Sonic Boom by Gem FM: Album Review
James Freeman is the solo mastermind behind the electronic vibrations of Gem FM. In his album “Sonic Boom” a swirl of synthwave, IDM (Intelligent dance music), and tribal elements come alive.
Experiencing the album with its melodic ensemble was an enriching experience. In its inception, tracks such as “SwagR” and “RazL” incorporate a bit of jazz, pop, and the rumbling tempo of dance music to the forefront. The instrumentally heavy composition from Gem FM really brings out your inner party animal alive to bust out your best moves on the dancefloor. Moving on to more experimental and cinematic tracks such as “Serrated” brought to the tribal elements mentioned before in the musical space. There’s something about the xylophone-themed synths and the unique drum mechanics that make it feel like grooving out in some jungle on a faraway island!
“Slide On Down” feels like a soundscape to the extra-terrestrial. The music is very soothing, but ultimately from an atmospheric standpoint, the sound arrangements are celestial and almost like the language of aliens. Beautifully constructed with the bass and keyboard elements, the accompaniment of choice is quite experimental in nature, and quite catchy to hear on certain aspects of the track. “Sonic Boom” is like a bridge between ancient musical themes blended with the dawn of cyberpunk. It is everything and anything all at the same time because various musical genres are present in this wild album.
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Review by: Damien Reid