"On The Drone Of Solitude" is a collection of sonic narratives whispered through the gentle hiss of vintage tape, evoking solitary moments experienced during travels. From the labyrinthine backstreets of ancient Tunis to the haunting, long-forgotten sanatoriums of post-Soviet Georgia, from the tranquil serenity of a Singaporean airport to the bustling, chaotic streets of Ho Chi Minh, and to the serene heights of Azorean mountain lakes, from the grandeur of Kosovo's towering peaks to the delicate caress of my hand drum's mellowness, this album weaves a tapestry of sonic solace and soulful connection.

These sonic vignettes emphasize the transformation of landscapes into cherished memories, in places where people chose solitude or were compelled to embrace it. They serve as sonic meditations on solitude, portraying a single person confronting the grandeur of nature or the lonely moments experienced in bustling but careless urban environments.
(Deep Dive Sound)

Composed, recorded, and arranged by Rafael Diogo
Mastered by Raffaele Pezzella AKA Sonologyst
Cover photo by Konstantinos Sahlos

Digital download @ https://droneworksinternational.bandcamp.com/album/deep-dive-sound-on-the-drone-of-solitude

Release Date: 9th Dec 2023
Drone Works International DWI 48

Bandcamp

Deep Dive Sound - Snippets Of On The Drone Of Solitude (DWI 48)

A very special edition curated by Valeri Marina presents fifteen artists from all over the world; powered by CKUW 95.9 fm Winnipeg University Radio(Campus and Community Radio since 1963).

S.A.N.E. Episode 38 curated by Valeri Marina

Voice and flute. The lyrics that inspired me are from a live collaboration with Alice Phoebe Lou and Cesar B. in Berlin Summer Night. The original lyrics are from "Lonesome Hunter" by Timber Timbre.

Every Heart Is A Lonesome Hunter

Under a blanket of starlit darkness, the forest hums with life. The gentle pulse of insects, echoing frogs, and the occasional call of distant birds weave together in a primal symphony. In this lush, untouched world, each sound tells a story, merging into an immersive nocturnal melody that celebrates nature’s resilience and beauty

Night Chorus in the Heart of the Colombian Amazon, 2024

... on the road to discovery with both lightness and power.

In coral caves underwater, hundreds of mermaids wag their tails in sync with a music that is submarine and green, whilst phosphorescent lights from abyssal creatures are reflected and blink on their tails' scales.

Music and production by fectoper and https://soundcloud.com/tatiana-korkach
Vocals by https://soundcloud.com/tatiana-korkach and her mermaids
Mixing and mastering by fectoper
Cover art by Valeria Yudina

Wagging Tails

Rafael Diogo about 'Where Shadows Sleep':

'Where Shadows Sleep' is a meditative sonic diary, born from my recent journeys across South America and the Middle East & North Africa. It weaves together the contrasts I witnessed — between cultures, faiths, and the presence and absence of the divine. It reflects on what humanity celebrates and laments, offering a space for both solace and reflection.

In the Amazon, the earth hummed in delicate whispers, lush and endless. I captured its heartbeat, learning to embrace medicinal plants, cradled in the quiet power of nature’s embrace. These sacred moments of peace stand in stark contrast to my time in the Middle East & North Africa, where desolation echoes and resilience blooms in the shadow of struggle. These two worlds became sonic prayers, woven mantras of hope-seeking balance in their wake.

Each track began as a field recording, a raw imprint of place and time. Slowly, these elemental sounds transformed, enriched by layers of tape loops, healing instruments, and synths. Together, they form a spiritual vessel — an album that soothes the soul, invites deep introspection, and gently awakens an awareness of the world’s fragility and strength.

Rafael Diogo, known as Deep Dive Sound, is a Portuguese field recordist and ambient composer based in London. He draws inspiration from the stories of diverse cultures, objects, and places, transforming them into soundscapes that resonate with immediacy and depth. His work captures a delicate nostalgia, reconnecting us to the sensory essence of time and memory.

Guided by a passion for travel, Rafael explores remote corners of the world, capturing field recordings that weave a rich tapestry of shifting memories. His compositions reflect a deep connection to ecology, illuminating the fragility of nature while embracing its wonder. Through his music, he creates intimate soundscapes that preserve fleeting moments and forgotten places, inviting listeners to rediscover what might otherwise fade into silence.

Recording Locations: Amazon Rainforest – Peru, Colombia / Middle East – Palestine, Egypt
Produced and mixed by Rafael Diogo (Deep Dive Sound)
Icaros (medicine song) by Ronin Mea (track 2)
Mastered by Dionis Afonichev (Dionisaf)
Cover picture by Rafael Diogo with AI
Cover design by Dionis Afonichev

www.chitrarecords.com

Where Shadows Sleep

Fallen Territories

Fragments Of Palestine

In The Drift Of Still Waters

Can One Balloon Make An Elephant Fly?

Sacred Leaves, Sacred Dream

Quando o tempo se esquece que é tempo, ele deixa de contar, de medir, de pesar. Vira vento, um sopro que passa entre folhas, um silêncio suspenso no ar.  É aí que tudo acontece — fora do relógio, no instante em que o coração respira sem pressa, e o mundo se revela como um rio sem margens.

"Quando o tempo se esquece que é tempo" - Aldeia da Vilarinha, Parque Natural da Costa Vicentina

Rafael Diogo is an ambient composer and sound designer based in London, whose works move across experimental paths and natural investigations into everyday sounds.

I create soundscapes in a variety of moods and shapes but mainly I favour the sound of stories embedded into objects and places, a feeling of great immediacy, the phenomenological sense of place and time, the despair for that loss, a memory. 

The practice of travelling enabled me to embrace the boundless possibilities of perceiving the world from many distinct angles. 

My body of work maintains both an ecologic focus that emphasises nature's challenges and fragilities and a wide-eyed spirit of exploration, creating unforeseen liminal soundscapes that can reveal hidden information about a place or a moment that no longer exists.