Dave Russell, Former Top 50 Chart Reporter, DMA (Dance Music Authority)
“Your CD shows a lot of talent. Keep up the good work!”
Mark Staton, John Garabedian's Open House Party
“I'm listening to 'Baranquilla' right now. It sounds really cool - I especially dig the Spanish lyrics.”
Fawn Goodman, Polygram Records
“I think you're a hook away from progressing to the next level.”
Neil Harris, Former A&R rep, Jive Electro Records & London Records
“I listened to your CD and in my humble opinion you are quite good.”
Michael Kurtz, The Record Exchange
“I like the material a lot - keep pushing.”
Dave Keats, Wind-up Entertainment, NY
“The CD is very good. All of us here really like it.”
Peter Hay, Twin Vision, Ltd., New York
“'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 (Sunscreem band fansite)
“'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 UK
“Looks and sounds great!”
Tanju Canli, Soundclick 
