Rapheal
A new line up for 2006, keeping it real fresh and funky, with loads of influence.
Mistahbenn providing 16 years of bassism, beats and vibez, Mike Rapheal providing smooth vocals and guitar with alotta soul.Band/artist history
I First saw singer songwriter Rapheal in a smoky dim lit pub in North Manchester. The main thing that struck me was his soulful voice, blending the likes of Sonny Guitar Watson and Curtis Mayfield with a dash of P.Funk warm vocals complimenting a distinctive guitar style - raw soul! Listening to his songs is a like waiting for a Saturn 5 rocket to take off: dark brooding rhythms building a tension and expectancy of something big about to happen. he Was born in Douglas, Isle Of Man, son of a Maltese father and English mother, later moving to Australia and following that with a spell in Malta but currently based in the UK. I didnt know what direction to go, he told me, I wanted to be a fine artist like my father, but decided late on that I wanted to be a musician which was surprising because I was crap at music at school. early Influences included Joni Mitchell, John Martin and Frank Zappa amongst others. His music is difficult to define not indie, jazz, folk or anything else but a hybrid of styles reflecting his own personal experiences - if he doesnt feel it, he doesnt sing it. Rapheal plays all his own instruments, recording these tracks, his diary, he calls them, in his bedroom but you really need to catch him live to appreciate the warmth, life, immediacy and soul yes, the soul of his music. we Talked a while longer, about where he would like to be with his music, then the bell struck last orders, we swapped numbers, and he was gone. You can catch Rapheal playing open mike nights around Manchester - including the Iguana Bar in Chorlton and Bury Met. Watch out for him - this guy is going places. Pablo...Have you performed in front of an audience?We are currently in the process of writing material, but will be live very soon in and around Manchester.
Your musical influences
Motown, soul, funk, jazz, latin.What equipment do you use?
Lakland basses, SWR cabs, Hartke, Ibanez and fender guitars, MOTU soundcards, boss digital recorder, etc.Great Funk trak. Perfect for summer! Im from New Jersey by the way...You got some nice music here. I liked bumpy ride. I can already hear a rapper in about 10 years sampling it for some hit song (if you allow them of course). Nice music. Keep doing your thing. Please check out my songs, my new one is "The Jungle".Not my style, but I can recognize good grooves when I hear them. Good work.All comments (4)
Admin
Ben
@mikerapheal
Hey there! I'm just hittin' up a few UK heads. I got a free mixtape you can download if you're interested: http://www.zshare.net/download/shychlo-pse-political-spiritual-egotistical-rar.html Stay on your grind, keep it UK. Peace xx