Prim4l is the recording alias of Sashwat Prakash Borah, a multi-instrumentalist, DJ and a music producer. He hails from the City of Guwahati, Assam in India. Prim4l released his debut track, called ‘Stay With Me’,  in the year 2018. He specializes in chill house and chill pop music. He has been a music producer for 4 years now, having accumulated over 1.5 million streams on all platforms.

In the year 2019, Prim4l returned with his hit track, ‘The Alchemist’. Guwahati Times covered the track noting, “ The Alchemist is a summer progressive hit, with a hint of nostalgia of the 2013-14 era house music.” The song caught the attention of playlist curators at Spotify, getting placements in several editorial playlists, including Mint and New Music Friday. His subsequent releases like ‘Fly’ and ‘Pardesi’ have also received runaway success with the listeners and critics alike. The supremely talented artist is back with his latest track “Fooling Myself” and that’s what we are reviewing here.

‘Fooling Myself’, is a buoyant track that bounces along with the afterglow that follows unabashed infatuation and new love. It’s a feeling that is reflected in its simple, catchy and effervescent melody. The instrumentation builds up and relaxes in gentle waves, as if following the idyllic fantasy of a romantic daydream. This is where Prim4l chooses to ask a deeper question, is the feeling real, or is the dreamer fooling himself?

Lately, pop music has seen a quiet shift from the intense and bombastic to chill and laid back, a sign of changing times. As one music critic reflects, “We used to want to have our minds blown. Now, we’d prefer to have our minds massaged.” Laden with chill electronic guitars and vocal chops, ‘Fooling Myself’, and Prim4l’s music in general, encapsulates this balming aesthetic.

The song starts with an electric guitar melody, which is supplemented by vocal chop and snaps in the intro, evoking the lighthearted excitement of an infatuated heart. It builds up to a chill drop with tropical house inspired drums and percussion, leading up to the second part of the drop, a chill piano melody that infuses a self-reflective mood in the mix. Fooling Myself is a pop song that doesn’t offer a rollercoaster ride of endless buildups and drops. Rather, it takes you on a therapeutic walk on the beach in the backdrop of a beautiful sunset.

During the entire two minutes and 16 seconds of “Fooling Myself”, you can sense musical alchemy at work. Prim4l uses different sonic textures to weave a wonderful tune that is bound to stay in your playlist for long. 

Even though down tempo chill pop is supposed to be music that is soft and relaxing, sometimes it does manage to glow with a natural light, an organic quality that draws you in like no other form of music. “Fooling Myself” from Prim4l is one such track. The steady, layered musical textures are fused together with perfect production and the result is first rate chill pop for you to kick down to.

Verdict: Feathery.