Future

Now, if your bands name is “Future� you have a lot to live up to, don’t you? As a caveat, allow me to note I for one think they need to change that over to “The Future�. It just sounds cooler when somebody asks “So who are you going to see tonight?� to say: “The Future man, The Future�. Just my double copper, but guys, if you’re reading this, seriously…

But that quibble aside, these guys have quite a bit of potential. Hailing from the mean streets of Northern Virginia, Future takes a genre busting approach to music, switching in and out of and sometimes fusing elements of funk, soul, psychedelia, gospel, hip hop, punk and rock into what often can be a very engaging blend. On Saturday night, they brought all these to a not large, but energetic (and feeding off the energy of a Ravens victory earlier in the day) crowd at the Rams Head Live in beautiful downtown Baltimore.

The focal points of the music are DJ/singer Chuck X., who is a very active frontman, alternately stalking the stage like a rapper and then changing up, jumping about and diving into the crowd like no less than HR himself, and guitarist/vocalist Gordon Sterling who combines his effect drenched guitar workouts with a huge, booming soul/gospel inflected voice that rang out loud and clear, even defeating the notoriously wretched Rams Head Live acoustics. It was simply stunning to hear him belt out his verses. They are ably supported by second guitarist James Helle, who combines with Sterling to give the band versatility and lend some depth to those aforementioned long psychedelic workouts and the rock sold rhythm section of Deron Pinchback on drums and Tony Moreno on bass, who manage to handle what can often be jarring time changes with aplomb. Also on hand for the final number was Candice Mills from the band “See-I� who provided her amazing pipes to the last song of the evening, trading off with Sterling in the best ear pleasing soul tradition. It was a real highlight. Those folks can sing their heads off, which is something you don’t get nearly enough from bands these days.

This could all go to pieces in the hands of those less capable, but Future finds ways to make it all work without sounding trite or silly. - Glide Magazine

Plenty of party bands exhibit a vague notion of eclecticism. Using hip-hop, reggae, soul, funk and rock, they haphazardly throw disparate elements of each into a musical blender and pray for some cohesion. Many fail. But then there's the ambitiously dubbed Future, a D.C. quintet that seamlessly melds those genres by fusing emcee Antoine "Chuck Bucket" Ware's heady slam poetry and Gordon Sterling's explosive, soulful pipes with deep reggae grooves, driving rock rhythms and guitar pyrotechnics—often over the course of a single song. Future's extended explorations are unbound by stylistic notions.

The group, which gelled three years ago after Sterling and bassist Tony Moreno started playing with friends after the demise of a previous band, has adopted "Spread Love Massive" not only as the title of the opening track from its self-titled debut but also as a motto of sorts, evident in the positive vibes overflowing from the disc and the quintet's energetic live performances. "Our music is a conversation about the human experiment," Sterling explains. "As this experiment goes, so goes our music." Considering they're out-of-towners, Sterling says, "It's a real honor to be accepted [in the Triangle] ... people seem genuinely interested in seeking out groundbreaking new music." $6/ 10 p.m. —Spencer Griffith - Indyweek.com

-Self-described as “progressive post-punk hip-hop rock fusion,” Northern Virginia’s Future comes blaring out of the headphones with a furious burst of energy and doesn’t let up. With nods to hip-hop rockers like 311, the unclassified punk funk of Fishbone and pop tendencies reminiscent of Gnarls Barkley, Future’s show should be a high-energy rock party!!
- -Posted in the High Country Press

To get into the Web site of Future, a fusion band from Northern Virginia, one must first click on its mascot, a menacing robot folded up into the lotus position with large clenched fists, also known as the Merkabot.

"He's based on the Merkaba, which is actually the vehicle the soul travels through when mediating," said Gordon Sterling, one of the band's guitarists and vocalist

Future's next album will be a two-volume double-disc called "The Outer Edge of Inside."

What kind of music would a mythical robot represent? How about a blend of hip-hop and rock with hints of soul and reggae? Switching between singing and emceeing, with equal parts shredding guitar and synth, Future leaves a complex taste in listeners' mouths.

"We're into a lot of different things. People have tried to mix hip-hop and rock and it's usually a generic version of Rage Against the Machine, and we love them," said Sterling.

When it became clear in 2006 that a band Sterling and bassist Tony Moreno had performed in would be no longer, the duo sought out acquaintances Deron Pinchback (drums) James Helle (guitar and vocals) and Bucket, whose name is actually Antoine (emcee).

"If one of us left, it wouldn't be anymore. It just couldn't be without any single member," said Sterling.

This summer's Spread Love Massive tour is the band's first time on the road outside of the D.C. area. With the goal of getting its foot in the door on the East Coast, Future has shows everywhere between New York and Atlanta, with a particular emphasis on Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

The foray into a broader spec-trum of venues is particularly exciting for Future since live performance is its specialty.

"We're not afraid of playing big shows," said Sterling. "It's upbeat and definitely energetic. We calm it down from time to time, but not for long. We're big in the whole transfer of energy: band to crowd and back," said Sterling of Future's shows.

The shows will feature some of the band's new material, which it hopes to record in December. The material will go into a double-disc concept album called "The Outer Edge of Inside," to be released in two volumes.

In the first disc, listeners meet a boy growing up in an upper-middle class family that is very focused on maintaining its status. While finding his own way, he gets into trouble, lands in military school and by the end of the first disc, he gets killed. Disc two features the protagonist's discoveries in the afterlife and ends in his rebirth.

"Crazy as it sounds, it's ultimately a really long elaborate way of explaining cause and effect and karma," said Sterling.

Though Future is somewhat less mystical than their name and the plot of their rock saga sound, they certainly explore the frontiers of progressive hip-hop rock fusion.

"We never try to preach to people but share experiences or stories with emotion," said Sterling. "There's more to life than the hustle and bustle. People forget that and the arts play an important role in reminding people of that."

Future will be performing at 9 p.m. Tuesday at The Pour House.


- The Charleston Post & Courier