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Though his fascination with music has been lifelong, Jon Gerler's musical existence as Dj FM is a journey that began less than a decade 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.
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.
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 early 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."
Stand by for the new sound of FM...and the saga continues...
