Gem FM - "Sonic Boom" (Album)

Electronic Rock musician and producer Gem FM conjures a riveting, danceable original vision on his vibrant new album "Sonic Boom", out October 21 on streaming platforms. This adventurous new collection finds the bold composer joyfully walking the line between electronica, trance and progressive rock sounds. 

Gem FM is the solo vehicle and 'flexible musical entity' of artist James Freeman, who feels compelled to pursue the musically bold, somewhat left-field project in order to be true to himself and share his purpose. "Sonic Boom" finds power in balance; it's both energetic and hypnotic, experimental and groove-driven.

On music and the creative process:
“I feel that music is a common denominator to a lot of life forms. It seems that certain vibrations and frequencies may impact us in ways that our conscious mind struggles to grasp. When listening to something I really enjoy, I am feeling it as much or more than I am hearing it.”

“I tend to be somewhat rhythmically oriented in my approach to music. Building the beat is often where my creative process begins. Once I have a foundation, the tune usually begins to take on a life of it’s own. That’s when I follow the music wherever it leads, embarking on a sonic adventure.”

“Although a lot of my work is instrumental, I do enjoy writing lyrics. Most of the work on my first album, Old Business features vocal tracks. One of the interesting things about instrumental tracks is they can travel anywhere, with no translation required. Anyone anywhere can have the same listening experience as anyone else.”


“Experimenting and taking risks are essential to progressing as an artist and are aspects that I find enjoyable.”

On making Sonic Boom:
“I started mixing bits and pieces from different genres and a sort of methodology emerged that formed the basis for Sonic Boom. I used more 808-style bass sounds and grooves for a solid bottom end. I also incorporated some more traditional instrument sounds in the mix. As the tune evolves it lets me know what needs to be added.”

“At first the idea was to make an EP with four songs. Four songs became seven and since there is no category for Over-Engorged EP, it was decided to call it an album. Adding Serrated made it an even eight tracks.”

“While producing the new album, my studio monitoring situation received a significant technical upgrade. This helped tremendously in fine-tuning my engineering and mastering efforts. I think Sonic Boom represents my best work to date with regard to my mixing and engineering. Having said that, I acknowledge that there will always be room for improvement.”
Gem FM - "Sonic Boom" (Album) Gem FM - "Sonic Boom" (Album) Reviewed by Michael on 12/26/2022 Rating: 5