“Karmazonia”, the debut album by Braunschweig/Berlin band FUTURE ZOO, is a true beast. Memorable melodies of longing, embedded in shimmering guitars, synth sounds, and driving beats, and the impressive performance of singer Markus Schultze. Joy, melancholy, euphoria, drama, redemption. “Karmazonia” offers all of this in its furious ride through 12 songs.
The suspenseful opener “I Wanted You” is practically the essence of what the album is all about. The airy pop gem “Blue Room”, with its disco beat and Giorgio Moroder synths, beams you into a club on the Cote d’Azur. And the young woman empowerment song “Breathe” practically compels you to stay on the dance floor.
“Autumn Breakfast” picks up the pace even further, practically charging ahead: “And we were best in having nothing/Except the love for ourselves.” An ode to the enthusiasm of youth, of failure and getting back up, of staying young. Then comes “Pulse Of Life”, a heart-rending semi-ballad with the potential to leave you with a lump in your throat: “You lose your life by snapping fingers.”
The other tracks also open up captivating moods; there’s certainly no shortage of variety. Then comes the instrumental, post-rocky, Mogwai-esque “Emerson”. A piece that sets the stage, as it were, for the redemptive song “Drive Away Train”: “I’m tired but happy/And what about you/Did you have a good time, too?”. If you don’t answer this question with “Yes!”, you’ve missed the train. More information can be found here.