Music blushes with the hash

Parov Stelar

Zedd

Chet Faker

Nico Pusch

DISCLAIMER: Unobtrusively explicit content.

Lonavala on a unexpected saturday night is fresher and more soul-lifting than you think it is - With two special ingredients.

Everyone complains of going to Lonavala more number of times than a porn star partaking in the unpardonable sin mentioned in the bible. But if you are a true Mumbaikar (or belong to any other genome) you will know the respite that cool wind ruffling your hair can bring while driving on an oblivion-headed Expressway. I will tell you how! And it will thereby unhang your forlorn heads that are doused in sadness of not being able to plan a trip out of this riddled city for the simple sake of breathing in some oxygen.

Dump all that ails you in the backyard of your miniscule Bombay house and fling yourself into a car that will assure you the unfelt and unseen vistas, served from the deli, which is a mish-mash of music and hash -I call it  'Musash'. Begin at about 8 pm. I know advocating getting stoned can land me in a not so desirable place, like jail or the orthodox parent’s bad books, but who cares right. I was once told by a very wise and old man whose travails and escapades into the unsavory lanes of Europe precede him, “Try smoking up. It will show you a light that this world will not dare to otherwise.”  Digging into my knowledge of drugs, I quizzed him innocently “Doesn’t that happen with acid?” to which he responded “Acid shows you the inner lining of the Pandora’s Box, beta”. So take an imaginary thread and tie your three friends together whom you think will share similar tastes in music and scenery and will regale in the Hashy fumes.

Then once you’ve done that, fill in your fuel and carry a skimpy jacket for something I will reveal in just a while. Hit the road. But before you do that try getting these songs that will enchant the night to a sparkling glow and soothe you from the rubbish strewn across your garbage city. Unfurl your mind and let in the magic, the smoke and the songs. Something that defined my trip was ‘Around the World’ by Nico Pusch and Chris Valentino. You don’t need to be an avid follower of the electro sounds. A mild intoxication will create niches in your soul to accept the beauty this song spills from every note. The artist whispers mellifluous sounds into your ears making you believe that there is a life after. So let go sometimes. And see the world if the world calls out your name with a longing. Even if it doesn’t, still go. It’s more promising and worthy to look at than any human.

Emeron and Fox's ‘Nightmares’ will open your eyes to the levels of darkness the night holds, especially when it’s dotted with so many mysterious stars. Then there are the barbaric sounds of electro-swing rendered by Parov Stelar. For those who don’t know what electro swing is, me included until this night, is a genre that has a bouncy ring to it above and beyond the basic EDM rhythm. This artist dangles songs like ‘Mojo Radio’, ‘Matilda’ and ‘Love’ over your head when the mood sets in. Remember to not get swayed . Keep your eyes on the road. The drive requires you there. Let your ears do that dancing.

Once you’ve reached Lonavala in about a couple of hours, especially when you’ve literally hovered over the road, you’ll see pickled fog swerving from one end of your windshield to the other. You can grab a bite at Sunny’s Dhaba or Tony’s Dhaba – Tony’s is a better option. You know why? You’ll trip your lungs off when you see the emus glaring into your sedated eyes. Their eyes are usually so red that you think they’re stoned. Stay away from them though. Creepy and oddly-built creatures they are. You never know, they may even be the litter of some UFO. Just saying! Take out that earlier mentioned jacket and put in on your head. Wrap it around and experience the emu’s eye’s widening. That should be sufficient entertainment for the night. Or you might just get scared. Contain it. Don’t shriek. They’re really elegant birds. They don’t appreciate unruly behavior. You can then saunter towards the cots and lie below the blue-black sky until the music on your car’s system hits ‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley which will mark the end of your swift and blissful journey. Drive back in peace. Don’t speak much. Let the air flow in and stimulate the introspection, like me with this trivial piece, before you get triggered to create something. The next thing you know your back in Bombay the next morning flushed with vitality.

More songs to dump onto your iPod/Phone/mp3 player:

• ·         Clarity - Zedd
• ·         Zocalo – Armin Van Burren
• ·         No Diggity – Chet Faker
• ·         Cherleston Buterfly – Parov Stelat
• ·         Nothing But You – Armin Van Burren