Rafael Toral, b. 1967,
Lisbon,
Portugal, is a musician, producer and
sound engineer. He has been performing live since
1984 in
avant-garde circles. Toral works primarily with guitar in an improvisatory/soundscape context. He also digs random, unpredictable noisemaking and sculpting said noise in
real time.
Legendary pop noisicians
Sonic Youth invited him to play on their 2000 LP, "
NYC Ghosts & Flowers," where he played a maelstrom of gtr on the song "
Renegade Princess."
In April 2002,
Tomlab records released "
Early Works," a collection of his earliest
4-track pieces dating back to 1986.
Forthwith, all the available infos thus far:
Education:
STEIM,
Amsterdam, Jun. 1995:
Residency for research on
electronic circuits.
Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, 1994:
Internship for development of an intermedia performance.
Academia de Amadores de Música, Lisboa, 1990-1991:
Course in Analysis and
Composition Techniques (not concluded).
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisboa, 1989-1990:
Composition seminars by Emmanuel Nunes.
Grants, awards and distinctions
1999
The Wire magazine, listed
Aeriola Frequency as one of the best records of the year.
1998
Amazon.com, listed
Wave Field (reissued) as one of the 100 best records released in the USA that year.
1995
Jornal Expresso, listed Wave Field as one of the best records of the year.
1994
Bolsa Ernesto de Sousa, fellowship for residency at
Experimental Intermedia Foundation,
NYC.
Selected performances:
1999
Tonic, NYC, with
Loren Mazzacane Connors.
Astrocade,
Philadelphia,
with
Dean Roberts.
Empty Bottle,
Chicago.
Knitting Factory, NYC, with
Thurston Moore.
Transmissions oo2,
Carrboro, NC (USA). Lux, Lisbon, with
Paulo Feliciano, Pita and Fennesz.
Aula Magna, Lisbon, with
No Noise Reduction.
1998
Stadtgarten, Köln, with MIMEO.
MS Stubnitz, Rostock (D). Rhiz, Wien (A).
Expo'98, Lisbon.
1997
Mills College, Oakland, CA.
Metrònom,
Barcelona.
1996
Coliseu, Lisbon, with
Rhys Chatham and the 100 guitars.
KPFA Berkeley, CA (USA).
Lounge Ax, Chicago.
WHPK, Chicago.
1995
Lunar Cabaret, Chicago, with
Jim O'Rourke (USA).
Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.
Roulette, NYC.
XFM, Lisbon (P) with No Noise Reduction, live radio broadcast.
Teatro S. Luiz, Lisbon, with
John Zorn and
Yamatsuka Eye.
Centro de Arte Moderna, Lisbon.
1994
The Cooler, New York City (USA).
Lento Sound Art Festival: Münster (D); Dortmund (D).
Het Apollohuis, Eindhoven (NL). CIEF, Copenhagen (DK).
Experimental Intermedia Foundation, NYC.
1993
Galeria Graça Fonseca, Lisbon (P), with Paulo Feliciano.
1992
VII Bienal de Arte de Cerveira.
1991
IFICT, Lisbon. Galeria Monumental, Lisbon.
1990
Johnny Guitar, Lisbon, with No Noise Reduction.
1989
Livraria Bertrand, Lisbon.
Installations
1996
"
Titanium Exposé", Galeria Graça Fonseca, Lisbon: Power Field.
1994
"20000 minutos de arte", Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon: Flyability, video and sound installation
1991
"Tendências", Forum Picoas, Lisbon; Music and sound installation for
Bodyjoya Mix (Paula Lima, direction).
Discography
(
Violence of Discovery and Calm of Acceptance
Touch, TO:48 (CD, 2001).
Cyclorama Lift 3
Tomlab, tom007 (CD Maxi, 2000).
Lullabies
Meeuw Musak, MM013 (white vynil 7", 1999).
Aeriola Frequency
Perdition Plastics, per008 (CD, 1998).
Wave Field
US version,
Dexter's Cigar, dex14 (CD, 1998).
Original release, Moneyland records, MR$ 0595 (CD, 1995).
Sound Mind Sound Body
US version, Moikai, M7 (CD, 1999).
Original release, Ananana, DDD001 (CD, 1994).
With No Noise Reduction
On Air
Ananana, NNN 001 (CD, 1997).
the complete NO NOISE REDUCTION
Moneyland records, MR$ 0495 (CD, 1995).
Collaborations
Guitar Too, For Four (
Phill Niblock)
forthcoming on Moikai (CD).
Electric (MIMEO)
Grob, GROB.206/7 (CD, 2000).
Token (Sei Miguel)
Ananana, PPP001 (CD, 1999).
Amarillo Ramp (
Lee Ranaldo)
Starlight Furniture Co., *8 (CD, 1998).
Chasing
Sonic Booms (Rafael Toral, live improvisations)
Ecstatic Peace!, E# 33 (CD, 1998).
Showtime (Sei Miguel)
Fábrica de Sons, FS 100.002 (CD, 1996).
Solo tracks in compilations
"Sand Precision"
on the CD included in Halana magazine #4 (1998).
"Liveloop"
on "Way Out Vol. 1", Ananana, HHH001 (CD, 1997).
"My head on your shoulder feels like home"
on "Teenagers from Outer Space", Bee Keeper, BEE 012 (pink vinyl LP, 1996).
(later included in the Lullabies 7")
"Creamy Burst"
on "100%", Ant3na / Música Alternativa, MA 051 (CD, 1995).
"Soft Energy II"
on "Realidade Virtual", Fast Forward, FF001 (LP, 1991).
"Flow" (with SPQR)
on "Divergências", Ama Romanta, AMRO 001 (2LP, 1986).
with Pop dell'Arte
Ready Made
Variodisc/ Amro (mini-LP, 1992).
2002
Variodisc/ Amro (12", 1992).
Illogik Plastik
Ama Romanta, AMRO 016 (12" EP, 1989).
Free Pop
Ama Romanta, AMRO 008 (LP, CD, 1988).
Sonhos Pop
Ama Romanta, AMRO 006 (7", 1988).
Mai '86
Ama Romanta, AMRO 003 (12", 1986).
Guest appearances
"
Renegade Princess" (Sonic Youth)
on "
NYC Ghosts and Flowers",
Geffen, 490 650-2 (CD, 2000).
"1968" (Gasoleene)
on "Supermarket Music" compilation, Bee Keeper, Bee 020 (CD, 1996).
"Happy Future Story pt.II" (Supernova)
on "10 Anos sempre no ar" compilation, Lux 01 (CD. 1996).
Vidya (Vítor Rua)
Potlatch 001 (LP, 1991).
Disco Pirata (Rádio Macau)
Alcobia Record (CD, 1991).
Espírito Invisível (Mler Ife Dada)
Polygram 841272-2 (CD, 1989).
Productions
Clockwork (Clockwork)
pre-release (CD, 1999).
Try Me (Toast)
Bee Keeper, Bee 30 (CD, 1997).
Storafile (Supernova)
Nortesul, 724385621727 (CD, 1996).
Teenage Drool (Tina and the Top Ten)
El Tatu. ET 94003 (CD, 1994).
3Shaken (God Spirou)
Skyline, SKL 001 (CD, 1993).
Everslick (Tina and the Top Ten)
Moneyland Records, MLR 002 (7", 1993).
Ready Made (Pop dell'Arte)
Variodisc/ Amro (mini-LP, 1992).
João Peste e o Acidoxibordel (João Peste e o Acidoxibordel)
Ama Romanta, AMRO 019 (EP, 1990)
Illogik Plastik (Pop dell'Arte)
Ama Romanta, AMRO 016 (EP, 1989), co-production.
Miscellaneous
Plux Quba (Nuno Canavarro)
Digital re-mastering and new edit for Moikai release.
On Air (No Noise Reduction)
Out-take in the compilation "Way Out Vol. 1", Ananana, HHH001 (CD, 1997).
Blastic Scene (Sonic Youth)
EQ and mastering for official
bootleg, Moneyland, MLR 001 95 (CD, 1995). The CD includes "SYNext", a track by No Noise Reduction.
Works by No Noise Reduction later included in Moneyland's release appeared in the compilation Em Tempo Real, El Tatu, ET 91004 (CD, 1991).
Collaborations
1999
Member of
The Houseware Experience (with
Paulo Feliciano,
David Toop,
Amon Tobim,
Elliot Earls, I'm sore, d-fuse, Dreamlab, TVT and many others).
1998
Member of the creative team for the Acqua Matrix daily multimedia show at Lisbon's Expo 98.
1998 to present
Member of
MIMEO (Music In Movement Electronic Orchestra), with
Keith Rowe, Phil Durrant, Kaffe Matthews (UK), Christian Fennesz, Peter Rehberg (A), Cor Fuhler, Gert Jan Prins (NL), Thomas Lehn, Marcus Schmickler (D), Jerome Noetinger (F) and Markus Wettstein (CH).
1996
Coordinator/ curator for 100 guitarists performing a piece by
Rhys Chatham in Lisbon.
1990 to present
NO NOISE REDUCTION, a duo project with Paulo Feliciano based in Lisbon, Portugal. Working in a variety of areas from sound-art to music