Rafael Toral: Space Elements Vol. II

Space Program, the ongoing music project from Portuguese sound sculptor Rafal Toral, is a spectacular meditation on the relationship between sound and atmosphere that gets better with each new release. The fourth title in the series proves to be Toral’s most exploratory statement to date. Space Elements Vol. II finds Toral gathering together a highly talented ensemble of underground jazz musicians, including saxophonist Evan Parker, guitarist Manuel Mota, drummer Alfonoso Simoes, vibe man Stefano Tedesco, Joao Paulo Feliciano on the Fender Rhodes and digital synth czar Ruben Costa alongside Space Program mainstays like Sei Miguel and Rute Praca, only to deconstruct their collective performance into a spontaneous sheath of digital birdsong and atonal sonic manipulation that takes even the most cerebral strain of experimental jazz to a whole new level of pure minimalist bliss.