Customer Reviews

Faith in the Future

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's not an album.

Keep that in mind, and you may find Faith in the Future listenable. It serves far better as a collection of very different singles than as one cohesive work. I'm glad Uberzone finally got a proper album out; I just wish it was a unified work instead of a hodge-podge. Beat Bionic is jumpy scratch-master drum n'bass. Science Fiction comes across as bad computerized reggae. Black Widow has servicable beats and bad vocals. Bounce is awesome, with a pounding beat and creative samples and scratching. Dreamtime is the album's high point, consisting of a cascade of vocal samples laid down in rounds for the first minute, and only then does the beat slowly fade in. Rhythm Device is funky and weird, with a simple beat and truly bizarre samples. Frequency is a misguided pairing of live vocals and weak beat work. Faith in the Future is shimmery synth work and not much else. 2 Kool 4 Skool is groovy, but sounds dated even with computerized updates. Keep Go-In is mellow drum n'bass. Little Dragon is electronica with vocals, almost like Plaid, but nothing special. And Botz, even though it's the oldest song here, sounds unoriginal and forced. The album as a whole is worth a listen, but unfortunately, there's lots of filler. Bounce and Rhythm Device are very strong, but Dreamtime is a truly excellent and innovative track. I'm not saying to buy it for Dreamtime alone, but it might be worth it! One last thing: Uberzone is incredible in concert. I saw them in July with Crystal Method, and to witness Q's drum work first hand was was mindblowing. Uberzone has no problem with the beats. They just need better song structure and more innovative vocals to make the style really work.

A bold and brilliantly crafted collaboration of fresh, funky beats and melodic tunes catapults this album above and beyond all others of this genre. The album starts strong with energetic beats and wicked scratching in "Beat Bionic" before it slows you down a little toward the middle of the album by introducing a totally original track called "Dreamtime". It's hypnotizing vocals and curiously smooth pitter-patter flow keeps you mesmerized until the very last beat. Just when you think you're reaching the light, you're hit with massive bass and kicks in "Rhythm Device" and you realize that you've still got your whole life ahead of you. The album continues on strong and keeps you tickled pink with each developing track, especially with "Frequency" and "Faith in the Future" because their concepts are so unique and innovative (words simply cannot explain). Good things come to those who wait because the album ends with the classic, "Botz", and need I say more?

If you have seen Uberzone live then you know that he is purely sensational. And if you know Uberzone, you know that all his previous singles have been dope. I guess that's why I was a little disappointed. This album is very good, but I expected it to be classic material, which it is not. If you are considering buying this album, and you are not familiar with Uberzone, you should understand that he specializes in ultra crisp, clean, science fiction like breaks. He is probably a bit of a science fiction nut or something....I don't know for sure but that's how his music sounds. But Uberzone always represents super quality production. He has skills for sure. The quality of the tracks is up to the brim......quality noises, sounds, samples, composure. See, I believe that when he created this album he created it EXACTLY the way he wanted it to sound. You just have to step off in his mind to appreciate where he is coming from.............

This is definately one of those cd's where people get discouraged on the first listen. I have always liked uberzone's singles in the past, and didn't know Q had an album out until I saw uberzone live with the crystal method. (you have to see uberzone live, the energy of the show is comparable to that of a rock concert). After seeing a great live show, I was discouraged when i first listened to the cd. At first I didn't like a lot of the vocals on the cd. The beats are fantastic of course, thanks to Q and his drum expertise, but I didn't like some of the guest vocalists. I liked the vocals on the Afrika Bambaataa\Soulsonic Force track, as well as dreamtime and the track with Page Hamilton from Helmet, but I didn't like the vocals on the first couple of tracks. After having it in my car for about a week or so, I began to like the cd as a whole. Once I stopped skipping over some of the tracks with vocals, I started to like them more once the full song kicked in.

At first, the CD doesn't seem to flow right, but after listening to it through it makes sense. I would recommend this CD to anyone who isn't a newcomer to electronic music. I could see how people who are new to the genre wouldn't appreciate the CD off of the bat, but those who are into it more would definately like it more than a lot of the CD's out there. there are only a few bad tracks, and the majority of the album is either excellent or really good.

Although many people have seemed to be disappointed by Uberzone's newest release, "Faith in the Future," I can't seem to understand why. His singles have always been great - creative and compelling. On the album, Q has revamped some of his old favorites and added a broad spectrum of new songs as well. Each track stands out on its own, and has something to offer. Frankly, much of this album is some of the best breakbeat I have ever heard. Also, the track, "Dreamtime" is perhaps one of the most beautiful and energetic songs I have heard in a long time. Wonderfully mellow yet pulsing with energy. At Uberzone's live performance here in San Francisco, the crowd went wild... Even more so than they did for Crystal Method who played after them! With a bit more time to develop his style further, I think Uberzone will become a powerful force on the electronic/breakbeat scene. Do yourself a favor and support a great up and coming artist! BTW - To address another reviewer's praise of Uberzone's scratching - Uberzone doesn't scratch. The awesome scratching on the album and live performances is Davey Dave, who has also been heard on BT's latest album (Not sure if he is credited, though... There is a a bit of bad blood over this one...) and here and there on Crystal Method's new release.

i love uberzone. i have seen them play live a number of times and i've been blown away. i have a number of their singles which are fantastic and for these reasons i don't understand why this album is SO bafflingly LOUSY. I plan to give it a few more listens, but as of now, i plan to sell it.

I must admit, I've been looking forward to this album for the past two and a half years, after Space Kadets I had hoped that Uberzone would take the groundwork he established with that amazing album and evolve forward. While this album is definitely a progression in terms of style, don't expect the frenetically flavored, fast-paced feel Space Kadets maintained.

The first track ("Beat Bionic") is probably the most energetic, you can tell he's honed his scratching skills-the sampling is rapid, it builds nicely (think Hip-Hop Phenomenon by BT/Tsunami One meets Bass Equation's Front Line.) A little commercial-sounding though, I wouldn't be surprised to see this track on a "Best of Party Toons Volume 8" cd.

The next two tracks have a reggea/rap flavor to them-I guess Uberzone's collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa/Soulsonic Force on the "Too Cool for School" single influenced his direction with these, when I saw Uberzone in Gainesville, FL two years ago, all he played was this weird breakbeat/reggea hybrid that was nothing like Space Kadets-no acid-buildups, space breaks, or any of the weird noises he can make with all of those old synths he uses.

"Bounce" is perhaps my favorite track-beautiful and flowing. I wish I had the cd with me 'cause I forgot to check if he worked with Delerium on this song. It's got that Delerium feel-why isn't this song longer. "Bounce" sounds nothing like the rest of the album, but that's okay! It's a good turning point on the cd.

Tracks 6-8 segue nicely, they focus more on the beats and strange arrangements that Uberzone is so well known for (personally I think the patterns he uses are pretty original, they don't always make sense when you're listening to them, but it makes you move nonetheless.)

"Botz" is a nice finishing touch to add to the album as the last song-I guess he was paying tribute to the song that really established his name in the electronic scene.

I'd hate to say this album disappointed me-it's hard to find artists that create truly original and innovative music, so while Faith in the Future wasn't the album I expected, it's still new, and fresh.

I'm looking forward still to his next project though (and I will keep my fingers crossed that he goes back to the sound he created originally and goes with that.)

P.S. Interestingly enough, this album was originally entitled Tomorrowland-I guess Faith in the Future sounds less like a ride at Disney World.

Faith in the Future may not be a perfect album from start to finish, but there are some fresh and solid tracks on it that are not to be missed.

BOUNCE and RHYTHM DEVICE have the fat, buzzy sound of Uberzone's earlier EPs, but are completely new compositions that revitalize the Uberzone sound (much needed after the umpteenth remix of Freaks). And DREAMTIME will surprise you with a clean and beautiful blend of Lida's vocals and Q's crisp instrumentals.

Heck, get it used if you have to- plenty of fickle folk out there are turning around their copies at way below its true value. Have some faith in the future, and look forward to more original tracks from Uberzone, not just endless collaborations and remixes.

After releasing many EP's on Astralwerks, we finally see a domestic release of a full-length album by Uberzone. Uberzone first made a name for themselves with the success of their single "The Freaks" back in 1998. The success of the track led to anticipation of an album, that has finally now arrived. Surprisingly, there are many guest appearances on this record by Beenie Man, Rennie Pilgrem, Afrika Bambaataa, Ken Jordan of The Crystal Method, and more. Most of the tracks on this album follow the same format as their older work; breaks with big beat and tribal house influence. Black Widow, the track that features Rennie Pilgrem was the most impressive in my mind (I played it 5 times before I went on to the next track). The amazing thing about Uberzone is that many of their tracks they released back in the late 90's still get played by breakbeat DJ's today. Their vision of how the music was going to sound in the future was brilliant (hence the title of the album, hint hint). Each track on this album delivers great intensity, and brilliant production....

Total waste of money. This album is going straight to the cut- out bins. If you like electronic breaks listen to quality such as BT or Leftfield. Now I know why this album took so long to come out- it's really awful. Nothing original or creative. Very harsh brittle and cold-no soul. Un-even cut and paste no song structure. Like watching paint dry. Astralwerks will bury this one. Uberzone R.I.P.