Prophet - 5
Part of the Shinboku Series at Rivington
Shinboku Series: Prophet-5
December 8, 2025
6:30pm doors, 7:00pm concert
1 Rivington Street at Bowery NYC
Yaz Lancaster will present a program of works highlighting the iconic 1977 Prophet-5 analog synthesizer, accompanied by multi-instrumentalist and composer Joshua Mastel.
The evening will include dreamy songs from Lancaster's new album AFTER (Nov 7, PTP), a world premiere of an improvisatory composition, and complimentary works by Estonian minimalist Arvo Pärt and expansive Kanaka Maoli composer Leilehua Lanzilotti.
The addition of the warming Prophet-5 and vintage tape echo from Forgotten Futures' instrument library support Lancaster's emo and nostalgic artistic sensibilities, making for a sweet and moving listening experience.
Featured Performers
On the Program
Yaz Lancaster – dream/sweet IV.
Arvo Pärt – Spiegel im Spiegel
Prophet 5 Presentation/Demo
Yaz Lancaster – New Work*
Leilehua Lanzilotti – ko'u inoa
Short Tape Echo Demo
Yaz Lancaster – Sillage
About Shinboku
Partnering with Forgotten Futures’ trove of 20th Century electronic and electro-acoustic instruments, Erika Dohi* frames her series, Shinboku, as process: experimentation, instruction-scores, and iterative making as the performance itself.
Erika Dohi's 2025-6 Rivington artist-in-residence series explores the power of slowness in a culture of acceleration. Selected artists work with Forgotten Futures’ rare electronic and electro-acoustic instruments as process-driven tools—where experimentation, instruction-scores, and iterative making become the performance.
*2025-6 Metropolis Artist-in-Residence at Rivington
“Shinboku” is presented by Metropolis Ensemble in collaboration with Erika Dohi and Forgotten Futures, with special thanks to Candice Madey, and Marinaro.
Instrument Spotlight: the Prophet - 5
Shinboku’s second concert features the Prophet-5, the first polyphonic synthesizer with fully programmable memory. Its ingenuity opened doors for artists by expanding their “tool belts” and allowing users to store sounds rather than having to reprogram them manually. Yaz Lancaster nods to the impact the Prophet-5 has had on the music industry, and its power as a market leader and industry standard.