Ancient Future Times: L.E.T.S. Live on Endangered Species Day
Lustful Elephants Trumpet Spring
•L.E.T.S. Live on Endangered Species Day
L.E.T.S. Soar A.F.A.R.
•101 Minutes of Music A.F.A.R. So Far
Private Online Music Lessons
•Zoom Into Spring
Lustful Elephants Trumpet Spring
L.E.T.S. Live on Endangered Species Day
Guitarist Matthew Montfort was the inaugural performer of a series of online Alternate Reality Concerts from the Ancient Future on his birthday in February 2021. Ancient Future’s last pre-pandemic performance was in September 2019 at the Kentucky Mine Amphitheater in Sierra City, California. Indian tabla master Aditya Kalyanpur shared a video of that concert with Jhankar, an Indian arts organization in Ohio, and they came forth to sponsor a virtual concert featuring Kalyanpur, Montfort, and keyboard wizard Frank Martin in June 2021.
The first release from the concert is set for Endangered Species Day (5/20/2022). Lustful Elephants Trumpet Spring (L.E.T.S.) was composed by Matthew Montfort after studying Rag Basant, a springtime raga that captures the feeling of separated lovers longing to unite. The caption on an associated ragamala painting read: "Bound with a peacock's feathers...his face is as a flower. Elephant-like, he joyfully wanders in the forest among the gopis. Such is Basant raga." Montfort woke up in the middle of the night dreaming of a melody that conjures elephants in mating season. It begins with a low riff that depicts an elephant's legs, and then moves to a jump from low to high like an elephant trumpeting in excitement. The piece quickly became a part of Ancient Future's live repertoire, and a studio version is in production.
L.E.T.S. Save the Elephant for Earth Day
Save the Elephant Day (4/16/22) aims to raise public awareness about the dangers elephants face, such as ivory traders and loss of habitat. The public can show their support by sharing useful information on social media and by contributing to elephant conservation organizations.
There's another meaning for "save the elephants." Digital music platforms use pre-save data to determine which new releases to feature on their official release dates. So, after you do your part to save the elephants, you can then pre-save musical elephants at your favorite digital music platform now by following this link: https://orcd.co/letslive. L.E.T.S. will then appear in your music account starting on Earth Day (4//22/22)!
orcd.co/letslive (Pre-Save Now!)
L.E.T.S. Watch from A.F.A.R.
A shortened preview video of L.E.T.S. is on YouTube. The full video with hi-res audio is currently available exclusively to supporters of the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fan funded recording project.
Teaser Preview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qntdJZeMV-0
L.E.T.S. Share on Social Media
Ancient Future will be sharing news about the release on its social media and artist pages. Please follow Ancient Future and share the posts with your friends.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ancientfuture
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ancientfutureband
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancient_future
Ethnocloud: https://ethnocloud.com/Ancient_Future
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5oQLP9K23E63u9BHB1b4LT
The Musicians
Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla), and Frank Martin (keys)
To enable its core mission of creating world fusion music, Ancient Future has grown to become a large chamber ensemble of world music masters with many smaller ensembles within it, including this trio featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort, renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Aditya Kalyanpur, and keyboard wiz Frank Martin. L.E.T.S. was recorded at the trio's first concert in which they presented an innovative and accessible take on Hindustani classical music and contemporary jazz fusion.
L.E.T.S. Soar A.F.A.R.
101 Minutes of Music A.F.A.R. So Far
With the addition of L.E.T.S. Live, the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fan funded recording project, now has 101 minutes of music in it!
Getting our different ensembles together in the same room to rehearse and record has been more challenging due to the pandemic. A solution has been to make digital mock up tracks and replace all the sampled instruments with performances by master musicians. But this requires hundreds of extra hours of pre-production. Nonetheless, the bansuri, guitar, tanpura, and mock up tracks have been completed on Beyond Kalyan, a 28-minute suite that is waiting for one final overdub. The guitar and mock up tracks are completed for Innocent Explorations, the studio version of Lustful Elephants Trumpet Spring, and Fretless Camel, totaling more than 50 minutes of music in production awaiting final overdubs! Ancient Future Studios has just completed a soundproof recording room, but we do need to raise money to cover travel expenses and pay the musicians for their work.
Please become a supporter at one of the levels below, starting at just $15. And if you are already a supporter, you can still upgrade to higher quality downloads. Once you become a supporter, you will receive all of the tracks in the archive (and all of the tracks that will be added in the future), and you will be eligible to buy a limited edition CD-R of the Best of A.F.A.R. So Far, which includes all of the best tracks that will (barely) fit on a CD-R.
Supporter Levels and Premiums
- Recording Newsletter-$15 (receive 128 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $15.
- Download Supporter- $25 (320 kbps downloads): Subscribe @ $25.
- Limited Edition CD Sponsor- $50 (all previous plus CD quality audio): Subscribe @ $50.
- Honorary A & R Representative- $75 (all previous plus video, including L.E.T.S. Live, and 24 bit audio): Subscribe @ $75.
- Donor VIP- $??: Make Additional Donation.
- A.F.A.R. So Far CD-R- $20 Additional. (SALE $15): Buy CD-R Now.
Make a Tax Deductible Contribution
- Make a Tax Deductible Donation. Ancient Future was accepted for fiscal sponsorship with InterMusic SF, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, and now donations made through them on behalf of Ancient Future are 100% tax deductible to the full extent of the law!
Make a Purchase
Ancient Future's 2020 Vision sale on recordings and educational materials has been extended to encourage support. Purchases at the Ancient-Future.Com World Music Store directly support the artists and the music, and this sale offers bargain prices.
- L.E.T.S. by Ancient Future. Digital Liner Notes- $1.98 SALE $1.50. Buy 1 Now.
- Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future. Signed Audio/Video E-CD-R. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
- Planet Passion by Ancient Future. CD. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
- Planet Passion Limited Edition Poster. $15.00. Buy 1 Now. In 2021, a few 11" x 17" posters from the original 2001 printing were found deep in the Ancient Future archives. Includes the 8.5" x 11" version while supplies last.
- Sangria by Mariah Parker. CD. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
- Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. CD. List $17.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
- Sympathetic Serenade by Matthew Montfort. Signed EP CD-R. List $12.98. SALE $10. Buy 1 Now.
- Visions of a Peaceful Planet by Ancient Future. Original Vinyl Pressing. Very Limited Stock. LP- $40.00: Buy LP Now. Enhanced Audio/Video E-CD-R- $19.98: Buy E-CD Now.
Private Online Music Lessons
Zoom into Spring
Private Online Lessons with Ancient Future Bandleader Matthew Montfort. Study any of the musical traditions featured on the Ancient Future web site, all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, mandolin, charango, and sitar), record production, composition, world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments.
- 60 Minute Lesson- $75. (Sale $60 for new students): Buy 1 Now. Custom private one hour online lesson.
- 45 Minute Lesson- $65. (Sale $50 for new students): Buy 1 Now. Custom private 45 minute online lesson.
- 30 Minute Lesson- $50. (Sale $40 for new students): Buy 1 Now. Custom private 30 minute online lesson.
