In 1987, Rafael Toral began making his own compositions and solo recordings using electric guitar in an enhanced signal path.
In the time since then, he has developed his conceptions, first as a guitar improviser, then in what he called his ‘Space Program’, utilizing self-made electronic modules.
2024’s ‘Spectral Evolution’ was a much-acclaimed return to guitar voicings and improvisations, edified by his further explorations in electronic sound.

In the wake of his extraordinary new music comes a new set of CD masters for Rafael’s first two albums, ‘Sound Mind Sound Body’ and ‘Wave Field’.
Nearly 40 years later, these recordings sound remarkably prescient and perfectly timeless - fresher today than when they were first released.
‘Sound Mind Sound Body’ was inspired in part by the working principles of Fripp & Eno, extrapolated by Rafael via a unique signal path leading out of his guitar.
He paid notice to the massive impact of discreet gestures, creating slow-moving tones and spacious orchestral resonances, drifting and droning with glacial majesty, hardly recognizable as guitar much of the time.
The first pieces were recorded in 1987; in 1994, a collection was released on Portugal’s AnAnAnA, producing an hour’s worth of remarkable sonic equilibrium in this mode.
With each subsequent reissue, however, aspects of this sound have been subtly revisited.
For the 1998 Moikai CD, ‘AE 1’, one of the earliest pieces conceived, was newly recorded; for the 2018 Drag City LP master, ‘Textura e Linhas Curvas’ was included, ‘AER 7 E’ was re-recorded and the material for ‘AE 2’ was recorded for the first time ever.
These performances were executed using the same processes as the original ones.
For the current CD, ‘Loopability II’ has been recalled from the AnAnAnA master, ‘Textura e Linhas Curvas’ omitted and yet another brand-new version of ‘AER 7E’ inserted in place of the 2018 version.
Incredibly, all of these changes augment ‘Sound Mind Sound Body’’s expansive intent without altering its essential otherworldly atmosphere.