Rafael Toral — Space

Rafael Toral’s Space is mixture sci-fi sound effects, ala the first Star trek, electronic tones that rarely pick up much of a pace, and Journeys into an odd circuit board take on jazz and well space its self- literal lots of silence and slow build ups. Sound elements are allowed to hover and grow, or disappear off down a black hole, leaving the listener stranded for a few moments, until the next space cruiser comes along.

It takes patience to tune into this- please don’t expected quick hits or lots of structural moves- things take time to hook onto and move along with. But that said when it does click Toral really does suck you in with his mix of creepy/ oddly comfy space music- you’ll find your self slow drifting and merging with strange and warming  constellation. Hovering over planets of pink through to green. Things only really pick up pace and become somewhat normal towards end the last track, when move around the stereo channels alien rhythmic taping, is joined by lonesome and Smokey saxophone. That paints strange pictures in ones mind of an intergalactic bar at the end of a far off star system, as the dawn hours crawl in, just a few bizarre looking denizens remaining.

An interesting experiment in sound, which can be rewarding if you persevere with it. Through one feels some times Toral is concentrating on how many weird sounds he can make, and too little with moving things on. But to be fair this is the first fruit of his space compositions project, that promise to occupy his time in the years to come both live and in the studio. So maybe things will firm up on later releases.