‘We Are Stars’ “Intersecting the Solar System between Bowie & Kate Bush” Launch, Videos, Photos, Album Reviews + Experience it Live Once Again in April!
March 27, 2024 § Leave a comment
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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.
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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
Strength Through Hard Times, Constellation Club: All Details, Box Schtumm Show, Spring Inter-Pla-Net-Live and Ashes To Ashes Live Video + LIAVFOS
April 14, 2023 § Leave a comment
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So much has happened since the last blog so this is going to be extensive. Life throws things at you and this time it hit hard. A really tough December and I lost my mum at the start of January. From this profound sadness and though undoubtedly walking the difficult path of grieving for a while yet, life carries on and I’m reaching from within to be able to carry on the journey. Raf and O is the vehicle and the motivation is strong if not stronger. Through hard times strength comes.
We performed in West Kirby Arts Centre last November to an excellent reception. Special thanks to Mal Robinson for filming us on stage and for the realisation of this video. I dedicate it to my mum up in the stars and to my dad who returned to the stars many moons ago … with all my love …
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Raf and O -‘Ashes To Ashes’ (David Bowie Cover) Live at WKAC. Filmed by Mal Robinson
O Richard Smith performs live at West Kirby Arts Centre. Captured by Mal Robinson
Stars On The Horizon
I’ve done a lot of writing recently, so much more than this album that’s coming up … next one has already being conceived, literally …
We saw Moonage daydream, Brett Morgen’s film exploring David Bowie and it was wonderful! Poignant, beautifully, chaotically and creatively edited, Bowie’s music and persona gloriously attacking our senses, his mentoring presence intimately speaking to us through his journey of discovery. I came away from the cinema inspired. And to keep pursuing. Creators must keep going, platforms are increasingly difficult but we’re scratching the surface of a possible way forward, glimpsing through excitement and trepidation (haven’t done this sort of thing before) we have fleshed out what we originally concocted as our Constellation Club. It will soon be a reality.
CONSTELLATION CLUB
a club by Raf and O
where song stars are born
LAUNCHING 12 JUNE – THE DETAILS!
Launching in June ahead of upcoming releases, we really have pondered this throughout and decided that to be able to logistically make it all happen, it could only work as a yearly subscription. Constellation Club tiers will work as two items of Merch on Bandcamp, offering all described below + posts on facebook accessible to those who join the club only – members will be notified by email when posts are up. I will update the links here as soon as we launch!
(NOW UP AND RUNNING HERE! https://rafando.bandcamp.com
Keep reading!
Independent Artists in the 21st Century are increasingly relying on those who believe in the impact of artistic output as a way of enriching all our lives and the inner power that is generated as a result.
We are Raf and O, we create songs, music, art, interpretations, performances, we direct all our projects.
Can you support Raf and O creating and releasing music and more? Would you like to support weekly monthly yearly writing, your name on our album, get to see new lyrics and hear new songs before anybody else, get to own an original unique and bespoke booklet of handwritten lyrics only available to members of Constellation Club? Would you like to become a monthly guardian of a Raf and O song? Would you like to own your own portrait painted by me (Raf that is), whilst you are listening to a Raf and O song? Would you like our utmost gratitude and the knowledge you are supporting proactive and hard working independent artists to keep going?
COME SHINE OR DAZZLE WITH US!
Constellation Club – Shine With Raf and O – £110 pa
LINK – https://rafando.bandcamp.com/merch/constellation-club-shine-with-raf-and-o
We will make specifically for you and send you an original bespoke lovingly realised physical A4 booklet full of hand written lyrics for all the songs of the upcoming Raf and O album ‘We Are Stars’ only available to the members of Constellation Club + one year worth access to: monthly song stars formation posts (far ahead of their official releases to the wider public, we’ll be sharing secrets songs of the future in their formation states) and monthly guardian of a Raf and O song of your choosing – all Constellation Club posts will be via facebook posts for ‘Constellationists’ only + your name will appear in the thanks of our upcoming album + extra surprises along the way!
Constellation Club – Dazzle With Raf and O – £230 pa
LINK – https://rafando.bandcamp.com/merch/constellation-club-dazzle-with-raf-and-o
You will get everything described in Constellation Club – Shine With Raf and O + you will commission an original portrait painted by Raf from a photo of you listening to a Raf and O song which will be sent to you personally when ready! Unique and personal art, personally made and delivered to you, massively discounted only to members of Constellation Club!
SO, IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE A STAR
IN OUR CONSTELLATION CLUB …
IN THE INNER CIRCLE …
YOU WILL HAVE OUR UTMOST GRATITUDE AND THE KNOWLEDGE YOU ARE SUPPORTING PROACTIVE AND HARD WORKING INDEPENDENT ARTISTS TO KEEP GOING
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Raf and O perform live at West Kirby Arts Centre. Captured by Mal Robinson
In the meantime ….
WE ARE STARS – THE ALBUM SEQUENCE
In 2023, ‘We Are Stars’ album will be released and we truly look forward to that! Here’s the album sequencing, many songs were introduced in their early development to our hardcore fans during our online shows and we are now proud to announce them as part of Raf and O’s 5th and upcoming album ‘We Are Stars’.
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SCHTUMM SHOW
’Inextricably linked to David Bowie’! Thank you to the people at Schtumm! On Sunday May 21st Raf and O head over to Wiltshire, precisely to Box near Bath for a special show promoted by Schtumm who are welcoming us in the Steve Hall arena from where we will present the music of Raf and O and David Bowie! We’re very excited and discounted advanced tickets are on sale now right here, a bargain! Spread the word, we’re looking forward to go west and can’t wait to perform for you !
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INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE SHOWS 2023
Excitement running high at INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE SHOWS 2023 glowing with live music warming our hearts through good and bad times. Two have been, two more to go this Spring, we’re live on your screen through your ears and into your consciousness. Huge thank you to our fans who have been to so many shows since 2020, a wonderful bunch. April 29 is our next one. Join us at this link
http://stageit.com/raf-and-o/111239
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Raf and O perform live at INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE
LANGUAGE IS A VIRUS FROM OUTER SPACE FILMED AT THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL
We leave you with some stunning captures of Raf and O performing ‘Dream Machine’ from the extraordinary film ‘Language Is A Virus From Outer Space’ (LIAVFOS) shot at the Queen Elizabeth Hall for the William S Burroughs centenary and lovingly realised by director Neville Farmer together with Richard Strange who also put together the whole show. An unforgettable event alongside a brilliant bill of artists. The film was screened last Summer at The Wire 40 years celebration and was selected for the Oaxaca filmfest.
We hope you will join our Constellation Club.
Be a star that keeps shining in our universe,
we’ll endeavour to do the same.
Here’s to the power within …
Raf and O ❤ 🌟✨
Raf and O perform Dream Machine in the film ‘Language Is A Virus From Outer Space‘ filmed and realised by Neville Farmer and Richard Strange
Back to RAF AND O’S BLOG/ NEWS PAGE
‘We Are Stars’ Raf And O’s New Album is waiting in the wings, Shows Coming Up, Lyrics and Lab of Ideas, We Are All Stars and It Matters! Let’s Make It Work Together + as we wait, Raf Sings Kate
July 1, 2022 § Leave a comment
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LAB OF IDEAS, WE ARE ALL STARS AND IT MATTERS!
Raf and O live at Paper Dress Vintage 22 09 19. Photo from footage by Mal Robinson
As we’re setting ouselves one thousand and twenty ideas and only sixteen or so daily hours to see us through to the completion of some of those courses, we’re excitedly reaching out and let the rest of the world know about the title for our new album to be ‘We Are Stars’! One course is set for sure, we are all stars and it matters! Our super fans of course already knew, being avid participators of THE TOUR ONLINE and Inter-Pla-Net-live shows, during which we aired many live renditions of our new songs, as well as loving renditions of the songs of David Bowie and Kate Bush, we’re very thankful to them and I think they are our constellation club!!! I want everything to be out now but I’ll try to remain patient as this year advances, it will bring music, word, image and live engagements. Times are testing, the human road is littered with obstacles, set in a galaxy, part of our universe throbbing with storms, it’s so easy to lose one’s way, we can all do that, but let’s keep going…
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Raf and O live on Inter-Pla-Net-Live 15 01 22
Raf and O live on Inter-Pla-Net-Live 06 06 22
CONGRATULATIONS TO KATE BUSH
Congratulations to Kate Bush for her recent chart success, so lovely to hear her interview on the radio the other day. Of course it’s not so long ago that we played several shows celebrating her music, listening back to them, there are many songs I would like all of you to hear, I’m getting a few ideas, so now, as we wait for ‘We Are Stars’, I wish to share with you a couple of Kate’s songs performed by Raf and O Live on The Tour Online during May and June 2021. An excerpt from ‘Misty, a rough diamond as only a second run through but I love this song and ‘In The Warm Room’.
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Raf and O -‘Misty’ live 26 06 21 excerpt (Kate Bush Cover)
Raf and O – ‘In The Warm Room’ live 22 05 21 (Kate Bush Cover)
LET’S MAKE IT WORK TOGETHER
A few months ago I talked about shared air shows, this feels too ominous now – shows in venues feels about right. Truly looking forward to return to West Kirby Arts Centre, 11 11 22, (tickets on the LIVE page) a date now set late in the autumn: the show will see new Raf and O music, the song world of David Bowie with us as Children Of The Bewlay Brothers, on the road! We truly appreciate each one of you who come to our shows, I hope you won’t mind me suggesting, seen how difficult and demanding it is to make it all work, the purchase of early tickets whenever possible, you will not be disappointed and you will help to support independent music and grass root venues – let’s make it work together!
A special London show is finally in the planning stages and others will be announced as we go.
Our pedal boards shimmer in the dark and remind me, we’re on a mission.
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We’re taking bookings for the songs of KATE BUSH, DAVID BOWIE and Raf and O, I now draw / paint portraits (see our previous BLOG) and O and I are both teaching. HERE is one more portrait I did recently of my dear friend Klarita.
Reach us at: info@rafando.com
You can also reach us on social media, at online shows, at venues shows, come say hi, let’s make it work!
Do you want to be a star in our constellation?
We are all stars, they are all around. I want to share a lyric I wrote from the new album
With Love
Raf
and O ❤
Back to RAF AND O’S BLOG/ NEWS PAGE
‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’ inspires Raf and O’s ’Tommy Newton’. The Tour Online is dead, long live The Tour! Constellation Club, Inter-Pla-Net-Live, Shared Air Shows and Art Is Calling
September 18, 2021 § Leave a comment
‘Cause if you think of what it’s all about, you probably find it’s about creating.
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Side One Of This Very Blog
GOODBYE TOUR ONLINE
Mission accomplished. 24 dates and one year later, Raf and O (aka Raf Mantelli and O Richard Smith) with our fans emerge from The Tour Online celebrating. Dependable, journeying together, ‘cause if you think of what it’s all about, you probably find it’s about creating.
Courageous and strong, varied and long, each show different from the next, The Metro’s newspaper featured Raf and O’s livestream shows among the best online. Punching through to the other side of the screen, interacting with the visuals we created for the shows, there were performances, tensions, drama, release, there were smiles, sounds, lots of sounds, live, smooth, edgy, dynamic. There were a lot of interactions with our fans. Intertwining interpretations of David Bowie songs (TMWSTW live video features on our previous blog) colliding with renditions, at time total revisions of the songs of Kate Bush, riding the collision through to the other side to meet Raf and O songs with a lot of the already released tracks freshly approached for the tour and a lot of the new, unheard and previewed for the eyes and the ears of the eager out there. O and I want to really say: A deep felt THANK YOU, you are the best fans and we are going to bring you more. You can find The Tour Online action shots album here
RAF AND O ‘TOMMY NEWTON’
INSPIRED BY ‘THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH
“Intoxicating, reflective, artistic and dramatic”
God Is In The TV zine
“A spellbinding lamentable love song … sublime”
Monolith Cocktail
Amongst the new Raf and O songs, one in particular is close to our hearts: ‘Tommy Newton’, which will be part of our new album is inspired by ‘The Man Who Fell To Earth’, the 1976 science fiction film based on the novel by Walter Davis directed by Nicolas Roeg, starring David Bowie in the role of Thomas Jerome Newton and Candy Clark in the one of Mary-Lou. It’s a love song I’ve written from the perspective of Mary-Lou, she’s talking to Tommy, but it’s really happening in her mind, she’s talking to herself and she’s talking to us. I loved the film all my life, just as I’ve loved Bowie. Performed for the first time ever on The Tour Online, the live video of this performance has been featured by the press and now is part of this blog too!
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Raf and O – ‘Tommy Newton’ Live on The Tour Online 12 June 2021
Side Two Of This Very Blog
Last month I published my stream of consciousness on social media.
“Some time we take our time to figure out where we may want to head out next. There is no clear path set, only the leading light of our imagination to determine our next steps. So, with that in mind, we’re at the end of the tour online and we may yet have to define what has to come up next, under the leading light of stars, some place afar.”
Raf Mantelli (2021)
So we’ve let our imagination flow and time has clearly grown, or has it compressed?
….. On the event horizon
2022
We’re launching two projects
INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE and CONSTELLATION CLUB
INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE
PHASE 1
5 shows
one every 5 weeks
like the points of a star
Starting January 2022
Building on the strength and success of The Tour Online, INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE will see Raf and O presenting new live shows in the ether, accessible from all parts of the world and who knows, the universe perhaps?
Reaching new territories – it’s in the DNA.
plus …..
CONSTELLATION CLUB
Are you a star in our galaxy?
A new club to see the birth of our NEW ALBUM.
Very excited. Details to be announced
plus …..
The return of SHARED AIR SHOWS
We have a new name for those shows in the flesh, you know, the ones where we share the same physical space as the audience. ‘Shared Air Shows’, that’s how we will refer to them from now on. Alongside INTER-PLA-NET-LIVE (our future live online shows) we are testing the atmosphere soon to be leaving the capsule. Yes we will back wherever possible, performing in the flesh too, so look out for Shared Air Shows by Raf and O from soon into the future …
THEATRES, PROMOTERS, FESTIVALS, RAF AND O HAVE THREE EVER EXPANDING LIVE SHOWS TO BRING TO YOU!
THE SONGS OF RAF AND O
(Tommy Newton Live Video)
THE KICK INSIDE – THE SONGS OF KATE BUSH
(Babooshka Live Video)
CHILDREN OF THE BEWLAY BROTHERS
(TO DAVID BOWIE WITH LOVE)
(The Man Who Sold The World Live Video)
For bookings and more info email: info@rafando.com
plus …..
ART IS CALLING
The rekindling of another passion of mine – ART.
After years of making music and writing songs I’m making art again, I see them working like a seesaw. Maintaining a visual connection through album artwork creation, video visions, visuals and performance, this is only a step away, or the gestures of a hand. Below a couple of portraits, you may recognise the subjects.
Watch out for work and it will take different forms, from now into the future …
Commissions are of course welcome – info@rafando.com
plus …..
There is more, but you know… it can wait for now!
2022 will see us busy …. Raf and O ❤
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To be kept up to date with the latest follow us here:
WORDPRESS
BANDCAMP
STAGEIT
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM
YOUTUBE
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This is The Tour Online, now mid voyage, come aboard! Raf and O play Underwater Blue and Bowie – The Man Who Sold The World: live videos
March 22, 2021 § Leave a comment
Six months ago we started The Tour Online and the performances brought in the press. We are very grateful
“Stunning” Pennyblackmusic
“It’s going to haunt my dreams” Joe Muggs
“Greatly strung out on heavens high as always.
Love it” Monolith Cocktail
Untrapping (can we do this?) our way out of this global overhanging shadow, with hope in sight we are still battling. Envisaging new ways to bring live shows to our fans, we embarked on one year long virtual tour, where we launched Children Of The Bewlay Brothers (to David Bowie with Love), a project to bring you renditions and interpretations of ‘the man who sang himself to Earth’ alongside The Kick Inside – The Songs of Kate Bush and the songs of Raf and O. We’ve been visually and sonically bathing in monochrome and colour hues, reticulations, guitars. and atmos, piano and upright strings and lots and lots of vocals down those internet cables, while the light of a century old moon bass drum overlooked unsuspectingly. (Continues below)
Fifteen shows down the line we have been performing live to our fans in front of the camera on the other side of the screen, a big big thank you to them, they have been exploring with us a new way we can perform. Some stills from the virtual tour are HERE , follow us on STAGEIT, the platform we use to perform.
Below, a couple of live videos showing a glimpse of The Tour Online, a peep hole, a key that you can turn, to come inside you must come on board or continue the journey with us. Each performance lasts almost an hour, always new surprises, the audience interact live with us through the power of the written word aka live chat, we, on the other hand interact with the spoken word and live sound & vision. You can find our remaining dates on our LIVE page. We are waiting for you!
Tickets are now on sale for the following shows:
Mar 27 – The Kick Inside The Songs Of Kate Bush – TICKETS
Apr 10 – The Songs Of Raf and O – TICKETS
Apr 24 – The Kick Inside The Songs Of Kate Bush – TICKETS
May 08 – Children Of The Bewlay Brothers – TICKETS
(to David Bowie with Love)
We have also relaunched our sisters FB and TWITTER pages as Raf and O play Bush & Bowie: The Kick Inside and Children Of The Bewlay Brothers. Give them a like and a follow and of course our main social media pages have journaled all stages of our tour so far – you can catch all updates HERE and HERE! See you soon on The Tour Online, in fact we’re back this Saturday with The Kick Inside – The Songs Of Kate Bush at this link. Totally looking forward to unleash some more surprises. https://stageit.com/raf-and-o/95673
With love and renewed energy
Raf and O XxX
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Raf and O 
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