‘Waste Away’ is Nothing Anonymous’ Electro-Pop Take On Mental Health and Internal Struggles

Nothing Anonymous, a modern electro-pop outfit, comprising true-school Alum and Kimochi Youkai vocalist Ambika Nayak, and electro-jazz producer / ape-echoes band-member Nirmit Shah, have graced the quarantine with a music video for their fresh release, ‘Waste Away’.

The song itself is a laid-back electro-pop number, wherein elements of jazz, rock and funk appear from time to time. The erratic arrangement of sounds and deep lyrical composition yield a dark tone to the single overall. The song that kicks off with a mellow intro, quickly progresses into a series of intertwining baselines, recurring synth blobs and several jazz-inspired melodies. What’s more commendable than the painstaking detail in production, is how well the vocalist, Ambika, manages to stay in sync with the tune’s musical complexity and rapidly shifting tempo. The end of the song’s second verse is met with a downshift in tempo, only to be followed by a ground-breaking bridge to the outro, comprising heavy drum & bass that is sure to blow you away.

Mumbai-based electro-pop duo 'Nothing anonymous'

Besides being an audial-thrill, Waste Away’s music video directed by veteran film-maker, Ritchie Wyndham, is a 5-minute visual-treat. The first shot opens with Ambika storming into a hotel room, perhaps after an adrenaline-fuelled weekend. As the song progresses and music intensifies, shots pan across the room crowded with several individuals frozen in what looks like a drug-fuelled haze. The protagonist paces across the room, at times, blazing, drinking, or playing the piano. The mannequin-like humans stuck inside her room lay still despite all her transgressions, showing no sign of life. Their presence is a visual metaphor to depict how easy it is to get caught up in moments of euphoria or melancholy — so much that we often fail to see all the things happening in real-life around us. The video’s swiftly shifting surrounding, grunge-style set, and chaotic shots, lend it a dark undertone.

To summarise, the video characterised by high-energy sounds juxtaposed with an aesthetic assortment of fluid-shots and gloomy moments tell the story of internal struggle we find ourselves wrapped up in. ‘Struggle’ refers to the mental health issues most of us face at some point in our life, leading to exhaustion or loneliness. The song warns us against wasting away our lives by failing to overcome the bubble of anxiety and insecurity that hinders our progress as individuals. The video’s visceral look and thought-provoking story-telling are what make ‘Waste Away’ a stunning piece of modern art.

In conclusion, the single’s thoughtfully crafted musicality and video with top-end direction are what set ‘Waste Away’ apart from other South Asian electro-pop & electro-jazz numbers. The bombardment of alternating sounds, jaw-dropping baselines, and endless visual elements make it hard for one to catch every detail in the first watch, hence, blasting the video on repeat to discover exciting layers of sound and visuals is definitely a must-do.

Currently trending on Vh1 and youtube’s top charts, ‘Waste Away’ is a Jio Saavn artist original that you can stream here.