Product Description

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first Ancient Future concert (2/11/1979), the seventh Ancient Future recording is being re-issued with 64 bit Tuned Harmonic mastering. Planet Passion features nineteen top masters of Indian, Nepalese, African, Cuban, Celtic, Arabic, Palestinian, Jewish, Indonesian, Chinese, Eastern European and American music traditions performing music on the theme of mythical stories of love.

Track Listing

1. Simsimay Panima
2. Forest Frolic
3. I Mett Her in the Medowe Pt. A
4. I Mett Her in the Medowe Pt. B
5. Ocean of Love
6. Ochun
7. Semara
8. Alap
9. Zaffa
10. Ne Po Pogrebu Bockonochek
11. Socha Socha Pt. A
12. Socha Socha Pt. B

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #94530 in Music
• Released on: 2009-02-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .14 pounds

Amazon.com
Ancient Future weren't the first to merge music from around the world, but they were the ones who coined the term world fusion. They've been living that vision for a quarter of a century. Now, after a nine-year silence, they've released another powerful reminder of that dream. The concept--songs of love drawing on global traditions--and packaging, including a space to write a love note, are a little hokey, but the music is anything but. India has always been at the heart of Ancient Future's world fusion. Founder and only remaining original member Matthew Montfort plays a special, scalloped fretboard acoustic instrument that lets him get the bends of an Indian sitar. He uses it to weave seductive melodies, and his exchanges with Indian sitarist Habib Khan on "Socha, Socha" are exhilarating. Singer Irina Mikhailova, from Medicine Tree and Lumin, is the first vocalist in Ancient Future. Singing in vocalese and her native Kazakh tongue, she is intoxicating. From the gamelan cycles of "Semara" to the exuberance of "Forest Frolic," Ancient Future is the sound of the global bazaar in ecstasy. --John Diliberto

Bob Tarte, THE BEAT, Feb 2002
Shamelessly beautiful, ‘Planet Passion’ is easily the pinnacle of this group's long career.”

Vitaly Menshikov, PROGRESSOR.NET, December 2001
One of the most innovative bands of the international Progressive Music movement.

Customer Reviews

Only gets better with time!
Yeah, these guys really do just keep getting better. And the album is the same! I discover something new every time I listen. There are so many wonderful musical moments on this CD, beautifully blended with the most amazing array of instruments I've every heard. Guitar, sitar, bansuri, Chinese instrumentation, loads of quirky percussion and hauntingly beautiful vocals delivered so pristinely!

For fans of world fusion, I can't recommend an album or a group more strongly. The album combines lilting Celtic moments, Russian folksongs, Arabic dances and flowing Asian melodies. The members of Ancient Future are consummate, professional musicians and composers. It is truly refreshing to hear real musicians playing real instruments. It lifts the spirit and gives me hope that music can survive the age of computerization and Mickey Mouse performers!

Luscious audio romance
This varying crew of great talents give us a clever sequence of songs from different cultures, depicting progressive stages of love -- flirtation through courtship and eventually to a more spiritual "longing for the beloved". Moods and instrumentation are typically light-hearted, lending themselves to more traditional visions of romance. I particularly like: The guitar solos (Matthew Montfort) on I Met Her in the Medowe; The lilting vocal chant (Irina Mikhailova) on Ocean of Love (more complex, a deeper exchange of feelings); the exotic instrumental mix, including flute and gamelan, on the meditative Semara; and a playful but low-key Seduction song, Ne Po Pogrebu Bochonochek, again featuring the lovely voice of Irina.

The packaging is a cute concept too: There's a big heart-shaped space for your personal love note if you give this CD as a gift.
(They ask you to send your own love story if this music helps it along!)

An easy, seductive listen with impeccable performances and engineering.

Food for the Soul
If music is the food of love, then feast on "Planet Passion."

Ancient Future has definitely hit a high-water mark with this CD. Matthew Montfort has assembled a fantastic group of musicians (sitar, violin, tabla, vocals, percussionists and many more) for this World Fusion CD. I especially like the flute work and Matthew's guitar is compelling.

Each piece ties into the next, telling the universal story of love, courtship and longing. After several listenings, I enjoy it more each time (especially with the lights out and being with someone I love)

The final cut, "Socha Socha." has me longing for more.