FRI 11 APR / 22h00
Cineteatro Louletano, Loulé
Concert / M6 / 55'
5€ - Double Ticket Panos Alexiadis + Rafael Toral
Joining twelve different episodes in a seamless sequence, Spectral Evolution alternates moments of light instrumental interplay with dense sonic masses, breaking up its chord-shift pieces with ambient spaces. At times coming down to a whisper, Toral’s soundscapes can also be as howling, screeching, and grinding as David Tudor’s live electronic rainforest. Similarly, Toral’s guitar spans a vast dynamic range of textures, from crystalline chords to expansive drones, from pristine clarity to a harsh grain.
After three years of experimentation and recording, and summoning over thirty years of musical research, Spectral Evolution is Rafael Toral’s definitive guitar album.
Written and produced by Rafael Toral
Performed on guitars, bass, and electronic instruments
Recorded and mixed between 2020 and 2022 at Noise Precision Regada
Developed with the support of João Paulo Feliciano and Dan Osborn
Cover photo by Sylvain Georges
Mastered by Stephan Mathieu
Vinyl cut by Carl Saff
Spectral Evolution is tuned to 432 Hz
Special thanks: João Paulo Feliciano, Sei Miguel, Jim O’Rourke, Sylvain Georges, Bruno Pernadas, Miguel Pipa, Drag City, and you.
Extra special thanks: Rute Praça, whose unwavering support was crucial
Rafael Toral (Lisbon, 1967) has been exploring sound and music since his adolescence. In the 1990s he created a synthesis of Ambient and Rock, releasing acclaimed albums such as Wave Field and Violence of Discovery. In the 2000s, with Space Program, he delved into electronics rooted in post-free jazz. In 2018, he entered a third phase, reconnecting with the guitar and developing a renewed interest in the sonic possibilities of harmony. He seeks a new synthesis – reconciling some of the contradictory paradigms he had previously worked with, embracing both past and future, now materialised in Spectral Evolution.
He has released over twenty albums on labels across four continents, including Sound Mind Sound Body (Ananana, 1994), Space (Staubgold, 2006), and Freedom of Tomorrow (Clean Feed, 2022). Performing solo, or in group form, he has played live in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Australia. He lives in the mountains of central Portugal.
