EXCLUSIVE! ‘Song Of Seikilos’ by There Is No Mountain

There Is No Mountain give you a chance to hear the oldest song in human history. Picture by Ric Santora

There Is No Mountain offer a treat for your ears this Tuesday, with a track that’s but 2,000 years young

n the first of this week’s pair of exclusives we bring you a track that’s not just mature… it’s downright ancient. Comprised of drummer/keyboard/vocalist Kali Giaritta and guitarist/tambourinist/vocalist Matt Harmon, the psych-folk duo There Is No Mountain offer their rendition of the oldest song ever notated – the 2,000-year-old Song Of Seikilos.

Taking their name from a Donovan lyric, the pair started There Is No Mountain while studying in Boston (with Matt at Berklee College of Music and Kali at Boston University), with an approach that allies elements of psych, folk and pop with a ferocious workrate – the pair have played 250 shows in 40 states between 2012-2014.

Song Of Seikilos was found on a tombstone in modern-day Turkey. Written in ancient Greek, it features lyrics that translate to “live for now, enjoy life, and don’t let the darkness get you down.” It was upon discovering that no English recording existed of the song that Kali and Matt sensed an opportunity to share something unique with the world, by recording a rendition of the ancient ditty.

The end result is a transcendental experience, with melodies that sit somewhere in-between Neil Young’s The Needle And The Damage Done and The Beatles’ Dear Prudence. Kali says of Song Of Seikilos: “Playing this song live gives us a chance to connect with the audience on something very much outside of ourselves. The response has been amazing, and the most common reaction we get is that people feel transported when they hear this piece of music. We love that, because that’s exactly how we feel when we play it.”

There Is No Mountain have been compared to both Dirty Projectors and Fleet Foxes, and while there’s certainly elements of each group to be found in their sound, we think you’ll be the best judge of such claims. They release their debut album Luna in September, but in the meantime you can catch Song Of Seikilos below…

https://soundcloud.com/thereisnomountain/song-of-seikilos/s-E7TqD

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