One of India’s premier bass guitarists, the New-Delhi born and Mumbai-based Hashbass aka Harshit Misra is also one of the independent scene’s most prolific musicians. A self-confessed 80s aesthetic geek, Harshit’s music is rooted in 80s nostalgia but with a contemporary pop sheen that he likes to call the ‘Hashbass’ sound. His eclectic taste in music stems from the love for Yellowjackets and J Dilla as well as the structured sounds of gospel and Indian Carnatic music juxtaposed with electronica, funk and jazz; that can evidently be heard ringing through the music he releases as Hashbass.
Having released the synth-laden ‘Infinite Worlds’ in June, Hashbass has followed that up with a more thorough exploration of the era of video game arcades, roller blades and neon lights seen through a 2023 lens in his six-track new EP, Solo At Your Party. Written within two days, and two weeks before his first online radio show, the EP gives the listener a peek into Hashbass’ music mind and associated memories as he looked to self-soothe. The mood on the EP ebbs and flows from sombre to anger to finger-snapping upbeat.
“The concept of the EP in my mind was clear – music that gives a good nostalgic vibe yet reminds you of a very today's space. Also the songs do give out all the emotions from aggressive to dreamy yet groovy. I have always wanted to play music that bangs in a room where I can happily sway alone in a corner since I don’t know how to ‘party’, hence came the name, Solo At Your Party.”Harshit Misra
‘Everybody’, the last song on the EP, was Harshit’s starting point and it’s easy to understand his excitement for the track. Carefree and light, ‘Everybody’ is the definition of easy listening. ‘Airplane Mode’ is a cheerful, 1980s disco energy infused production while ‘Fallin Fallin’, featuring the bongo – is a gentle, synthy love song. Interestingly, the vocals on the EP are samples that Harshit found online. The six-track EP, written in the pandemic is a mix of the familiar and contemporary with its retrowave sounds grounded in nostalgia.
Solo At Your Party is now available on all streaming.
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