Releases

Roll the Dice is a song inspired by the poem of the same by Charles Bukowski. The lyrics talk about dealing with the shortcomings of life in the most productive way possible.

It's been a long process to release Roll the Dice. I made this music as a solo Stick instrumental around 2017, performing it live and adjusting it several times before coming up with a definitive version. From the perspective of the Stick, the song is interesting, as both hands play melodies and exchange roles in a very fluid way, mixing the instrument's piano, guitar, and bass possibilities. As a result, composing this music was a great exercise to improve as a Stick player. The original version was in the key of G.

After recording it a few times at home and at a studio, I felt something was missing. I decided to add lyrics to it and record it as a song in 2019 for the EP Dasein. I ended up not releasing that version. I was using the original poem as lyrics and wasn't happy with the vocal melody and my singing. So in 2021, I re-wrote the lyrics, changed the vocal melody, and re-recorded the Stick in the key to A.

The release (Spotify) includes two tracks. The first is the recording for Dasein with the new lyrics recorded in 2021. In this track, Felipe Saalfeld played the guitar, and Pat Dalton the drums. The second track is the original instrumental version recorded at home. Unfortunately, I lost the studio version of the instrumental to a rogue engineer.

Honestly, at this point, after 5 years, I've lost any objectivity to evaluate the result, so I hope you enjoy it.

Zappateada II is a piece for Jazz Ensemble composed in 2010. The piece is an extended and improved version of Zappateada (I), a score performed in 2009 at the Prismas festival in Santiago de Chile. The instrumentation and progressive music style evokes for me the music of Frank Zappa. On the other hand, "zapatear" (to tap your feet) is a part of the Chilean dance cueca. Even though there are no musical references to cueca in this piece, the fact that I'm Chilean made me merge these two ideas into the title Zappateada.

Virtual orchestration(brass, sax, piano): Guido Arcella

Fretless Bass: Tomás Díaz

Electric Guitar: Francisco Rafart

Drums (programming): Francisco Rafart

Mix and Master: Francisco Rafart

The Zappateada II score is available for purchase on Rising Tide Music Press: https://www.risingtidemusicpress.com/catalog/p/zappateada-ii

Thanatos is a full band instrumental track where the Stick is the leading instrument. The track takes influences from electronic music with growling synths and from flamenco, with a tremolo based melody in the middle section. It is part of the live performance The Great Refusal, now released as a studio reccording. Bass performed by Tomás Díaz. Stick and production by Rafart.

Void is a ballad with prog rock and electronic influences. The song's lyrics are about the illusory nature of experience. How behind every sight or sense of self, there's nothing really there, just emptiness. Using the Chapman Stick and synthesizers, I try to evoke this sense of emptiness by creating large background soundscapes and modal harmonies. These musical elements induce a more primitive experience of existence. Void is part of The Great Refusal, a live audiovisual performance.

Andes Haze is a psychedelic rock instrumental that explores the sounds of Andean folklore. Using the Charango, synths, and with the help of guest musicians Felipe Saalfeld (Guitar) and Pat Dalton (Drums), I tried to evoke the experience of awe that the Andes mountain range produces on people.

Dasein is my 4th release with the Rafart project. This album is a mix of electronic music and prog-rock, a style I refer to as Electronic Prog-Rock. It combines the Chapman Stick in a band format with electronic production techniques.

Dasein refers to Heidegger's concept of human beings as agents of care that are capable of constructing their authenticity. This album is an expression of my ongoing process of authenticity. It's the first one where I do songs, and not only instrumentals, a so far missing part of my musical work.

Tracks

Machine Elves - Upbeat prog metal song with Dubstep sections. The lyrics refer to Terence Mckenna's encounter with machine elves in his experience with DMT.

Jarmasti

Instrumental that focuses on intricate Stick lines flourished by synths and different timbres.

Always Alone

Power ballad that explores the notion that throughout our lives, even though we're in the company of friends and family, we're fundamentally experiencing the world on our own.

Always with you

Jazzy instrumental. A way of saying that, even though fundamentally alone, other people surround us in our life's journey.

Solea - A traditional flamenco form on a solo Stick format. A bonus track not included on the CD version.

Inspired by Karlheinz Stockhausen's definition of music as Organized Sound, this track is a Psytrance, Dubstep and Rock influenced track that uses diverse sound sources like granular synthesis, vocal samples, electric guitar and Chapman Stick.

Vocals by Aman Wadwha, Electric Guitar by Joaquin Bustamante, Chapman Stick by Francisco Rafart. Speech: Karlheinz Stockhausen

Magic Concepts is a collaboration with female Indian singer Ramya Sivaramakrishnan and Puerto Rican guitarist David Rios. It is a unique musical creation made with musicians around the world, that mixes electronic music, indian classical chant, Chapman Stick and rock guitar.

The song was featured in a video on the popular youtube channel "Sailing La Vagabonde" in October 2019. The song was paired to a fantastic underwater diving scene. Check out the link below to watch the sequence on minute 10:37.

La Vagabonde is the boat in which this family of Australian environmental activists sails the oceans as a way of life. Thanks to youtube, they've managed to make a living out of sailing, and, in the process, they have reached a substantial number of followers.

https://youtu.be/emvUUIt9t6A?t=637

The Dark Night of the Soul is a stylistic continuation of The Handbook of the Acid Rider. Every track in this album features a special guest musician: Pat Nuño in classical guitars, the jazz vibraphone player Mauricio Gallardo and the electric guitar virtuoso, winner of the Steve Vai Scholarship, Benjamín Lechuga.

This album is inspired in the poem by Saint John of the Cross. In it, he describes the dark and meaningless period of life which individuals go through to achieve a union with god.

Credits

Album recorded and mixed by Rodrigo Morel at Estudios Machete (Santiago de Chile)

Mastered by Luke Dennis at Berklee College of Music (Valencia, Spain)

Acoustic guitars: Pat Nuño.

Drums: Andrés Rojas Ferrari.

Vibes: Mauricio Gallardo.

Electric Guitar: Benjamín Lechuga, Rodrigo Morel, Francisco Rafart.

Bass: Rodrigo Morel

Stick: Francisco Rafart.

All tracks composed and arranged by Rafart.

"Caminito del Turia" is an inspired epic instrumental with electronic influences. Recorded in Valencia at Berklee College of Music. André Pazmiño on guitars, Francisco Rafart on the Chapman Stick, Nico Schipper on the Bagpipes and Gonzalo Eyzaguirre on the Snare. Produced by Francisco Rafart. Special thanks to Ian Kagey and Ben Cantil for production advices.

Video was shot at the Turia park and in the Berklee Valencia studios.

Get In the Grid 2015 is an Electronic EP that features the Chapman Stick as the main instrument. It is my first finished electronic production. The EP was recorded and produced in Berklee Valencia, Spain. All tracks feature the Chapman Stick and where created in Ableton Live 9. This EP was the final assignment for the Electronic Production Live Performance Class with professor Ben Cantil aka. Encanti.

*Samples in “Remix of the beast” from Iron Maiden.

Rafart´s debut Chapman Stick album. 10 tracks of Stick, drums and guitar trio. A mix of progressive rock and electronic music, making the Chapman Stick an integral part of a band. Distributed by Mylodon Records and available for purchase in this website.

Credits

Released June 24, 2013

Recorded and mixed by Rodrigo Morel at Estudio Machete, Santiago de Chile, 2013.

Drums recorded by Eduardo Demangel and Dante González at Alba Road Studios, Santiago, Chile.

Mastered by Mike Tholen at Rax Trax Recording, Chicago, IL.

Composition in 1, 5 & 7: Francisco Rafart & Pat Nuño

Drums in 1, 5, 7 & 10: Pablo Martínez.

Guitars in 1, 5 & 7: Fernando Daza

Guitars in 2, 4 & 8: Rodrigo Morel & Francisco Rafart

Stick & composition in all tracks: Francisco Rafart.