"Olive Days" review by Sascha Renner at Ear Labs

From 1991 to 2001, Rafael Flores reduced musical activity, and was involved with video art, releasing just a very limited soundworks as "friends only" private editions. After a long pause, he returns to editorial activity in 2002.
His new album "olive days", released on the american label zeromoon is a minimalist one of its kind.
Most of the thirteen pieces manage to enthral with one, sometimes two single layers, which have been chosen carefully. This fine selection demonstrates Rafael's experience, adopted during the long time he is making sonic experiments now.
His sounds derive from field-recordings, sinus-tones, distorted crackles and drones, white noise and the like.
There is a strong red thread spinning continuously through his well structured pieces, which captures my attention.
In contrast to the first nine pieces, that were recorded and mixed in the studio, the last four tracks were recorded live at "atv" this year. In o-live1 it appears to me Rafael works with time stretched voice, the second live piece sounds like field-recordings of a room with machines running. o-live4 deals with heavy distorted crackles followed by a dry drone maybe derived from recorded wind.
All in all, Rafael created a very strong and coherent collection of skillfully structured work.