30th Anniversary Supporter Recording
by Ancient Future
(Ancient-Future.Com AF 2009)
In December, 1978, Ancient Future went into Tres Virgos Studio in Mill Valley to begin work on the first Ancient Future record, Visions of a Peaceful Planet, which was first released in May of 1979. To commemorate 30 years of world fusion music, a 30th Anniversary Recording is planned with work starting in 2008 for release in 2009.
A great record of a large ensemble requires many man hours to complete. The last Ancient Future studio recording, Planet Passion, is a complicated project involving 19 musicians. Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort recorded it on a shoestring, making small payments out of pocket to the other musicians and putting in thousands of hours of unpaid recording, editing, and mixing time over a period of over seven years. Digital recording technology makes recording at home possible. Computers are good at quick cut and pastes of quantized loops and samples and have enabled non-musicians to make CDs (most of which probably should not have been made, but that is another discussion). But computer recording systems are very time consuming for more exacting work, especially for editing and mixing overdubs by master musicians using an organic live performance aesthetic. Going through this process again for a multi-ensemble recording is not an option.
The solution involves focused periods where everyone involved can work exclusively on each recording. If a band rehearses and records live, most of the man hours necessary for a great ensemble recording recording happen simultaneously, which greatly shortens the elapsed time it takes to record. However, for a group of virtuoso level musicians to to be able to block out enough time for rehearsing and then recording live, a rather substantial sum of money needs to be raised in advance.
So, to fund Ancient Future's 30th Anniversary release, a subscription system model is being employed. You can be part of the process. It is a bit like making a "people's label" to fund the recording because these days neither the traditional major label funding process nor using funds from current sales to finance a multi-ensemble recording is financially viable. Sales close in December 2008, but order now because quicker enough supporter packages are sold, the quicker the work on the recording can begin, and the quicker that the first downloads and work files can be sent to supporters. Work on the first recordings will start as soon as 150 of the supporter packages are sold. There are three supporter packages available:
Download Supporter Package: $25. Add 1 to Cart. Buy 1 Now. This package entitles the recording project supporter to receive downloads of to be recorded music forming an exclusive preview audio recording with digital liner notes that will not otherwise be available in shops (selections from which will form a final public edition), the chance to submit feedback on the best recording theme concept (first 150 supporters only), and an emailed recording newsletter with VIP access to special online files of the recording in progress. Limited to 300 packages.
Limited Edition CD Sponsor Package: $50. Add 1 to Cart. Buy 1 Now. This package entitles the recording project supporter to everything included in the Download Supporter Package plus an exclusive limited edition CD (or CD set if it won't fit) of the same recording with with printed liner notes signed by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort. Limited to 300 packages.
Honorary A & R Representative Package: $75. Add 1 to Cart. Buy 1 Now. This package entitles the recording project supporter to everything included in the Limited Edition CD Sponsor Package plus a DVD-R including video and 24 bit audio .wav files for hi-rez playback on computers, and the chance to submit feedback on production questions that may be posed in the recording newsletter. This is the perfect package for audiophiles and home studio enthusiasts. Limited to 100 packages.
Possible Recording Theme Concepts
Supporters get to vote on the recording theme. These three themes are a starting point:
1. World Jazz. Showcasing Ancient Future's master world musicians within a jazz context.
2. World Dance. Showcasing Ancient Future's master world musicians with 100% loop free and organic dance music based on various world traditions.
3. Biospheres. A series of EPs, each focusing on music from specific biosphere regions.
© info. E-mail: info@ancient-future.com
