I’m on the radio, and not on my radio show. One of my electro-acoustic pieces will air Monday 24 November, 4-6pm (cest/Paris time) on Toneshift radio show/podcast: https://listen.camp. Tuesday, November 25 the show will be at: https://www.tjnorrisart.com/toneshift
I’m on a show that features music by my long time friend, and source of inspiration since 1986, Rafael Toral, and people like Holger Czukai and Z’Ve. Not bad for a home creation and recording. 🙂
Toneshift’s November 2025 show artists:
Rafael Anton Irisarri Holger Czukay Mark Spybey Jasmine Guffond & Robin Storey Mark Hjorthoy Euphotic Sonologyst Raquel Pinheiro Trod Kallevag Rafael Toral Annette Vande Gorne Giuseppe Ielasi + Jack Sheen @C Sandor Valy Illusion of Safety + Z’Ve Rushab Nandha Doris Dana Ma Estrella Peter Wullen Brandon Auger
My best of 2024 are records, concerts, a book and an exhibition that filled my soul, touched me, or left a strong impression. Art forms that early this year still resonate, and remain close to my heart.
In late April 2024 I wrote an essay with Deep Emotions, a single from Good Grief, Bernard Butler third solo album and his first in 25 years as starting point. It was my second essay for Mondo. Along with, earlier in 2024, the listening parties of Rafael Toral’s Spectral Evolution it was the beginning of marvels, emotional perils and tribulations, and new paths.
The albums by Rafael and Bernard are healing records. Basalto merges melancholia, drama, romanticism. Vini Reilly is a Record Store Day re-issue of the 1989 album by Durutti Column. If there is a musician, composer, guitarist that has been with me since I’m a kid and has an influence how I see, approach, the electric guitar, Vini Reilly is him. I become aware of Ned Swarbrick when Bernard made a shout-out for support acts, and I liked Ned’s music. His ep has been a constant since.
As the Universe would have it, in 2024 Bernard played in Portugal for the first time, solo or otherwise. It was an amazing concert. 2024 was also the year of Old Jerusalem’s last concert. Old Jerusalem and Francisco Silva, the man behind it, have been part of Mondo’s favourites for decades. Francisco also begun being part of mine, in a different capacity, in 2022 when we wrote our first song together. Old Jerusalem last concert was intimate, poignant, a gathering of friends.
Records: Bernard Butler – Good Grief (355 Recordings) Rafael Toral – Spectral Evolution (Moikai/Drag City Records) Basalto – Blunt Knives (self-release) The Durutti Column – Vini Reilly (rsd2024) Ned Swarbrick – Michelangelo EP (self-release)
words: Raquel Pinheiro; photos: João Octávio Peixoto/TMP
We’re literally seated, in the dark, in the Rivoli’s underbelly. My old friend Rafael Toral is presenting his new album Spectral Evolution. Spectral Evolution is a single continuous instrumental track. The concert follows the same format.
“There are already too many ruptures in the world, I’m more commited in peace, integration, healing, reconciliation, and this record assumes it.” said Rafael, on an interview, about Spectral Evolution. I wholeheartedly concur with him.
Spectral Evolution, one of my three favourite records of 2024 so far, does have an healing, a come together effect. It’s brings forward emotions, release, serenity.
Here, live, at least where I was seated, for me that was a little disturbed by the sound in itself. It’s part of the nature and the beauty of live music.
I’m not going into technical details or guitar approaches, many of which I’m not even sure or fully aware of. I’ll go with sensations, emotions, a report of how the sound and music reached me, what I made of it.
A piercing, erthquakerish, lound sound, under, or along which, church like and birdsong like music appears. Scratches, signals, noises. It moves towards gentleness, a slight return to higher intensity. There’s a coming and going, a departure, an arrival, a departure, an arrival, a departure. It goes up, higher, louder. It recesses. It floats. It pierces the heart, the muscles, the soul, the senses.
Hadn’t seen Rafael in person in a while it wasn’t no much a case of reconciliation, or even reconnection – we connect through his music, and in the usual current ways – more the joy, the affection, the hugs, the kind and godspeed farewell words in the now emptiness of a minutes before filled room. It was a good-bye matching the essence of Spectral Evolution.
Extra #124 is for the listening party of my friend Rafael Toral new album. Spectral Evolution is put Friday 23rd on Moikai via Drag City.
There are two listening parties for the Spectral Evolution tomorrow, Wednesday 21st. 10am (gmt/London time) and 7pm (gmt/London time). The conversation will e guided by Rafael Toral in Portugal, Jim O’Rouke in Japan and Fred Somsen in London. https://rafaeltoral.bandcamp.com/album/spectral-evolution – Link for listening party.
World hours for London’s time (gmt) Listening Party.
My radio show Amazing Songs & Other Delights #54 – The Ascend-Descend edition is now on mixcloud. You can read about the show here.
Tracklist: 01: Rafael Toral – Intro + Changes (except) 02: Cabrita – Todo Torto 03: Helado Negro – I Just Want To Wake Up With You 04: J. Masis – Can’t Believe We’re Here 05: King John – The Water 06: Mary Timony – Dominoes 07: MOORIS -04 08: O Gajo – Corrosão 09 – Swansea Sound – Paradise 10: The Lemonheads – Fear of Living 11: The Smile – Wall Of Eyes 12: Ty Segall -My Room 13: Vince Clarke – The Lamentations of Jeremiah 14: youbet – Carsick 15: Francisco Sassetti – Sara Is Happy
Amazing Songs & Other Delights #54 – The Ascend-Descend edition is tomorrow, Monday 20th, 3-4pm (gmt) on Yé Yé Radio:https://yeyeradio.com/ (or on the app).
The title refers to the flow of the very eclectic musical selection, comprasse of recent or just out instrumentals and songs, of this edition of the programme.
Tracklist: 01: Rafael Toral – Intro + Changes (except) 02: Cabrita – Todo Torto 03: Helado Negro – I Just Want To Wake Up With You 04: J. Masis – Can’t Believe We’re Here 05: King John – The Water 06: Mary Timony – Dominoes 07: MOORIS – 04 08: O Gajo – Corrosão 09 – Swansea Sound – Paradise 10: The Lemonheads – Fear of Living 11: The Smile – Wall Of Eyes 12: Ty Segall -My Room 13: Vince Clarke – The Lamentations of Jeremiah 14: youbet – Carsick 15: Francisco Sassetti – Sara Is Happy
EXTRA #122 is a special one. My old friend Rafael Toral has a new track out today. Intro + Changes is the first release from Spectral Evolution Rafael’s upcoming album. In Spectral Evolution Rafael is back to the guitar, the instrument I first saw him play, a million years ago, in another galaxy. It is a delight to listen to his unique approach to the guitar again.
(Spectral Evolution is out February 23, 2024 on Moikai – via Drag City).
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 