by Jimi Hendrix and Lqd Zeppelin we might have enjoyed just improvis- and gradually expanding his influ- ing atonally over world rhythms, we ; ences to include Yes, the Mahavishnu wouldn't expect that it would always ! Orchestra, John Coltrane, Ravel, and be fun faeverybody to listen to, and Music , Debussy. "I just kept doing different empathizing with the audience is very types of music," he says, "and putting important to us." them together." One of his first expo- If there's one thread running con- sures to Indian music was the Diga sistently through Ancient Future's Rhythm Band album, featuring tabla music, it's been Montfort's fascination In World Without Walls, the Bay Area master Zakir Huenand Grateful with international rhythms. "When Dead dgmbper Mickey Hart, released you study non-Western music," he ensemble Ancient Future continues to in 1976. says, "the aspect that is the most easily The following year, attracted by and universally applicable is rhythm. I fuse musical styles from around the world the multicultural music program at had always felt that I had rhythm the Naropa Institute, Montfort down, but when I came out to study By Derk Richardson ble to peg in the music industry's migrated to Northern California, Indian music, I immediately realized scheme of things. "We're very anti: coincidentally moving into the house that there was a lot that I didn't have F ITS name, Ancient Future, category," he told the Bay Guardian where the Diga Rhythm Band had together. It was a shock to me." In the only cryptically hints at the na- recently, "and that's exactly why held its rehearsals. Upon enrolling in process of educating himself (and tore of the band's music, the title we're doing what we're doing - the Ali Akbar College of Music in completing a degree through Antioch of the new album from this long- we're trying to break them down." 1977, Montfort met the other musi- College), Montfort wrote an extraor- standing Bay Area ensemble Ancient Future's music has always cians -Mindy Klein, ?1 Pong, and dinary book, Ancient Traditions - Isays it all: World Without Walls. For been impossible to define within the Benjy Weatheimer -with whom he Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Train- nearly 13 years. Ancient Future, led by rigid categories of the music business. formed Ancient Future one year later. ing Through the Traditions of Africa, composer-guitarist Matthew Montfort, Indeed, until the recent advent of the 'We were all studying Indian Bali andIndia, which makes it possi- has sought toopen the borders between "world music" charts in Billboard, music," Montfort recalls, "and ble to both understand and play those various musical traditions around the the group was often misclassified as although we wanted to do something complex beats. globe. Although the group was New Age because it's signed to the that wasn't classical Indian music, the While advanced studies, including spawned from studies of Indian music Narada/SonaGaia label. first album [Visions of a Peaceful a research trip to Bali, and personnel at the Ali Akbar College in San Rafael, "There really wasn't a place to put Planet] was really quite Indian and shifts have altered the shape and Montfort explains that "the goal was to us in the record store when we start- Western. To Indians it sounded like sound of Ancient Future over the' blend more styles than just North Indi- ed," Montfort says. "Since we Western music played on Indian years, Montfort notes: "The original an classical and jazz or Western classi- weren't really a jazz group, that didn't instruments, and Westerners heard vision hasn't changed at all. There cal, to encompass more cultures with a fit. When the New Age thing hap- mostly the Indian influence. So at have been some detours, but World really broad palette." pened, it turned out to be the way for least we leached our goal of combin- Without Walls is my favorite album To that end, Ancient Future has us to get in the door, but I never really I ing things." because in a way we have come back recorded five albums of lush "world felt that was what we were doing." After recording a second album, to some of our earliest influences - fusion music," made with such instru- As Montfort discovered, the New Natural Rhythms, Ancient Future exploring the North Indian influence ments as sitar, tabla, arod, flute, zither, Age label is not necessarily a boon. "I ' began an evolutionary process in with Zakir Hussain, using Balinese Irish harp, kajar, kukul, violin, cello, and bar- think we have suffered some back- , ' which various musicians (Randy interlocking two-part rhythm charango, bansuri, kalimba, dumbek, lash," he says. "I've noticed that we Mfade, Marcia Sloane, Rick Hender- monized melody. dholak, Balinese gamelan, Tibetan didn't get a few gigs that we would so$ Bruce Bowers, Ian Dogole) con- "World fusion music is still in its bowls, electric and acoustic guitars, have gotten otherwise. And before tributed to the different instrumental infancy," he concludes. "Working sleigh bells, and synthesizers. Critics New Age music was well-known, the emphases on the albums Quiet Fire together on that level is not some- have used such descriptionsas "trend- avant-garde was supportive of what and Drem Chaser. The current quar- thing that's built into our culture." setters," "a milestone," "finest in this we did - they were open to the tet, which performs this Saturday Putting that cooperative tradition into genre," and "the sound track for Mar- music in spite of it being tonal. Now night at the Noe Valley Ministry, a forward-looking context turns out shall McLuhan's global village." that New Age music has gotten so includes Montfort, violinist Jim Hur- to be the meaning and the triumph of But don't blame yourself if you popular, I think there are people who ley, keyboardist-synthesist Doug ~ncient~uture. don't recognize Ancient Future as just lump what we're doing in with McKeehan, and the newest member, readily as you do the pop phenomena that, and since they don't like New Iranian tabla player Mehrdad Emarn. Ancient Future performs at 8:15 pm, of the recently burgeoning New Age Age music, anything that has any Wehave never been extremely Sat., June 8, at the Noe Valley Min- and waidm* scenes, like Andreas similarities with it must be bad, too." I avant-garde," Montfort says of the istry, 1021 Sanchez, SF, 647-2272: Vollenweider, the Bulgarian Wo- Monfort's musical roots are light- ongoing project he's directed for 13 and with Kitka, July 21, at In Perfor- men's Choir, the Gipsy Kings, or years away from New Age. Growing , years. "We've wanted to make music mance at Forest Meadows, Domini- Strunz & Farah. As Montfort admits, up in Boulder, Colo., he started out that. was very accessible, because to can College, Grand and Mountain the group has been virtually impossi- playing rock'n'roll, inspired eariy on 1 us the pointis reaching people. While View, Sun Rafael, 4574311. .