Search - Unitopia :: Artificial [Limited Edition]

Another great record from down under!

Seth Dewey | Nashua, NH USA | 05/13/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I greatly enjoyed Unitopia's last record "The Garden", so I have been eagerly awaiting this new release. I have been listening to it for close to two weeks now, and can honestly say I am very pleased. This record has the characteristics that one has come to expect from Unitopia. The production and mastering is superb... this is a fantastic sounding CD! This disc is expensive; one can download it for much less, but I think it is worth paying extra for the best possible sound quality, and to see the fabulous artwork from Ed Unitsky. As in the previous albums, there is a wide-ranging gamut of styles, from pop, to classic rock, to heavy metal, to jazz, to world music, and even a touch of Broadway, and as usual Unitopia does a great job of blending these different styles, often within the same song.



The first 10 tracks, consist of the "Artificial Suite" which is a concept piece dealing with life in our modern world. "Nothing Lasts Forever" wears its Beatles influences plainly upon its sleeve. The centerpiece of the suite is "Tesla" an epic track which is about Nikola Tesla, the physicist and electrical engineer who made many fascinating discovers around the turn of the 20th century, helping to usher in our modern era. The song did inspire me to want to learn more about him. My favorite track on the CD is the one that closes the suite, "The Great Reward". After exploring some of the negative sides of modern society, this uplifting track ends the suite on a positive note. My only complaint is that, at 5 minutes, this track seems to be over too quickly.



The first bonus track "What Kind of World?" is a Unitopian song all the way, and it alone is worth getting the Limited Edition over the regular release. Thematically it fits in well with the rest of the record, as it explores mankind's impact on our environment. It is my second favorite track on the CD. "This Time, I Think We Got it Right" has a very slow and relaxing groove. It was my least favorite track, but is slowly growing on me. "Relative to Me" has a underlying hypnotic groove and is somewhat minimalistic by Unitopian standards.



Unitopia has already announced their next project which is going to be a record of cover songs with Unitopian styling applied. I eagerly anticipate that release as well. Hopefully, more North Americans will discover this music, and a tour will become feasible."