“Top of the Mountain” is a stunning, shape-shifting instrumental by Varun Das that feels less like a song and more like an emotional expedition. As one of the centerpiece tracks on Childlike, it showcases Das’s ability to blend complexity with pure heart. This isn’t background music—it’s cinematic, high-stakes, and demands active listening.
The piece begins with bright, angular grooves that lean into rock and progressive jazz, full of polyrhythms and shifting meters. The drums and bass move with playful tension, while layers of guitar and synth open the sound wide. Each section flows into the next with intentional motion, transitioning from energetic swells to ambient introspection and back again. A standout saxophone solo pushes the energy to orchestral heights, before the song collapses into a sparse, reflective interlude, only to build again into a unified, triumphant finish.
What’s striking is how personal it all feels despite the lack of lyrics. Inspired by the fearless curiosity of childhood and the unease of stepping into adulthood, “Top of the Mountain” plays like an instrumental coming-of-age story. The emotional arc is palpable, crafted through tone and dynamics rather than words.
Das isn’t just flexing technical skill here. The composition is adventurous but grounded in a real sense of storytelling. It’s a bold, vulnerable, and meticulously crafted track that gives every instrument a voice—and every listener something to hold onto. By the end, you feel like you’ve climbed something, too. This is modern fusion at its best: expressive, unpredictable, and alive with imagination.