Originally released last year, ‘Mind Gag’ enters our artistic radar thanks to the wonderful video accompanying it. In a way, the piece is a striking display of what hachajah has to offer, a blend of eclectic pop allure drenched in vulnerable lyricism and hazy imagery. Furthermore, the entire project has recentered its attention on a cappella arrangements, something hachajah deeply excels at. Drawing from his Sri Lankan roots, the talented creative has built a highly unique, authentic aural world, a place where South Asian narratives weave through Western culture and committed musical practice.
We are not the only ones having recognised the potential behind the Boston-based sonic wizard. His 2024 debut EP gained him eight nominations at the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARAs), winning awards for Best Song by a Solo Performer and Best Semi-Professional/Post-Collegiate Album or EP. ‘Mind Gag’ gives us a pretty strong case for all those awards; hachajah’s contemporary a cappella style is surprisingly expansive and rich, and it could easily be mistaken for a regular instrument-led production.
The song is taken from hachajah’s latest EP ‘What Lies Within’, a collection of five tracks “leaning into raw emotion and deeper truths, unearthing the complex narratives that have long lived beneath the surface”. For the ‘Mind Gag’ video, hachajah teamed up with director Nayip Ramos. Their work gained them an International Music Video Awards (IMVAs) as the Best Drama Music Video of 2025.
Recommended! Discover ‘Mind Gag’ now: