by Charlie Bailey (@hectic_skeptic)
Multi-instrumentalist, producer, and artist of many hats, Shaan Chhadva as SCayos returns with a touchingly resonant piece of indie slowcore on his latest EP felt like forever. Co-signed by the pioneering online slowcore savant sign crushes motorist, (who proclaimed felt like forever being “fucking mental”) SCayos teams up with legendary producer Phil Ek (Built to Spill, Duster, Fleet Foxes) for the first non-self produced project under the name SCayos.
A portrait of heightened youth, felt like forever is a reminiscence of Chhadva’s high school days. As a 14 year old, Chhadva made the trip from Mumbai to the small town of Interlochen, Michigan, attending their renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts. A drastic change, a great journey, and change of pace in its own right, the magic of felt like forever comes not from a trek across the world but rather the almost universal heightened feelings of formative, first-time experiences that being a young person entails. Falling in love, break-ups, mistakes, and triumphs; Chhandva looks back on memories where in the moment everything was augmented. Something so seemingly simple in hindsight was either the end of the world or entrenched in an unmistakable pure joy.
The production on felt like forever is effortless. Breathy and smooth vocals adorn the EP in front of mostly minimal guitar-driven melodies. In brevity, SCayos doesn’t sacrifice depth. In depth, he doesn’t sacrifice straightforward and evocative songwriting. Moving from melancholic bliss in the opening tracks, space is left for a dip into the harder indie-rock of “chest cavity,” as well as the closer’s minimal ambient jazz. Those familiar with Chhandva’s other work will recognize “anyways” as a clear, creeping confluence of multi-genre talent and influence.
In stripped-back simplicity, some of the rawest emotions are brought out. Felt like forever is a project that will resonate with everyone, drawing on inklings of nostalgia from melodic themes to softly spun lyrical repetition. It’s easy to be wrapped up and day dream away as SCayos invokes the growing pains and triumphs of a time in our lives that can feel like forever.