Earth Tones for Phones

Visions of a Peaceful Planet LP Cover Art

by Ancient Future

Cave Hand

Ancient-Future.Com AF 2050. Earth Tones for Phones Full Release Coming In 2025.

17 Ringtones Available Now On:
Verizon Tones App

 

 

Earth Tones for Phones is a compilation of ringtones created by the master musicians who perform with the band Ancient Future. They span the gamut of world music genres from Middle Eastern dance rhythms, to Indian sitar, to Nepali flute, to Balinese gamelan, to Afro-Cuban chant, to an old Russian folksong. The sounds of the earth itself were not left out either: from a duet between zither and Pacific Tree frogs to the lapping waves of the north shore of Bali.

Theses real world music ringtones were edited, mixed, and mastered especially for the ringtone format directly from the master multitrack recordings. Not just excerpts, these evocative musical interludes are complete musical statements with musically relevant beginnings and ends, each exactly 30 seconds long, making them ideal not only for ringtones but as intro music for broadcasts.

The 17 organic, loop-free earth tones were derived from tracks produced for the following recordings:

Temporary CD CoverArchive of Future Ancient Recordings by Ancient Future

The concept of The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings (A.F.A.R.) is to involve fans of world fusion music in the production of an archive of live and studio recordings that are available to supporters as they are created. There is already over an hour of music in the archive available to fans, with more to come as funds are raised.

 

Planet Passion CD CoverPlanet Passion by Ancient Future

The seventh Ancient Future recording features nineteen top masters of Indian, Nepali, African, Cuban, Celtic, Arabic, Palestinian, Jewish, Indonesian, Chinese, Eastern European and American music traditions. "Shamelessly beautiful, Planet Passion is easily the pinnacle of this group's long career." – Bob Tarte, THE BEAT

 

Natural Rhythms CD CoverNatural Rhythms by Ancient Future

Upon its initial release on LP, Natural Rhythms received two 1984 N.A.I.R.D. "Indie" awards. The CD reissue became THE BEAT magazine's #4 World Music Release of 1994. "One of the most intriguing albums you're ever likely to hear. Exceptionally beautiful."– Colorblind James, S. F. MUSIC CALENDAR

 

Seven Serenades CD CoverSeven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort

Montfort's solo debut showcases his pioneering work on the scalloped fretboard guitar, a special modified instrument able to produce ornaments more characteristic of the sitar. "One of the most distinctive guitar sounds in contemporary music. When this level of mastery is reached, there is no need to rewrite. The first improvisation has the depth of a reworked composition." – Teed Rockwell, INDIA CURRENTS


Track List

  1. Alap - Opening Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). The intro to El Zaffa from Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Lineup: (Matthew Montfort: scalloped fretboard guitar), Patti Weiss (violin)
  2. El Zaffa - Drum Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Antoine Lammam performs a variation of the Egyptian wedding procession rhythm (elzaffa). For this ringtone, just the percussion groove was remixed from the master tracks of El Zaffa from Planet Passion. Lineup: Antoine Lammam (percussion)
  3. East of the Sun - Dusk Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, by Ancient Future. Features Paul McCandless of the group Oregon with original Ancient Future members Matthew Montfort and Benjy Wertheimer. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars, Wendler electroCoustic fretless bass thanks to Jeremy Cohen), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla), Mariah Parker (santur), Paul McCandless (oboe)
  4. I Mett Her in the Meadowe - Celtic Tone (Traditional Scottish lute melody, arranged by Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Matthew Montfort brings new life to this romantic Scottish lute melody from 1615 with the ornaments and note bends of the scalloped fretboard guitar, an instrument combining aspects of the South Indian vina with the steel string guitar. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars)
  5. Michelle's Star - Penta Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. Written as a gift of longing, the recording equipment was turned on during the composition process, capturing the very moments this song in 5/8 was conceived. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars)
  6. Ocean of Love Mother - Ocean Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Inspired by Yarila (Slavic god of physical love) and Yemayah (Orisa for the ocean). Lineup: Matthew Montfort (electric guitars, bass), C.K. Ladzekpo (West African drums), Ian Herman (South African drum set), Irina Mikhailova (vocals)
  7. Waves of Bali -Water Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future, the waves for this retreat ringtone were recorded with the microphones attached to a bamboo fishing structure on the North Shore of Bali. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (engineer), Mother Nature (waves)
  8. Ochun - Orisa of Love Tone (Traditional Afro-cuban chant for the goddess of love, Ochun, arranged by Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Lineup: Pedro de Jesus (vocals, Afro-Cuban drums), Matthew Montfort (electric guitar, fretless bass), Irina Mikhailova (vocals)
  9. Purple Raga - Over Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Seven Serenades for Scalloped Fretboard Guitar by Matthew Montfort. A modern raga based on the music of Jimi Hendrix. Underneath, the didjeridu drones the Jimi Hendrix chord, D7#9, in overtones Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Alan Tower (didjeridu)
  10. Ne Po Pogrebu Bochonochek - Slavic Tone (Traditional Russian folksong, arranged by Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Irina Mikhailova sings about the woman removing an item of the shy mans clothing each time she calls him by a more intimate name. Lineup: Irina Mikhailova (vocals, shaker), Matthew Montfort (guitars, fretless bass, synthesizer), Emam (tabla), Ian Herman (drum set)
  11. Socha Socha: Alap - Sitar Tone (Habib Khan and Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Lineup: Pandit Habib Khan (sitar), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar, bells), Doug McKeehan (keyboards)
  12. Valley of the Moon - Pacific Tree Frogs Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future. Dialog between zither and Pacific tree frogs, recorded at a pond in Sonoma County, California, with no overdubs. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (zither), Pacific Tree Frogs (vocals)
  13. Hummingbird - Shimmering Wing Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future. Inspired by a hummingbird feeding nearby, flying in time to the music as it was created. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla), Mindia Devi Klein (bansuri), Kazuyo Muramoto (koto), and Teja Bell (12-string guitar)
  14. Simsimay Panima - Bamboo Flute Tone (Traditional Nepali folksong, arranged by Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Lineup: Manose Singh (bansuri flute), Antoine Lammam (Arabic tabla and tambourine), Jim Hurley (violin), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars, fretless bass)
  15. Forest Frolic - Tree Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Lineup: Manose Singh (bansuri flute), Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitars), Liu Qi-Chao (Chinese flute), Hadley Louden (bass marimba, marimba, gong), Emam (tabla)
  16. Frog Orient Chance - Balinese Rice Paddy Frogs Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Natural Rhythms by Ancient Future. The basic tracks of Balinese percussion and frogs were recorded live in the rice paddies of Bali. Guitars and gangsas were overdubbed. Lineup: Matthew Montfort (scalloped fretboard guitar, classical guitar, gangsa, kukul), Wayan Ludra (kukul), Nyomen Kawiana (kajar), Mindia Devi Klein (gangsa), Balinese Rice Paddy Frogs (vocals)
  17. Semara - Gamelan Tone (Matthew Montfort. 0:30). From Planet Passion by Ancient Future. Sounds of the Gamelan Semar Pegulingan, the orchestra that in ancient times performed outside the sleeping chambers of royal lovers blend with performances by the original 1978 lineup of Ancient Future. Lineup:Matthew Montfort (classic and scalloped fretboard guitars, gangsa), Benjy Wertheimer (tabla, esraj), Mindia Klein (bansuri), Moses Sedler (cello)