Ahimsa formed in Melbourne, based around the idea of compassion. Song themes included those of homelessness, displacement of people from war, reverance for nature, and the need for understanding and tolerance between different faiths and races. Such was the content on the first disc ‘Ahimsa – Live in Melbourne’.
This next incarnation of the Ahimsa musical tribe features Lori-“lolo Bird”- Eiserman, Heath Schauer and Andrew Benthe on Vocals, with Nick Littlewolf on Djembe, and Andrew Benthe on production and instrumentation.
The material is compiled from anthemic ‘spirituals’ from festivals all around the world. The album addresses such topics as the global oppression of women, affirmations for a sustaiable environment, finding refuge in meditation and self-peace, and the importance of humility. This album has a subtle tranquility which permeates it’s sound, which listeners have said is effective and rare.more…
- 3:02Earth, water, fire and air
- 3:42Oppressor man
- 2:32Lover of the land
- 4:25Humble yourself [5.0MB]
- 1:11Sha-Noo
- 3:28Heart’s Song
- 2:09One Planet
- 3:09Opening [2.8MB]
- 1:28Ancestors
- 1:51Heal one another
- 3:02In the womb [3.6MB]
- 0:36What I’m living for
30:35Total playing time
The first Ahimsa studio album features an 11 minute version of ‘The hidden crime’ as it’s cresendo. The opening track ‘Ahimsa is Compassion’ is a powerful instrumental signifying a new dawning era. Then the gothic chiming chords of ‘Torn Lungs’ pierce the silence, telling us of the inner fight of the forest activist, boardering on relgiousity and sounding like Kate Bush meets Thom Yorke.
“Army of Me” wants industry out of the sea and to have reverance for every tree and everything that breaths. Once again unpredictable dark chord changes give these songs an unprecedented sound of meaningfulness. This coupled with double tracked 12-string guitars and bottleneck adds uniqueness to it’s influence of Led Zepelin 3.
“Release (a simple prayer)” is a studiofied lush garden of deep middle-eastern mallets and heavenly organic sounding samples with staccato processed noises forming a compelling rhythm bed.
The Source of Peace is primarily about how our own search for peace as humans is intertwined/held back by the commodification of animal life. (i.e. That we more readily morally undermine our own kind when we fail to acknowledge animal murder, than if we cease our personal connection to animal abuse by not depending on animal products.)
“Coming to the Party” is a live track with the original line up of Sue-Anne Stewart, Andrew Benthe, Mikale and Kirri. It talks of a day, like the Iraq war protests when “everyone who can feel’ will come out in protest against the abduction of our fellow mammals for food, leather, entertainment and research. The track is full of Penelope Swales style folk-pride and passion. ‘The Message’ has some of the most otherworldly sundrenched guitar sounds you’ll hear and the vocal is sedative and spacious like that of Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. A great disc with a flowing angelic quality. Rare as hens teeth!more…
- 2:14Ahimsa is compassion
- 5:01Creature
- 4:06Torn lungs
- 3:54Army of me [4.6MB]
- 4:53Sentient beings
- 4:42Release (a simple prayer) [5.7MB]
- 4:51The Message
- 11:08The Hidden Crime [12.6MB]
- 4:00The innocent beast
- 4:51Starving child
- 4:05Open your heart
- 3:44Coming to the party
- 8:46The source of peace
1:06:00Total playing time
This disc features recordings from three of the best gigs at Subterrain, Café 303 and Bar open. The instrumentation is lush; Harps, 12 string guitars, violin, flute, three vocals, dun-dun and djembe. Covering songs about compassion, tolerance, starvation of children from poverty and war, homelessness, oppression of animals in agriculture, crime, pollution of rivers, reflection and meditation. Extremely beautiful music that’s well worth listening to.
- 3:47Uma
- 4:22Street Hum [5.6MB]
- 4:42Creature
- 4:17Vines of gold
- 4:14Black heel
- 3:44Coming to the party
- 5:29Where do you lay your head?
- 3:42Please understand
- 4:19Starving child [6.0MB]
- 4:16Open your heart
- 7:48The hidden crime [5.6MB]
- 4:02Rusty
- 5:37That’s the way
- 4:48Broken arrows
- 3:53Wish
- 4:56Miss Lust
- 4:36Waterfall
1:19:00Total playing time
