Dreams really do come true. Don't believe it? Consider this: In March 1997, Dan Metreyeon knocked on the door of the recording studio belonging to the world-renowned pop producers Frank and Christian Berman (more commonly known as the Berman Brothers). Frank answered the door to find Metreyeon pushing a demo tape into his hands. Frank said three words: "Come back tomorrow." Following this advice, Metreyeon, along with his partner, Tim Cruz, returned the following day. Frank listened to the tape and took an immediate liking to Metreyeon and Cruz. Within moments, the male duo REACT was born.
At the time, the Berman Brothers -- known for producing such pop-dance hits as Real McCoy's "Another Night," Amber's "This Is Your Night," and She Moves' "Breaking All The Rules" -- had been in search of the perfect male duo. According to both Frank and Christian, REACT is that duo because "they perform hard-edged pop with a deep groove for the new millennium."
Fast forward several months. The German-born/New York-residing Berman Brothers find themselves inking a production/imprint deal with Columbia Records. And guess what? REACT is the first act they want to sign.
REACT's self-titled debut album fiercely challenges the parameters of contemporary pop music. As a collection of songs, the album overflows with delicious slices of all aspects of R&B-infused pop music, encompassing uptempo dance songs like "Let Me Be The One," down-tempo jams like "Give Me One More Chance" and sultry ballads like "The First Night Of Forever." Across the impressive range of the album's songs -- many of which were co-written by Metreyeon and Cruz -- the duo's impassioned vocals capture the first rush of love and the bittersweet catharsis of dancing the night away.
Album highlights include the deep funk groove of "Let's Go All The Way"; a wickedly intense and wryly sung remake of Bryan White's recent country hit, "I'm Not Supposed To Love You Anymore"; and the set's first single, the irresistible smash "I Can't Keep My Hands Off You." As musical artists, Metreyeon and Cruz seem as at home on the dancefloor as they do in front of the fireplace with a bottle of Dom Perignon. Lush and romantic, exuberant and infectious, REACT is a future R&B classic in the making.
When discussing their sound and look, both Metreyeon and Cruz quickly brush off any thoughts of inclusion in the current "boy group" phenomenon. Says Metreyeon, "We really don't fit into that whole thing. Because, quite honestly, there haven't been two guys doing it the way we do. Our music is straight pop with a deep, funky R&B vibe. We're not fluffy, and we definitely aim for a harder vocal delivery. And our look is more grown-up, more mature, definitely sexier."
24-year-old Dan Metreyeon was born in Jacksonville, Florida, and raised just outside of Dallas, Texas. The bulk of his youth was spent in Chicago where, upon turning 16, he got his first singing job in a rock 'n' roll revue at a Six Flags amusement park. When the thrill of that subsided, he headed south to Orlando, Florida. "I was working on a cruise ship," he says laughing. "I was playing 'Kenicke' in Grease. You know, he's the one who gets the Rizzo character knocked-up."
At the same time, native New Yorker Tim Cruz, 21, was traveling throughout Europe on one modeling assignment after another. Additionally, he appeared in several music videos and, as he fondly recalls, "always secretly sang in my bedroom, in front of the mirror, pretending to be on stage."
Early last year, Metreyeon and Cruz met at a party. "I had only been living in New York for about one month and was doing demo work in a studio where Tim's brother worked," explains Metreyeon. "Actually, the studio was in the same building as the Berman Brothers'. Anyway, the studio happened to be throwing a staff party and Tim came with his brother. Tim and I got to talking and we quickly realized that we had many of the same ideas. We also discovered that we like many of the same artists, like Tears For Fears, George Michael, and Elton John."
Several days later, the two were in Metreyeon's 8-track home studio working on a few demos. According to Cruz, "We did some really basic, uncomplicated demos. But, at least, our voices sounded good. And, yes, this is the demo tape that we brought to the Berman Brothers."
With their debut album, REACT has created something new and fresh that people of all ages can relate to. "This album is exactly as Tim and I want it. What's really great about it, especially since we're a new act, is that we were able to remain true to our original sound and vision. The Berman Brothers simply helped us get there a little sooner than planned. And for that, we're very grateful."
