Utopia Essentials

West Java band Utopia were originally formed to perform on the cafe circuit in 2002, and their experiences shine through in their original material. Where many bands develop a sound and stick to it, Utopia innovates and shifts their approach from album to album. Their 2003 self-titled debut is a heavily distorted tribute to a wide variety of alternative radio scenes of their time, while later work hops from ballads to jangly pop to yet more genres seamlessly. This playlist spotlights a group of music lovers with song writing skills to boot.