Review Summary: Juzo’s DYSTOPIA 02 takes listeners on a unique, cyberpunk-infused journey, offering a mix of tasteful autotune and deliberate vocal manipulation that immerses the audience in its technical soundscapes.
"Emerging from the obscurities of Seattle", Juzo is a 3D Artist, Producer and Vocalist whose career extends back to 2016, although perhaps in relative obscurity. At the start of their career, they envisioned and manifested the world of ANIMACITY, manifesting initially as their project 'AHRS Series', consisting of a run of 4 albums releasing over the course of two years and giving a wide swath of content to introduce their lyrical chops, production technique and vocal talent to the scene. Juzo, however, appears to have begun moving in a different direction with their most recent projects, ANIMA 01 and the subject at hand, DYSTOPIA 02.
The project kicks off with pensive lyricism, which while somewhat conventional and expected for those familiar with Juzo's prior outings, still manages to carry a deep emotional weight and remain relatable in a way that doesn't feel quite as synthetic as you might expect, especially with the heavy cyberpunk imagery and technological dystopian themes. Immaculate production techniques provide depth and clarity, creating a sonic landscape where frequencies ebb and flow seamlessly, creating an entrancing listening experience and further immersing the listener in the world of ANIMACITY.
A major contribution to that immersion is Juzo’s astounding 3D art that accompanies the vast majority of their visuals. In an almost ironic way, people have assumed this art to be produced by AI, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Juzo is a multi-faceted artist with talent brimming, ready to spill over.
Which is why I found it interesting that throughout DYSTOPIA02, Juzo’s voice is withheld almost entirely behind autotune. But, here and there, in the backing vocals you can hear a clearly natural voice beam through, and at times the pitch correction is completely unnecessary, sounding almost entirely natural - and I’m certain it IS natural. In their initial releases during the 'AHRS Series', Juzo spends a large portion of the runtime on those records showing off impressive raps and crooning, poignant singing - something which seems to have been discarded entirely for DYSTOPIA 02. While it almost certainly is an artistic choice to employ the pitch correction as a way to express the cold, robotic, cyberpunk dystopian future world Juzo inhabits, I would be very excited to hear Juzo explore their natural voice once more with the wisdom and experience they have gained over the course of their musical career.. There is clear talent and potential waiting to be capitalized on.
Track 4, “ZONE”, marks a turning point in the EP as Juzo’s lyrics begin to flourish, revealing the artist's raw emotions in a far more defined manner than in the preceding tracks. Lines such as ‘Trynna cope, D[eus].E[x].M[achina]., Gotta Hope’ or ‘ANIMACITY down in my lows’ add layers of depth and symbolism, especially with Juzo’s referring to their 2021 project, ANIMA 01, as an evolution of their former self - a rebirth, if you will.
Juzo’s delivery, however - while consistently strong - becomes somewhat predictable by the time the end of the EP rolls around. Perhaps an unfortunate consequence of the liberal use of pitch correction, but nonetheless, a noticeable same-yness pervades the duration of the EP with the exception of “Monster” with shxrda’s feature, which is also rendered with pitch correction. Yet, in spite of it, shxrda’s voice also manages to shine through the engineering just as Juzo’s does, offering a more enticing front end. Seeing more diverse features such as on their prior effort, ANIMA 01, would almost certainly benefit the overall listening experience.
All in all, DYSTOPIA 02 is replete with moments of vocal brilliance and emotional depth, and while the autotune's frequent presence may raise eyebrows for some, it's an artistic choice that lingers in the listener's psyche, furthering that immersion into the vast and mysterious world of ANIMACITY. This cybernetic odyssey, while not without its imperfections, stands as an enigmatic addition to the current landscape, daring to push the envelope in a new and immersive way.
