The new single from local audiovisual artist Aaron Silverstein, who goes by Heavenalive, is a cry for help. The number of deaths from opioid overdoses has led many, including our president, to call it a nationwide epidemic, though with virtually no federal aid to curb the over-prescription of painkillers, there is no sign that this will improve anytime soon. But Heavenalive implores you to think of the humanity behind the tragedy.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” cite=”” link=”” color=”#FF78FF” class=”fistclass” size=”15″] “The video, much like it’s namesake, tries to be many things – jarring, scary, peaceful, disorienting, and maybe even beautiful all at once. Grand, sweeping gestures make little sense in a world so full of nuance. So, the video is by no means a blanket statement about the often abused painkiller, but rather, the story of an individual’s personal experience and more importantly all lives that are connected to that experience. In telling that story, the only thing that mattered to me was doing my utmost to give people the faintest glimpse into how beautiful and terrible it all can be.” – Heavenalive   [/perfectpullquote]

The first sounds and images on “Dilaudid” are harsh and confused. A woman sways without seeing, her altered mind creating a sensation we can’t know, siphoning her consciousness away from her corporeal form. A man eventually follows in her footsteps, mimicking her choreography until the song changes to a quiet, brittle outro. He is back, having caught up to the woman, but he screams “no” over and over again knowing he’s already lost the person he once knew.

Consider donating to the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence today.

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