Fuzon to release fourth studio album

Rock band currently working on music videos, talks response to going digital with ‘Ik Ranjha’

KARACHI: While it remains the pioneering band of fusion music, Fuzon has had as many vocalists as the number of studio albums it has released to date. Fortunately, this time around, Ik Ranjha lead vocalist Khurram Iqbal, has also been roped in for their fourth album releasing mid-August. Talking to The Express Tribune co-founder and composer, Imran Momina, commonly known as Emu, reveals the members are currently working on music videos for the untitled album.

“We have not finalised the name yet. But we are thinking it will either be ‘Shehzada’ or ‘Ishq Azaad Hai’,” said Emu. The band will also be going on a US tour come August, however, the dates and cities have not been disclosed yet.

Fuzon’s last album, Ik Ranjha, was released in 2015. The tribute record revisited some of Pakistani music’s celebrated classics such as Gulon me rang, Lai Be Qadraan Naal Yari and Mere Shouq Da Nae. It was a compilation of cover songs, as the band paid homage to legends of the subcontinent from Mehdi Hassan to Ghulam Ali. Emu sounded excited as he spoke about the response to the album. “It was great. We had more than 120,000 views in four days on the digital platform, Saavn. We received great reviews all over. The numbers were good, so yes, it received a great response.”

More and more artists have joined the bandwagon of digital releases nowadays. With Ik Ranjha, Fuzon tried their hand at the new model for the first time. Asked whether it is feasible for artists in Pakistan to go for a completely digital release rather than a physical one, Emu shared he prefers the latter. “I am an old school guy, yaar. I prefer CDs in my hands. It’s been this way for me forever. However, I respect the new model. I know it’s preferable to just go online on your cell phone and buy and download a track whenever you feel like. It works all over the world, so I respect that too.”

He added that they personally paid for the Ik Ranjha CDs last year. “CD manufacturing factories are declining. It’s terrible,” shared Emu. Even the channels don’t give much air time to musicians these days. Back in the day, we used to have channels such as Indus Music (IM). Now digital is the way to go. So I feel like digital is also important today.”

Fuzon was co-founded by Emu and Shallum Ashar Xavier in 2001. Soon after, Shafqat Amanat Ali signed up to complete the band. In 2002, they released their first album Saagar in Pakistan and India. The opening track Aankhon Ke Saagar gained popularity and became the cause of the band’s recognition. They released their second album Journey in 2008. After Ali left to pursue a solo music career, Rameez Mukhtar took his place.

Fuzon’s songs Tere Bina and Mora Saiyan were featured in Bollywood film-maker Nagesh Kukunoor’s project Hyderabad Blues 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2016.

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