Short Reviews [Ancient Future - 2014 - "Yearning for the Wind"]

The US based project ANCIENT FUTURE has been around in various constellations for more than 30 years. They describe themselves as "the world's first and longest running band dedicated exclusively to the mission of creating world fusion music", and have sold more than 150.000 albums. "Yearning for the Wind" is an enhanced CD single, released in early 2014. I see the creators describe this composition as one inspired by raga, and while I don't know enough about that style of music to verify that, there is a strong exotic feel to this creation. Opening with a careful acoustic guitar motif, of the kind where the resonances from the plucked notes form the melody just as much as the notes themselves, the composition slowly unfolds as the tablas are brought in, the guitar then retreats as the tablas are given a dominant role for a run, and then the pace intensifies as the guitar shifts from resonating notes to a firmer and more energetic mode of delivery, combining with the tablas to reach an intense crescendo, followed by a brief, tranquil guitars only end sequence. The kind of mood that may be that of a warm summer day with sweltering heat ebbing into a brief silence before the wind picks up and a storm comes running in, ending with the silence following in the aftermath. An intriguing creation, proving yet again that a sparse arrangement of acoustic guitar and tabla alone can be used to craft delightful music in the right hands. The enhanced bit of this production covers a high quality video footage from the recording of this song, where the main focus appears to be on showcasing the technique used by guitarist Matthew Montfort and percussionist Vishal Nagar. A video that should be a treat to watch by those with an interest in playing the acoustic guitar and tabla respectively. All in all a worthwhile piece that arguably belongs inside the new age department of the world fusion universe, with skilled performers showcasing just how intriguing material of this kind can be when the composer and instrumentalists hold a high quality.