i am jen

iamjen (www.iamjen.com) is our Unsigned Artist this month, for her The Broken EP. This sixteen-minute wonder delivers a megadose of brilliant production on its four tracks. The album was created entirely by Jen in her NYC apartment studio, which houses gear by Apogee, Clavia, Cycling '74, digidesign, elektron, Korg, Native Instruments, and Neumann. The music effortlessly combines cutting-edge electronic music production with a snappy and fun pop sensibility that reminds us what was good about the '80s. The lead cut, "Broken In All the Right Places," conjures "Talking In Your Sleep" by The Romantics, but enjoys a very nice stereo flanging effect. Songs from The broken EP will be featured in upcoming episodes of MTV's The Real World, Road Rules, and The Challengs, but there's no record deal yet. Good luck Jen!
- Keyboard Magazine

i am jen
IAMJEN’s The Broken EP is a self-produced four-song introduction to Jen Scaturro, a one-woman super band. Jen crafts electronic pop music in her homemade NYC apartment studio by playing synthesizers, bass, drum machines, guitar, melodica, piano, computers, samplers, and then sings over her tapestry of sounds. Her songs have been featured on THE OC, MTV’s ROAD RULES, and THE REAL WORLD, but she still has not been signed to a label. She started out as a beat programmer and was well known for her gift at using ProTools to process vocal parts. In an effort to gain more experience, she got permission to stay and experiment in the studios after hours. One night she needed a vocal and with no singers in sight, Jen laid down her own vocal track. When she was looking for feedback she posted her music online and eventually people starting asking how they could buy it. IAMJEN was born, and the rest was history. She now has a publishing deal with Verse Music Publishing and look out for her next collection of songs “Invisible” due out later this year.

- Starpoish

Less is more in all aspects of this offering by I am jen. The Broken EP is made up of four flawless songs that left me wanting more, to the point where I went hunting online to see if I am jen had any other offerings available.

This EP contains some of the most powerful electronic work I’ve had the pleasure of hearing lately. Jen Scaturro, the sole member of I am jen, has mixed these tracks to perfection. The beats are complex but not overwhelming. Each track has a strong life of its own, and none of it feels repetitive, although that may be simply because we only get four tracks.

Scaturro's voice over these beats feels natural even when being distorted; as the writer, she knows these songs better than anyone, and it comes through in the natural flow. Her voice is haunting and smooth.

The only issue I can see with this album is the order of the tracks. The disc starts off with the strongest two tracks, “Broken In All The Right Places” and “At The Same Time.” This placement is great for industry folks, but Scaturro may lose the average listener on the other tracks. Once again though, I think that on a full-length effort, I am jen wouldn’t have a problem keeping it strong throughout. I hate to see good albums go downhill simply because all of the good songs are crunched together at the very start.

The Broken EP has a strangely familiar feeling. Although it has a distinct sound, it feels fairly reminiscent of Moby’s Play, which will inevitably invite comparisons. Scaturro should be proud. It took Moby many attempts to create an album as flawless as Play, and she has recreated that same calming feel in electronica. This genre is fairly rare in the mainstream, and artists who can pick up that feel are in great demand.

With electronica and trip hop always being a fairly underground genre, I hope that I am jen gets the attention that she so dearly deserves. The Broken EP is a beautiful mix of surreal imagery created through electronic beats. It would be a shame for this woman to go unnoticed. I sincerely hope there is a full-length album in the works, because four songs are just not enough.
http://www.iamjen.com

-Stephanie Joudrey - indie-music.com

October 21, 2004
Review by Robert Pisani @ Alternative Malta

"Cracking Debut "
I am jen - The Broken EP
It seems that I am jen is a bit of a dark horse. There is virtually no information about her, so all that I have gathered is that she is New Yorkan and her real name is Jen Scaturro. Yet she has been essential to the music scene and has programmed and lent her beats to many artists. What is really important though is the music so I’d better get to that.

Jen’s music is a cross between Massive Attack and sometimes the glitchier bits of Aphex Twin. One website says that she is similar to Suzanne Vega as well - this is true, especially vocally. I would throw in a bit of early Bjork too.

On the whole this EP is quite slick and combines dancey elements with intelligent beats, especially on the best track ‘What it Means (to be Human. Plus this is completely homemade from the sleeve to probably the music itself - which adds to a certain charm. An artist to check out. If you are interested in acquiring this little Jen gem then go to www.iamjen.com - worth investigating.

- Alternative Malta

The Broken EP
Artist: iamjen
Label: Indie
Time: 4Tracks/ 16:00 min

Who knew one woman and her computer could be so intriguingly powerful. Simplistic and smooth vocals compliment her pure electronic masterpieces. Lyrically moral, and such creativity in mixing sounds not normally heard together. Jen adds a new spark to electro-pop with phrases that catch the mind, tricking it into thinking at a deepened level, then music deepening the trance.

Amanda Walker October 27, 2005

- Phantom Tollbooth