Bana Haffar gives sonic form to ‘Ancient Future’

Saudi Arabia-born, now Los Angeles-based sound artist Bana Haffar has released a new nine-track album titled ‘Ancient Future’.

Centred on sample creation, manipulation and transformation through modular synthesis, the record develops Haffar’s ongoing interest in reshaping recorded material through modular systems, with sounds repeatedly recombined and altered across the album. Its compositions move between dense, interconnected passages and more open stretches.

The artist presents ‘Ancient Future’ as an attempt to give that idea sonic form, using the modular synthesiser as both an instrument and a tool for morphological transformation. The album continues a practice rooted in improvisation, synthesis and the physical behaviour of sound.

Bana Haffar began her musical career as a session bass player before moving towards modular synthesisers and becoming closely involved with Los Angeles’ electronic music underground. In 2014, she co-founded Modular on the Spot with Eric Cheslak, a monthly generator-focused series held along the LA River.

Her work has also extended into artist-led infrastructure. In 2021, Haffar co-founded the Beirut Synthesizer Center in Lebanon, an informal co-operative created to provide access to electronic instruments, shared resources and community for local artists.

Alongside the digital release, ‘Ancient Future’ is also available as a limited-edition CD housed in a large-format DVD package.

Check out the album in full below.