Ancient City holds in its sound world of trombones, percussion and vocals-a beauty based on nature and rhythms of the land. It opens in a forest and ends in a town square with the three main characters, Dave, Marlon, and Paola, transformed by the rites and rituals of life. We incorporated field samples- from water, to foley inspired moments- wanting them to feel hard-edged against the rich tapestry of layered sound. Ancient City is about ordinary and magical lives, and it forces one to submit to an abstract world-a film guided by the invisible- from sounds of nature to the human voice, encouraging us to look at every day decisions and their consequences in a deeply human way. Every life holds ancestral guidance, and every person often masks their identity, with ceremonies and rituals binding disparate lives and moments, adding meaning and cogency across different cultures and societies. Ancient City is enigmatic, symbolic, ceremonial, concealing, mystical, sacred, cultural, theatrical and in the end, we hope, transformative.

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Ancient City: a non-visual film score

Paola Prestini - composition, vocals

Dave Nelson - trombone, looper, electronics, voice and improvisations

Marlon Patton - drums, percussion, Moog bass, electronics and improvisations

Stuart Bogie - clarinet

‍About Paola Prestini

Composer Paola Prestini has collaborated with poets, filmmakers, and scientists in large-scale multimedia works that chart her interest in themes ranging from the cosmos to the environment. She has created, written and produced projects such as the world's largest and first communal VR opera, The Hubble Cantata, and the eco-documentary The Colorado. Her opera Sensorium Ex  is a multi-sensory narrative woven together at the intersections of disability and artificial intelligence- bridging her love of collaboration with system building. Her work has been performed by the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Opera, Los Angeles Opera, San Diego Opera, Bellas Artes, and at the Festival Dei Due Mondi in Italy. She has been a resident at MASS MoCA, the Park Avenue Armory, the American Academy in Rome, and at Sundance. Prestini is a Co-Founder of VisionIntoArt, a non-profit new music and interdisciplinary arts production company in New York City and is the Co-Founder/Artistic Director of the non-profit music organization and Brooklyn based venue, National Sawdust.

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About Nelson Patton

Nelson Patton is a NYC-based instrumental duo of Dave Nelson and Marlon Patton. Inspired by ambient minimalism, polyrhythmic composition, and orchestral sonorities, the duo layers trombone, drums, and electronics to create a rich palette of improvised textures that evolve over time, creating a transportive experience that often swells to dramatic crescendo.

Founded in 2013, Nelson Patton has released three full length albums, the first of which features Lonnie Holley on vocals. This collaboration led to a meaningful and fruitful relationship that continues to this day. The duo’s contribution to Lonnie’s latest LP "Mith" was an integral part of that album’s success, resulting in critical acclaim and its inclusion on multiple year end lists for 2018. Lonnie’s short film made to accompany their track "I Snuck Off the Slave Ship" premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. In addition, the duo often serves as Lonnie’s touring band, performing across the U.S. and abroad. Notable performances include “Le Guess Who” festival in Utrecht, LA Broad Museum’s Summer Happenings Festival, The Melbourne Jazz Festival, and an opening run with Animal Collective.
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