I caught up with Futurecop!’s Manzur Iqbal to talk about the duo’s new EP coming out this summer and a remix of their recent album Fairy Tales coming out in a few weeks, the proceeds of which will benefit the War Child organization.
Iqbal also brought up the importance of Paulo Coelho, the duo’s recent foray into film, and what Futurecop! even means anymore after at least eight years.
What has the afterglow been like since the release of last year’s Fairy Tales?
The response has been good. But to note — without being cliche — the Futurecop! project is more of a personal adventure through life, so we don’t really look at the response as much. I know that sounds bad, but it’s the truth. Our success comes from telling the story we wanted to tell through music, and trying to understand our own lives.
Your Valerie & Friends/The Movie cut, “Eye Like The Ocean,” was featured in the film, Comet. How did that feel? Do you have any new film placements or soundtracks in the works?
That was nice. We are getting lots of people asking us about making music for films. We are also interested in concentrating on music for films now, too. It’s funny because that was what we did it for [originally], and now it’s slowly happening. It’s true that if you really want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. Thanks Paulo.
Which artists inspire you?
That’s difficult. I like them in different ways. I grew up with bands like The Deftones, Tupac and Rage Against The Machine, then discovered Justice. That made me love Daft Punk, MGMT, M83, I Break Horses, The Drums, The Smiths, and other electronic/indie bands (and, more recently, bands like Angels and Airwaves and Rise Against).
However — a big however! — my musical passion has always been uplifting, heartfelt, and nostalgic music from the 80s and 90s, no matter who they are, such as Enigma, Thomas Newman, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, Lisa Gerrard, Alanis Morissette, Pavement, Weezer, etc. This kind of music has always been with me since I was a child, and it’s something I listen to on my own, so it influences Futurecop! a lot.
What’s the future look like for Futurecop!?
Still trying to discover what Futurecop! really means. We will be releasing a new EP this summer. A remix album of Fairy Tales is coming out in a few weeks — money from it will go to the charity War Child. If you do not know the charity, you should get involved. It’s an amazing organization for a very important issue in the world, which, unfortunately, politicians, corporate media, and large, corporate organizations neglect (kind of all the same things, really) when making “financial” decisions.
(Aaron’s Note: War Child is committed to protecting and supporting children affected by armed conflict. It helps empower kids to claim their rights, develop to their full potential, and contribute to a peaceful future for themselves and their communities, according to the site.)
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