Ashwin Gane is shooting for the stars, and he’s going “Way Up” on his own terms. On his new single, the Detroit-born, Indian-American artist uncovers a mood that’s as mythic as it’s measured. “Way Up” is an immersive, cinematic slow burn that emits power from the inside out.
Based on regent brass stabs punctuated by arctic textures and soul-rattling 808s, “Way Up” is a masterclass of musical restraint. From the ghostly adlibs to the spare but effective percussion, everything has room to breathe. It’s the sort of track that sounds like it was carved from marble, cold, elegant, timeless.
“Way Up” isn’t a celebration of showy entrances so much as a reintroduction, emerging from the shadows with new polish gleaned through solitude and new resolve found through intention. “I wanted ‘Way Up‘ to feel like the calm after the storm, the moment you realize you don’t need to prove anything anymore,“ Gane explains. And it courses through every moment of the track. There’s no shouting, no chest-beating, just a quiet, calibrated confidence.
Melding cinematic trap with alt-rap, pop rap, and alt-R&B, Gane presents himself as a cross between a tactician and a sage. The mood is concentrated, lifted, moody, and impressively serene. It’s a song predestined for playlists like Beast Mode, Mellow Bars, and Night Rider, places where atmosphere collides with emotional precision.
Even at 158 beats per minute, the track remains slow-motion, a testament to Gane’s ability to manipulate time and energy to his advantage. His own lyrical content is full of purpose and slices through the instrumental like a scalpel to your ears. “Way Up” is a meditation on the act of rising. And in a noisy world, the silence of Ashwin Gane speaks volumes.
Connect with Ashwin Gane on Instagram – @ashwingane
