Raf and O

.

An album is like a being,
it wants to tell its story, 
it wants to reach out, it wants to tell the world what it has to offer. 
An album is like a book, songs are its chapters, 
the writers, the music workers 
shape them into being 
and gently lead them out through recordings 
and live performances...

‘WE ARE STARS’ OUT NOW

Raf and O We Are Stars Album Launch, St Mark’s Regent’s Park, 21 October 2023 © Marcus Portée

Raf and O We Are Stars Album Launch, St Mark’s Regent’s Park, 21 October 2023. Captured by David Plaice

We’re immensely proud of this album, you can show your support by getting it HERE! We’re very grateful for such wonderful reviews, thank you to all respective writers and publications and to those who purchased the album; ‘We Are Stars’ launched in the beautiful settings of St Mark’s, Regents Park, thirty-two stars peeking down on us, an intimate show. Many thanks to all who came and captured the event, to dear friend Klarita Kaparte for promoting and hosting, Mal Robinson for filming and Marcus Portée who voyaged from Bruxelles to photograph Raf and O We Are Stars Album Launch. Plus, a BIG thanks as always to the Constellationists.

If you missed the launch or fancy some more ‘We Are Stars’ action, we are performing it live online, in two parts on Tuesday 16 April and 23 April 2024, 8pm UK time, tix + links below.

WE ARE STARS (PART 1)
WE ARE STARS (PART 2)

Working on new songs is now a regular happening, the songwriting container is getting drip fed and our Constellation Club is in full swing – the Constellationists are getting to hear these new songs in the making and of course you could be one too. Yearly membership on our Bandcamp merch page includes a handwritten conceptualised book for all the songs of ‘We Are Stars’, access to on going compositions and original art is in the mix too.

continues below

WATCH ‘Still Sitting In Our Time Machines’ Official Video (premiered on God Is In The TV Zine)

WATCH ‘Andy Under Stars’ filmed Live by Mal Robinson at St Mark’s Regent’s Park. ‘Andy Under Stars’ is the story of a homeless character obsessed with Andy Warhol. 

“Intersecting the solar system between Bowie & Kate Bush”

GOD IS IN THE TV ZINE

“Raf and O have been purveyors of effervescent, avant-garde pop since 2008 … from apocalyptic, electronica-hued mini-symphonies to elegant, left-field David Bowie covers. ‘We Are Stars’ brings a sense of playfulness … Mischievous and bewitching”  

ELECTRONIC SOUND 

“The most exquisite album yet from Raf and O…You may remember ‘Tommy Newton’ as David Bowie’s character in the SF masterpiece ‘The Man Who Fell to Earth – in the song Raf gives the perspective of Newton’s lover Mary-Lou…tapping into not only the film character but evoking Bowie himself…from the soulful glam-swagger of ‘Still Sitting in our Time Machines’, through the indie-folk vocal acrobatics of ‘Andy under Stars’ and torch-song delicacy of the title track, to the frenetic 80s synth onslaught of ‘Every Time It’s Bleak, We Dance’…The gorgeous closer, ‘Waterloo’ has the stately progression of a rock ‘n’ roll era ballad…it’s not as if Raf and O simply sound like either Bowie or Bush. As I said, they’ve long sounded like no-one but themselves. It’s what they take from them in attitude, fearlessness: the way Raf’s voice swoops and soars without apparent boundaries” 

ARTMUSELONDON 

“We Are Stars is an incredible album. Omnipresent throughout, there’s the angular, shredded and bended guitar of Scary Monsters era Robert Fripp and Carlos Alomar, and the strangely interesting progressions of the arty-pop and dress-up of that album. The titular song itself an alternative, stressful The Man Who Fell To Earth soundtrack, yet recalls the influence of Tricky and Portishead. Lou Reed meets Marianne Faithful, Kate Bush meets Jane Birkin, Lene Lovich meets Latin-flavoured Banshees …. Sublime.” 

MONOLITH COCKTAIL

“Pop-xotica? Supernatural Folk? Post Prog Punk? One of 2023’s finest”

THE SOAP COMPANY

Come discover ‘WE ARE STARS’
Out on CD + all digital platforms

+

Look forward to perform for you live on

INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE

Love, Raf and O  🌟✨

Back to RAF AND O’S BLOG/ NEWS PAGE

Tagged: andy under stars, andy warhol, constellation club, david bowie, inter-pla-net-live, live music, livestream, music, o richard smith, raf & o, raf and o, raf and o we are stars, raf mantelli, st mark's regent's park, still sitting in our time machines, the man who fell to earth, tommy newton, we are stars