What if you could sign up to live your entire life in a simulated reality created by an experience machine? This forms the premise of Bengaluru-based artist Vishnu Ravindran Nair’s latest single ‘Pleasure Machine’.
While the original idea was only a thought experiment suggested by philosopher Robert Nozick in 1974, in Nair's track, the choice to participate in an actual experiment of this kind is made feasible. How? The idea is that the subject’s brain can be stimulated in such a way that it induces exclusively pleasurable experiences. Simultaneously, the subject opts out of the real world completely. Moreover, once plugged into this virtual reality, the person has no knowledge of the fact that he is in it. The result is pleasure that feels convincingly real. There is, however, a catch, which comes in the form of never being able to leave.
If the idea sounds a bit loaded, it is meant to be. “There’s a lot of bland entertainment in art, literature, music, etc. No one wants to talk about the big topics,” says Nair, who produced this single as a ‘pushback’ from his end.
How is so much conveyed in four minutes? Not wanting to rely on just lyrics for all the heavy-lifting, Nair also brings in colour through drums, bass and guitar.
That is not all. The musician incorporated visual art by marketing the single on social media through comic strips. These will also be used for the music video of ‘Pleasure Machine’, to create a stop motion animation. “It shows that levity and big ideas don’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
This, however, did mean a ‘trade off’ because such music might not have a huge crowd pull. Nair is okay with it as he is happy making music he resonates with. “People liking it as well is just a bonus.” It is not too dire though, he quickly adds. “I think there are avenues for those who want to pursue esoteric art forms. The audience may not be many. Even with that, we’ve had cult artists suddenly going mainstream,” says Nair, whose previous albums explored the people, music, buildings and Mumbai’s vibe (in Dine Under The Ocean), while Stories From A Space Station looked at history, science and love through the eyes of an astronaut.
The response to the comic strips promoting ‘Pleasure Machine’ so far has only boosted Nair’s confidence. So much so that he is now considering working on visual elements further for his upcoming music.
Giving a glimpse into plans for those, the 30-year-old musician says he gets five to 10 ideas a month, of which he chooses the best. For now, Nair is considering a track called ‘Clash of Civilisations,’ which is about how certain parts of society are developed, whereas the rest remain stuck in the 1950s or 60s. “There’s a clash between medieval and modern values and mindsets. I think there’s a need to preserve these modern values, since this is the most open-minded we’ve been.”
The single ‘Pleasure Machine’ and its video were released on October 16.
Published - October 21, 2022 11:59 am IST
