Ever since sections of modern pop started using synthwave and 1980s music to complement the accessible and catchy modern melodies it was already using, the sound has been explored a lot to the point that in the last year, we’ve mentioned it a quite a few times while covering indie artists here in India. The sound is relatively ‘easy’ to produce at home to some degree of quality and it’s got that unfailing nostalgia factor built in. Bengaluru (via Lucknow) artist Aiashwarya Asthana makes his debut single with this very sound, and even though it is in, one still has to write a good song for it to work. He does in spite of a couple little foibles.

The song was apparently made in his bedroom with a largely DIY setup and it does give the tune a little charm. It also just about makes the ‘old’ elements he is going for work out. The cannon drums, the early digital synth sounds, the simple but strong bassline; they are all very much present. It does have certain little problems; the vocals and vocal stacks are a bit too loud which gives them a disjointed feel. The drum groove is great but levelled a bit oddly. The song also sounds crystal clear and well-spaced, which is a good thing in some cases but it’s possible that a more dense mix could have elevated. But that being said, there’s no doubting the songwriting. The chorus is well done and on-brand for the sound. The bassline really is something; so are the drums. The synth lines, while a bit quiet, are also solid. All of it comes together relatively well, and with slightly better sonics, Aiashwarya has something great going for future material.