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.

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

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 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.

Check it out!

New song release! 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.

Available in Spotify, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, and as an NFT on Open Sea.

I just released the song The Alienation Dance as an interactive web application. In the app you'll be able to both listen the song and do a live mix of it by dragging the different instruments on the screen. This experiment is my attempt to "extend" the digital musical experience beyond hitting play on a playlist. I'm trying to create a more personal relationship between you and the song by allowing you to interact with it. I recommend using a desktop computer and headphones for the experience, as it will allow you to drag icons and appreciate the subtle changes of the mix better. The Alienation Dance web app is part of a larger project called The Great Refusal, an audiovisual musical performance that was made possible by a Live Arts Boston (LAB) grant by the Boston Foundation. The animations were created by Brazilian artist Benjamin Ramos.

Hey there!

I will be live streaming The Great Refusal on Friday, June 25th 7pm EDT, 2021, from the Dorchester Art Project in Boston.

The Great Refusal is an audiovisual performance inspired by the book Eros and Civilization by H. Marcuse. For this show, I dove into live looping and projection mapping onto a custom-built stage to extend the concert experience beyond pure music.

This project, funded by a LAB grant by the Boston Foundation, allowed me to explore musical and performative ideas I had on the backburner for a long time. By building a custom stage and learning how to do projection mapping, I expanded my music performance to be an audiovisual experience. My music craft grew as well, as I integrated sequencers, loopers, pedals, and performance software to the work I do with the Chapman Stick and my voice.

Overall, working on the show has been a great learning experience and a new phase of the Rafart project. I'm excited to share this new beginning with you.

The Greate Refusal will be streamed on my app (link button below) and on my youtube channel. It is a free show, and a coluntary contribution is possible in my app. Put it on your calendar!

This project is made possible by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation.

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.

Check it out on Spotify by clicking the link below.

During 2020, and thanks to the Live Arts Boston (LAB) grant, I will be working on a new audiovisual performance project.

This show will combine visuals projected onto the stage with live music performed with electronic instruments and the Stick. To achieve this, I will build a custom stage that will serve as a screen and use projection mapping to bring the performance to life.

Creating an immersive experience by integrating visuals into my performance is something I've wanted to do for many years. A common practice in DJ sets, projection mapping is still an unexplored technique in non-EDM music scenes. This grant allows me to dedicate time and resources to put these elements together and create a unique musical experience.

The show will be presented in public in early 2021 and is made possible by a Live Arts Boston grant from the Boston Foundation.

Beautiful underwater scene

I was happy to learn in late October that my single Magic Concepts, released in 2016, was featured in a video by the popular youtube channel "Sailing La Vagabonde". The song was paired to a fantastic underwater diving scene. Check out the link below to watch the sequence on minute 10:37.

Sailing activists and Greta Thunberg

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 (+6 million subscribers).

In the last few weeks, they've been on world news. At the moment I'm writing this, they're taking the Swedish activist Greta Thunberg across the Atlantic from the U.S. to the UN climate summit in Spain.

I'm happy that my music has been put to such good visual use. Also, it's gratifing that it is being used for a good cause, even if it's helping indirectly.

Dasein EP is out now!

Dasein is my fourth release. This EP 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.

The title refers to Heidegger's concept of being-in-the-world. Dasein is the only entity that cares (is concerned) with being. As such, it is capable of constructing its authenticity in spite of historical and social conditioning. This album is an expression of my ongoing process of searching for musical authenticity. It's the first one where I do songs, and not only instrumentals, a so far missing part of my artistic work.

Credits

Felipe Saalfeld: Guitars (Machine Elves & Always Alone). Pato Nuño: Guitars (Always with you). Patrick Dalton: Drums (All tracks). Francisco Rafart: Stick, vocals (All tracks), and guitars (Jarmasti)

Recorded by Keith Asack at Keep the Edge Studios, Quincy MA. Guitars recorded at Estudio Machete, Santiago de Chile. Mixed and Mastered by Francisco Rafart, Quincy, MA. Cover art: Benjamin Ramos