“I Wanted You” by FUTURE ZOO expresses the conflicting thoughts and feelings of a love affair in dissolution. Although it has essentially already ended, the desperate notion that it can still continue is maintained. This melancholic mood is underscored in the song by a driving beat that opens and closes the track.
The atmosphere of “I Wanted You” is also influenced by the external circumstances of its creation: the notorious cold and gloom of a Berlin winter. Musically, the track is classic alternative pop/alternative rock with guitar and synth sounds reminiscent of the New Wave/New Romantic era of the early 1980s. The arrangement, however, is anything but conventional: it doesn’t follow the usual pattern, but rather the intensity is continuously increased until the very end.
The young, Berlin-based Ukrainian film crew “Symphonies of Oddity” is responsible for the music video for “I Wanted You.” They masterfully translate the song into a fitting visual language. Thematically, they develop the concept of the song further: grief over the broken relationship turns into anger, culminating in a final, emotionally charged showdown.
With gentleness and tenderness, the female character manages to transform the protagonist’s destructive rage into a form of redemption. The scenes in the clip are physically imposing and immediately build tension, supported by the driving, powerful beat. The song’s melancholic mood provides a compelling contrast.
“I Wanted You” is also the opening track of their debut album, “Karmazonia,” released last year. The band calls it their “signature song” because it best reflects their musical essence. Each of the album’s twelve tracks is very different, yet the overall compilation feels cohesive. Held together by the song order (yes, it’s worth listening to albums all the way through), the great voice of Markus Schultze and the sounds, which are stylistically inspired by the music of the 80s and 90s. More information can be found here.