“Sanchal knows how to write a mean hook”, says Dualist Inquiry AKA Sahej Bakshi at the end of his wondrous new video for his wondrous new song with Sanchal Malhar (the man from Superfuzz). 

He does not lie. 

Closer is an old story being told in a surprisingly new way. Sanchal and Sahej take on the done-to-death story of heartbreak, but manage to reinvent it via the video. Sanchal’s wit-whittled poetry shoots straight to the heart, and Sahej’s staccato, electronic crunch makes for the perfect earworm. 

However, the song gains true meaning from it’s video. In a moment of creative chutzpah, Bakshi (who directed and edited the video) turned the song’s apparent beloved to a faceless projection of the singer’s desire. Dancer Sharanya Narayanan dons a green-screen suit, and becomes faceless. Her form is overtaken by images, patterns and symbols that denote seduction, affection, frustration and rage. Essentially, the woman Sanchal sings so passionately to (and about) is never seen. 

This is done to denote the confusion often present in turbulent love. In this case, the proclamations of devotion in the lyrics are confused by the video, in which Sanchal’s great love is seen as a cluster of stars or a handful of clouds, but never as human. 

This brings up, as the artists themselves reveal, a couple of intriguing questions:

• Is he in love with an actual person or the idea of someone he might not actually know?
• If he does not respond to her in the video, what exactly is he in love with?
• Is she one person or a group of people he has loved in his life?

Whatever the answers, the listener is left fairly unsure of the artist’s intent. Fundamentally, the song is about wanting to be truly intimate with someone and not being able to. But the visual story digs deeper into the inconclusive, baffling affair that human love often is. 

As always, Dualist Inquiry flaunts some flawless production. Clearly, he has found an artistic soulmate in Sanchal (this being their collaboration after “You & Me” in 2018). The latter is clearly quite comfortable drifting into pop once in a while, and Bakshi obliges him with a spoonful of bass-laden delight. 

Once Closer begins to play, there is fun to be had, existential questions to mull over, and replay buttons to be clicked. Play that song. 

Verdict: Song on point, and comes with a generous lash of visual storytelling. Smash that play button. 

Do Follow:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dualistinquiry https://instagram.com/sanchal_malhar