Dead Air for Radios

Dead Air for Radios

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Innovative debut album by heavy supergroup featuring ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore and members of FatesWarning. The intriguing result is what Rush, Pink Floyd,David Bowie, Talk Talk & Peter Gabriel would sound like ifthey all pulled together as a team. Nine tracks. 1998Massacre Records release. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Dead Air for Radios,Chroma Key,Fight Evil Records,"DAFR is a virtual masterpiece by the former Dream Theater keyboardist, a multi-layered creation of sound and tone, oblique lyrics and ambient passages that will have you scratching your head in wonder for days after listening to it.." - Buzz Kuts,Neo-Prog,Pop,Popular Music,Prog-Rock/Art Rock,Rock,Rock/Pop


Dead Air for Radios

Dead Air for Radios
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • best I've heard
  • Very solid effort
  • Give it a chance and be greatly rewarded
  • Very nice work from Kevin Moore
  • The Darkness Between Fiction And Reality
Dead Air for Radios
Chroma Key
Manufacturer: Fight Evil Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
ProgressiveProgressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:
  1. You Go Now
  2. Graveyard Mountain Home
  3. Ghost Book
  4. Free
  5. Second Life Syndrome

ASIN: B00000IOMS
Release Date: 1999-02-09

Tracks:

  1. Color Blind
  2. Even The Waves
  3. Undertow
  4. America The Video
  5. S.O.S.
  6. Camera4
  7. On The Page
  8. Mouse
  9. Hell Mary

Album Description

Innovative debut album by heavy supergroup featuring ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore and members of FatesWarning. The intriguing result is what Rush, Pink Floyd,David Bowie, Talk Talk & Peter Gabriel would sound like ifthey all pulled together as a team. Nine tracks. 1998Massacre Records release.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars best I've heard.......2006-04-30

This is the only CD I've heard where I've instantly fallen in love with almost every track on the album. I'm surprised that none of my friends have ever heard of Chroma Key before. His voice sounds really good as well. Now I understand why he left Dream Theater.

Don't take my word for it, hear all of these tracks on:
[...]

The samples are "CD-quality" mp3s and each one is 2 minutes long.

4 out of 5 stars Very solid effort.......2006-02-24

From what I can tell, Chroma Key is basically former Dream Theatre keyboardist Kevin Moore, with "musicians for hire" helping out on drums and/or strings (as in "guitar and bass", not "violins and cellos"). "Dead Air for Radios" is Moore's first effort under the Chroma Key moniker, and it's an interesting collection of more-radio-friendly tunes than I would have expected from a former member of a prog-metal-ish band like DT. Having since purchased his follow up Chroma Key disks, I've noticed a definite progression of style on each disc going from "radio friendly" to "less radio friendly" to "more obscure". This disk has a basic straight ahead rock feel, but is more centered around minor-keyed keyboard themes, generously spiced with samples and ambient/techno-ish synth touches. The songs are the centrepiece, not necessarily the keyboard or instrument work (though the performances ARE solid). The lyrics are interesting and definitely better than standard pop-radio fare. Kevin Moore also handles all the vox on this disc, and though his range and style is a bit limited, I think his voice and delivery worked well for this CD. Though not as expressive, his voice reminded me of Kevin Gilbert (Toy Matinee vocalist who unfortunately died in the late 90s) in places, and Kevin Gilbert was a phenomenal vocalist (as well as multi-instrumentalist--check out his CD "Thud" as well as "Toy Matinee"). And after drafting this, I see another reviewer has made the same comparison. All in all, "Dead Air for Radios" is a very coherent effort with a likeable style and likeable performances. On Moore's next Chroma Key effort, "Astronaut," he pretty much continued in the same direction, though the songs are a little less fully developed, and a little more sample and techno heavy.

Bottom line is, if you're looking for Dream Theater redux, then look elsewhere (maybe check out Moore's respectable efforts with OSI--Office of Strategic Influence--done with Mike Portnoy). "Dead Air for Radios" isn't DT, and the more standard song structures, shorter pieces, standard 4/4 time signatures, hummable melodies, and keyboard focus help make that obvious. Though I'm not crazy about every song, I can easily listen to the whole CD, and that's rare for me nowadays. If you like straight-ahead rock with a subtle keyboard focus, pop-prog leanings, and some techno elements folded into the mix, you should give it a listen.

4 out of 5 stars Give it a chance and be greatly rewarded.......2005-08-29

Chromakey is none other than Kevin Moore, a very talented x-keyboardist for Dream Theater. However, what we have here is something decidedly less rockin' than his previous prog-metal outfit, instead having a much more mellow atmosphere. I would say that there is bit of a jazz influence here, with a typical riff exploring harmonic elaborations rather than staying the same throughout the entire song. Perhaps this is the most impressive aspect of this album; the fact that, although it sounds so laid back, it's obvious that much thought and hard work went into the songwriting.

Kevin also sings his own songs here, and he has a nice voice that compliments the ambience of the music, never getting too aggressive, but also not becoming so monotone as to be boring. Almost everything here is very catchy and hummable; I find the songs stuck in my head long after listening to them.

So, rather than rock or metal, I would call this electronic ambient. That might be dissappointing for some, but I am very pleased with the finished product.

5 out of 5 stars Very nice work from Kevin Moore.......2005-07-09

I have to admit, when I first sat down and listened to this CD, I was very disappointed. It sounded absolutely nothing like Dream Theater, and frankly, it just seemed to bore me. I'm not the type to write off any music after the first listen, so I decided to put it on in the background while doing other things on the computer, and it started to grow on me from there.

Colorblind is, as anyone would guess, the first song I really started enjoying. I even find myself singing it at different points in the day. Probably my favorite part about it is that one of the opening lyrics is 'back again, 6 am, far from sleep,' making a faint reference to Awake, maybe even reassuring as that this is actually the same Kevin Moore that founded Dream Theater since it sounds so different. The next track that caught my attention was Undertow, with great lyrics as always, and then 'On the Page,' probably my favorite on the album.

The music is what most would call 'soundscape.' It's not minimalistic, but it's also not as complex and fast-paced as Dream Theater's music. People have said it sounds like 'Space Dye Vest,' but I'm not so sure. When you first listen to the album, you'll hear some strange beats that you may not initially like, but I don't find anything wrong with them. Kevin Moore sings on this one, to my surprise, and he's actually not all that bad. He does the album a lot of justice, actually, especially in 'On the Page.'

Overall, the album is very good, though not structured as well as Dream Theater albums, it's still enjoyable. Good to put on in the background, of, like someone else said, a 'lonely car drive at night.' It's strange, because the primary period of time where I find myself listening to this album is usually past midnight. I also have the albums I'm currently listening to loaded on the music player on the computer, and the albums are put in alphabetical order, ironically placing this one immediatly after Awake. Whenever Space Dye Vest finishes, it goes straight to Colorblind, and it's actually not a bad transition, considering such a different sound contrasting over the two albums.

What only slightly (but not much) puts me off about the album is it's length. This album came out nearly five years after Awake, and after all that time, all there is to offer is nine tracks, two of which aren't really music. I don't like too many tracks on an album, I think that nine tracks is a perfect length, but it just seems too short. Camera 4 I could find myself skipping, but Hell Mary is just plain creepy, and it provides for a nice closer to the album.

The bottom line is, you need an open mind to enjoy this album, and if you find yourself buying it, don't give up on it on the first listen. This album has a lot more to offer than you think, and is very enjoyable in the end. I would say that if you're a fan of Dream Theater, I definitely say give this one a try. You might not enjoy it, but I loved it.

5 out of 5 stars The Darkness Between Fiction And Reality.......2005-05-01

There's never been a time in my life where the sound of a keyboard/piano has altered my thought process.I think Chroma Key are one step ahead of what we perceive as real and fictional.The melody they hold is quite solid in its subtlety.
My absolute favourite heart rendering track on this album is "On The Page" but the first song I heard from this album was "Undertow" I also dig "Colorblind". I'm not gonna go track by track but I'll talk about my favourite tracks.

There's a certain lyric in "On The Page" which goes like "It's like the water when I'm dreaming...." It's what I would call a breakaway from living a life where you live every detail and a transcending contrast where you write what you feel on a piece of page daily.I don't know the name of the vocalist of Chroma Key but I can safely say they can't possibly have more magical vocals for a band of its authority in supremacy.

I'd auction off my diary to support the cause of this absolute hellbender smooth album. The drums,keyboards are just outstanding and make me go numb. I know numb is a weak over used word but not for this under rated band. Actually,I'm quite glad they're underrated because I honestly feel not everyone deserves music as grand as this.

Undertow is the kind of a track I'd listen to when im in the middle of a day where its bright outside but I'm in my dark room trying to ignore the world. There's no love song on the album. It's an album for loners. Atleast , thats what I consider myself as. We're all alone and this album re-affirms by beleif in sanity of one.
Dead Air for Radios (+2 Bonus Tracks)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Dead Air for Radios (+2 Bonus Tracks)
    Chroma Key
    Manufacturer: Avalo
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    ProgressiveProgressive | Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music
    RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B00004SAK6
    Release Date: 2000-03-23

    Tracks:

    1. Colorblind
    2. Even The Waves
    3. Undertow
    4. America The Video
    5. Sos
    6. Camera 4
    7. On The Page
    8. Mouse
    9. Hell Mary
    10. On The Page (Alternate Vo
    11. Chroma Key

    Album Details

    Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks.
    Dead Air for Radios
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • best I've heard
    • Very solid effort
    • Give it a chance and be greatly rewarded
    • Very nice work from Kevin Moore
    • The Darkness Between Fiction And Reality
    Dead Air for Radios
    Chroma Key
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Pop RockPop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
    Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. You Go Now
    2. Graveyard Mountain Home
    3. Ghost Book
    4. Free
    5. Second Life Syndrome

    ASIN: B000023Y2K
    Release Date: 2004-01-06

    Tracks:

    1. Colorblind
    2. Even the Waves
    3. Undertow
    4. America the Video
    5. S.O.S.
    6. Camera 4
    7. On the Page
    8. Mouse (Now Watch What Happens)
    9. Hell Mary

    Album Description

    Innovative debut album by heavy supergroup featuring ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Kevin Moore and members of FatesWarning. The intriguing result is what Rush, Pink Floyd,David Bowie, Talk Talk & Peter Gabriel would sound like ifthey all pulled together as a team. Nine tracks. 1998Massacre Records release.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars best I've heard.......2006-04-30

    This is the only CD I've heard where I've instantly fallen in love with almost every track on the album. I'm surprised that none of my friends have ever heard of Chroma Key before. His voice sounds really good as well. Now I understand why he left Dream Theater.

    Don't take my word for it, hear all of these tracks on:
    [...]

    The samples are "CD-quality" mp3s and each one is 2 minutes long.

    4 out of 5 stars Very solid effort.......2006-02-24

    From what I can tell, Chroma Key is basically former Dream Theatre keyboardist Kevin Moore, with "musicians for hire" helping out on drums and/or strings (as in "guitar and bass", not "violins and cellos"). "Dead Air for Radios" is Moore's first effort under the Chroma Key moniker, and it's an interesting collection of more-radio-friendly tunes than I would have expected from a former member of a prog-metal-ish band like DT. Having since purchased his follow up Chroma Key disks, I've noticed a definite progression of style on each disc going from "radio friendly" to "less radio friendly" to "more obscure". This disk has a basic straight ahead rock feel, but is more centered around minor-keyed keyboard themes, generously spiced with samples and ambient/techno-ish synth touches. The songs are the centrepiece, not necessarily the keyboard or instrument work (though the performances ARE solid). The lyrics are interesting and definitely better than standard pop-radio fare. Kevin Moore also handles all the vox on this disc, and though his range and style is a bit limited, I think his voice and delivery worked well for this CD. Though not as expressive, his voice reminded me of Kevin Gilbert (Toy Matinee vocalist who unfortunately died in the late 90s) in places, and Kevin Gilbert was a phenomenal vocalist (as well as multi-instrumentalist--check out his CD "Thud" as well as "Toy Matinee"). And after drafting this, I see another reviewer has made the same comparison. All in all, "Dead Air for Radios" is a very coherent effort with a likeable style and likeable performances. On Moore's next Chroma Key effort, "Astronaut," he pretty much continued in the same direction, though the songs are a little less fully developed, and a little more sample and techno heavy.

    Bottom line is, if you're looking for Dream Theater redux, then look elsewhere (maybe check out Moore's respectable efforts with OSI--Office of Strategic Influence--done with Mike Portnoy). "Dead Air for Radios" isn't DT, and the more standard song structures, shorter pieces, standard 4/4 time signatures, hummable melodies, and keyboard focus help make that obvious. Though I'm not crazy about every song, I can easily listen to the whole CD, and that's rare for me nowadays. If you like straight-ahead rock with a subtle keyboard focus, pop-prog leanings, and some techno elements folded into the mix, you should give it a listen.

    4 out of 5 stars Give it a chance and be greatly rewarded.......2005-08-29

    Chromakey is none other than Kevin Moore, a very talented x-keyboardist for Dream Theater. However, what we have here is something decidedly less rockin' than his previous prog-metal outfit, instead having a much more mellow atmosphere. I would say that there is bit of a jazz influence here, with a typical riff exploring harmonic elaborations rather than staying the same throughout the entire song. Perhaps this is the most impressive aspect of this album; the fact that, although it sounds so laid back, it's obvious that much thought and hard work went into the songwriting.

    Kevin also sings his own songs here, and he has a nice voice that compliments the ambience of the music, never getting too aggressive, but also not becoming so monotone as to be boring. Almost everything here is very catchy and hummable; I find the songs stuck in my head long after listening to them.

    So, rather than rock or metal, I would call this electronic ambient. That might be dissappointing for some, but I am very pleased with the finished product.

    5 out of 5 stars Very nice work from Kevin Moore.......2005-07-09

    I have to admit, when I first sat down and listened to this CD, I was very disappointed. It sounded absolutely nothing like Dream Theater, and frankly, it just seemed to bore me. I'm not the type to write off any music after the first listen, so I decided to put it on in the background while doing other things on the computer, and it started to grow on me from there.

    Colorblind is, as anyone would guess, the first song I really started enjoying. I even find myself singing it at different points in the day. Probably my favorite part about it is that one of the opening lyrics is 'back again, 6 am, far from sleep,' making a faint reference to Awake, maybe even reassuring as that this is actually the same Kevin Moore that founded Dream Theater since it sounds so different. The next track that caught my attention was Undertow, with great lyrics as always, and then 'On the Page,' probably my favorite on the album.

    The music is what most would call 'soundscape.' It's not minimalistic, but it's also not as complex and fast-paced as Dream Theater's music. People have said it sounds like 'Space Dye Vest,' but I'm not so sure. When you first listen to the album, you'll hear some strange beats that you may not initially like, but I don't find anything wrong with them. Kevin Moore sings on this one, to my surprise, and he's actually not all that bad. He does the album a lot of justice, actually, especially in 'On the Page.'

    Overall, the album is very good, though not structured as well as Dream Theater albums, it's still enjoyable. Good to put on in the background, of, like someone else said, a 'lonely car drive at night.' It's strange, because the primary period of time where I find myself listening to this album is usually past midnight. I also have the albums I'm currently listening to loaded on the music player on the computer, and the albums are put in alphabetical order, ironically placing this one immediatly after Awake. Whenever Space Dye Vest finishes, it goes straight to Colorblind, and it's actually not a bad transition, considering such a different sound contrasting over the two albums.

    What only slightly (but not much) puts me off about the album is it's length. This album came out nearly five years after Awake, and after all that time, all there is to offer is nine tracks, two of which aren't really music. I don't like too many tracks on an album, I think that nine tracks is a perfect length, but it just seems too short. Camera 4 I could find myself skipping, but Hell Mary is just plain creepy, and it provides for a nice closer to the album.

    The bottom line is, you need an open mind to enjoy this album, and if you find yourself buying it, don't give up on it on the first listen. This album has a lot more to offer than you think, and is very enjoyable in the end. I would say that if you're a fan of Dream Theater, I definitely say give this one a try. You might not enjoy it, but I loved it.

    5 out of 5 stars The Darkness Between Fiction And Reality.......2005-05-01

    There's never been a time in my life where the sound of a keyboard/piano has altered my thought process.I think Chroma Key are one step ahead of what we perceive as real and fictional.The melody they hold is quite solid in its subtlety.
    My absolute favourite heart rendering track on this album is "On The Page" but the first song I heard from this album was "Undertow" I also dig "Colorblind". I'm not gonna go track by track but I'll talk about my favourite tracks.

    There's a certain lyric in "On The Page" which goes like "It's like the water when I'm dreaming...." It's what I would call a breakaway from living a life where you live every detail and a transcending contrast where you write what you feel on a piece of page daily.I don't know the name of the vocalist of Chroma Key but I can safely say they can't possibly have more magical vocals for a band of its authority in supremacy.

    I'd auction off my diary to support the cause of this absolute hellbender smooth album. The drums,keyboards are just outstanding and make me go numb. I know numb is a weak over used word but not for this under rated band. Actually,I'm quite glad they're underrated because I honestly feel not everyone deserves music as grand as this.

    Undertow is the kind of a track I'd listen to when im in the middle of a day where its bright outside but I'm in my dark room trying to ignore the world. There's no love song on the album. It's an album for loners. Atleast , thats what I consider myself as. We're all alone and this album re-affirms by beleif in sanity of one.
    Dead Air for Radios
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Awesome
    Dead Air for Radios
    Chroma Key
    Manufacturer: Avalon Japan
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
    Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
    RockRock | Imports | Stores | Music
    ASIN: B00000GBLV
    Release Date: 2000-03-23

    Tracks:

    1. Colorblind
    2. Even the Waves
    3. Undertow
    4. America the Video
    5. SOS
    6. Camera 4
    7. On the Page
    8. Mouse
    9. Hell Mary
    10. On the Page [Alternate Version]
    11. Chroma Key

    Album Details

    Japanese Version featuring Two Bonus Tracks.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Awesome.......1999-09-04

    I Believe Kevin Moore ex dream Theater Keyboardist is a genius in creating such masterpieces as Dead Air For Radios...
    Colorblind Single (1999)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Colorblind Single (1999)
      Chroma Key
      Manufacturer: Fight Evil Records
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD
      ASIN: B000CA8WIU
      Release Date: 2005-08-30

      Tracks:

      1. Colorblind (Radio Edit)
      2. On the Page (Radio Edit)
      3. Even the Waves (Radio Edit)
      4. Blanket (Early Demo)
      5. On the Page (Early Demo)
      6. Even the Waves (Early Demo)
      Dead Air For Radios
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Dead Air For Radios
        Chroma Key
        Manufacturer: Massacre
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
        Progressive RockProgressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
        GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000LX48K4

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        7. Gamma 2
        8. Generations [Import]
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        10. Harry / Nilsson Sings Newman [Extra tracks] [Import]

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