Hear Yanchan figure out life in “Fantasy”

The last time we spoke to Tamil-Canadian singer/producer Yanchan Rajmohan aka Yanchan, it was just before the release of his Carnatic/hip-hop single “I Know.” With its palpable mridangam lead and nadaswaram riffs, the song was a fusion knockout. His latest R&B/soul single “Fantasy” retains elements of the Carnatic experimental, but it’s quite a departure from its predecessor’s sound.

In “Fantasy,” Yanchan weaves a web of loss, resolution and nostalgia. “Struggles keep coming my way/ I gotta take control of my life,” he croons as the track opens. It was only seconds before that a child’s laughter resounded, posing the question: “Is that you, Yanchan mama (uncle?)”

With serene keyboard arrangement that flows lush through the length of “Fantasy,” Yanchan takes listeners on a ride through the river of his mind. All is not cool. There’s doubt and decision, brokenness and hope, but mostly resolution, driven home by a strong, boomy beat. The interludes by the veena and khanjira tug at the heartstrings and invoke nostalgia, hearkening to a time that may well have been better. 

Yanchan’s husky vocals are the calm in the storm of the lyrics, which both haunt and lend hope. “Didn’t really know the path that I was on/ Feels like I went along the flow/ Please God I’m trying to push forward/ What’s happening to all my hope?” he belts on the climb, before ushering listeners into the drift of his experience. Co-written by Yanchan and Toronto-based songwriter SYN aka Arjun Palarajah, the words are reminiscent of thoughts we might often find ourselves having, tracing tangents and mending broken fantasies, making this song achingly relatable. 

The instrumentals take center stage in the coda, showering on the ears like rain after a long drought. In roughly four minutes, Yanchan has braved the tides of time and while he didn’t crest triumph, he is no more lost. “Fantasy” ends with notes of farewell, plucked intently across the bridge of the guitar.

Listen to “Fantasy” below: