Ancient-Future.Com Records Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/1/2014
Contact: Ancient-Future.Com Records
415-459-1892
info@ancient-future.com

Ancient-Future.Com Records Presents:

Yearning for the Wind

Yearning for the Wind CD Cover

Hi-Res Square Cover Art (1.1 MB)

by Ancient Future

Composed by scalloped fretboard guitar innovator Matthew Montfort, Yearning for the Wind is a poignant piece based on Rag Kalyan, an evening raga that corresponds to the Lydian mode. The composition also incorporates harmony and other guitaristic elements. A duet with Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar, who is considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation, Yearning for the Wind is set in matta tal, a nine beat rhythmic cycle. As a bridge between the slow and fast sections of the piece, Vishal Nagar performs an elegant tabla solo over the soft nine beat groove that slowly builds up to a vibrant rela (a fast tabla composition characterized by rapid drum rolls).

Yearning for the Wind is the first audio/video release in Ancient Future history. It is also the first brand new Ancient Future studio recording released to the general public since 2002's Planet Passion. It isn't that Ancient Future hasn't been active. Indeed, Ancient Future has recorded over three hours of music in this period, much of it live. But rather than release it all in a market where a low value is placed on music while a high value is placed on the tech companies that deliver it, Ancient Future has taken a different approach.

Recorded in December 2013, this evocative piece was produced for the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's ambitious ongoing recording project featuring the many master musicians from around the world who perform with the band. To finance A.F.A.R., Ancient-Future.Com Records provides financial supporters access to select files from Ancient Future's recording archives and new studio recordings as they are created. On February 11, 2014, the exact 35th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert, Yearning for the Wind became the 10th track added to the archive. To promote the Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Earth Day of Ancient Future's 35th year performing was chosen for the digital preview release of Yearning for the Wind through iTunes and other digital retailers. The enhanced CD version, an audio CD with a CD-ROM session for computers with liner notes and an HD video with 96/24 audio, will be released at fine stores such as Ancient-Future.Com and Amazon.com starting July 22, 2014.

Within a week of its digital preview release, Yearning for the Wind rose to the top of the Ethnocloud World Music Charts, earning #1 spots in both the video and audio track categories, and propelling Ancient Future to the #1 rated artist spot in June, 2014.

'Yearning for the Wind' Video

Yearning for the Wind on YouTube

YouTube Video URL: http://youtu.be/zurMLOP68K0

Release Specifications

1 Sheet for Yearning for the Wind by Ancient Future

Yearning for the Wind 1 Sheet (168k .pdf with audio/video links)

Biographies

Matthew Montfort and Vishal Nagar

Hi-Res Duet Photo for Print by Devki Saraiya. (6" x 4", 300 dpi, 1.1 MB)

Ancient Future has expanded its musical vision through collaborations with traditional musicians from all over the world who are now an integral part of what is today more than just a band. 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 improvisatory duet featuring world guitar pioneer Matthew Montfort accompanied by renowned Indian tabla virtuoso Vishal Nagar. They present an innovative and accessible take on Hindustani classical music and contemporary fusion, with expressive and energetic renderings of raga and tala.

Matthew Montfort

Matthew Montfort Performs Yearning for the Wind

Hi-Res Photo for Print by Michael Braden. (5' x 3', 300 dpi, 678k)

"Matthew Montfort conjures lovely Asian zither-like inflections with a scalloped fretboard guitar." – Guitar Player Magazine

Honored as one of the world's 100 Greatest Acoustic Guitarists, Matthew Montfort has devoted himself to the scalloped fretboard guitar since 1978. He spent years of study with some of the world's best musicians, such as gamelan director K.R.T. Wasitodipuro and North Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan. He has performed concerts worldwide, from the Festival Internacional de la Guitarra on the golden coast of Spain to the Festival of India in Mumbai. He has worked with many world music legends, including tabla phenomenon Zakir Hussain and Chinese zither master Zhao Hui. Montfort wrote the book Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali, and India,which has been used by many musicians to improve their rhythm skills.

Vishal Nagar

Vishal Nagar Performs Yearning for the Wind

Hi-Res Photo for Print by Michael Braden. (5' x 3', 300 dpi, 708k)

Considered one of the most gifted tabla players of his generation, Vishal Nagar was born into a family of musicians and had his initial training for a very brief period with the late Ustad Latif Ahmed Khan of the Delhi Gharana. Along with the dense and rare tabla repertoire which was he received from his Ustad, he also has had intense rhythmic training from his mother, the renowned and highly respected Kathak dancer and vocalist, Urmila Nagar. Vishal has been praised in the Indian press for his unique combination of melodic tabla sound production with masterful command of rhythm. Vishal has had the privilege of performing with many renowned artists: Ustad Shujaat Khan, Guru Urmila Nagar, Vidhwan Trichur Ramachandran, Pandit Ramesh Misra and Kala Ramnath, to name a few. Vishal has shared the stage with some great world music masters such as African drum legend Babatunde Olatunji, Michel Shrieve, Evyind Kang, Carmona Flamenco, and Michael Wimberley. Vishal has also expanded his cultural boundaries and collaborated with musicians from around the world. Some of his memorable works have been with the Ghanaian Guitarist Koo Nimo with whom he also appeared in WOMAD USA (a leading world dance and music festival started by Peter Gabriel).

Additional Links

Seven Serenades Digital Liner Notes

Yearning for the Wind is available now as an audio/video bundle on iTunes. Seven pages of liner notes including CD cover art and explanations of the musical concepts behind the music are included with the download at select digital download retailers.

iTunes URL: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/album/yearning-for-wind-feat.-matthew/id836736892?mt=1&app=music

Yearning for the Wind is available now as an mp3 file on Amazon.com.

Amazon.com URL: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JFC7XXQ/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

Yearning for the Wind is available as an enhanced CD with audio, video, and digital liner notes at Ancient-Future.Com (release date: June 17, 2014):

Buy Physical E-CD URL: http://www.ancient-future.com/yearning.html

Yearning for the Wind was the highest rated recording on Ethnocloud for April 2014, holding #1 spots in both the video and audio track categories. Ancient Future's Chinese Pipa and Scalloped Fretboard Guitar Improv video with Shenshen Zhang and Matthew Montfort was the #1 video in the Ethnocloud Top 40 for March, 2014.

Ethnocloud Video URL: http://ethnocloud.com/Ancient_Future/?y_video=2381&b=942

Ethnocloud Audio URL: http://ethnocloud.com/Ancient_Future/?song=3713&b=942

Pandora Artist Page for Yearning for the Wind: https://www.pandora.com/artist/ancient-future/ARwk7xb5nblr3cK

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