The Antlers return with new version of Peter Silberman's "Ahimsa"

"Ahimsa" is The Antlers' first single since their Losing Light EP arrived in November 2021, and originally appeared on Peter Silberman's 2017 solo album Impermanence, and has since been featured in The Antlers' live sets.

Silberman says of the song, "The original version had a patient tempo, spare instrumentation and hypnotic circular delays. It was intended as a meditation on the Buddhist notion of “non-harming”, which is perhaps a better translation of the title than “non-violence"."

"Stemming from my wish for a tranquil day amidst turbulent health issues, my focus then was on confronting my own ephemerality as inspiration toward greater compassion for those around me," Silberman continues. "But in the years since its original release, I think the song has taken on a meaning closer to the immediacy of the chorus of “no violence”, and become a kind of hymn in opposition to the rampant turmoil and seemingly inescapable vitriol of the moment."

He adds, ""Ahimsa" is an attempt to create a peaceful space within a violent world. The scope is wider now, though the message remains the same: mortality is one of the few qualities we all share in common, and through recognising this we may discover compassion for one another."

The Antlers' latest album Green to Gold arrived in March 2021.