RAPHAEL ROGINSKI
PLAYS
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
ON SOLO GUITAR
PLAYS
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND
ON SOLO GUITAR
Tuesday,
October 20, 2026
7:30pm
Doors
8pm
Performance begins
Limited capacity
October 20, 2026
7:30pm
Doors
8pm
Performance begins
Limited capacity
The Polish musician Raphael Rogiński is a guitarist, composer, and improviser, but is also a student of the anthropologies of music.
As an ethnographer, he is always looking for sources and tracing things back to where they come from. The electric guitar, for example, is connected not just to jazz or rock ’n’ roll but to thousands of years of musical history.
Over the past few years, Raphael has been analyzing the music of The Velvet Underground. What are the origin points for some of their approaches to making sounds? Where does the wall of sound, the Delta blues, noise, the ballad, or even electric sound itself come from?
As an ethnographer, he is always looking for sources and tracing things back to where they come from. The electric guitar, for example, is connected not just to jazz or rock ’n’ roll but to thousands of years of musical history.
Over the past few years, Raphael has been analyzing the music of The Velvet Underground. What are the origin points for some of their approaches to making sounds? Where does the wall of sound, the Delta blues, noise, the ballad, or even electric sound itself come from?
This led him to arrange tracks from the first three Velvet Underground albums to be played for solo guitar. Obviously, playing the Velvets using only a solo guitar can’t possibly sound like the Velvets, but that’s not what Raphael is after. His goal is not to reproduce a style but to interpret what lies within the roots of music.
This is the first time Raphael has performed this arrangement. He chooses to do that not only in New York City, the physical and spiritual home of the Velvet Underground, but in a room that has a deep connection to the musicians who created the band. Lou Reed himself spent many long nights sitting at our dining table, alongside Burroughs, Warhol, and many others.
A conversation between Raphael and Andy Battaglia follows the performance.
This event is co-presented with Unsound New York. Special thanks to Andy Battaglia and Mat Schulz.
This is the first time Raphael has performed this arrangement. He chooses to do that not only in New York City, the physical and spiritual home of the Velvet Underground, but in a room that has a deep connection to the musicians who created the band. Lou Reed himself spent many long nights sitting at our dining table, alongside Burroughs, Warhol, and many others.
A conversation between Raphael and Andy Battaglia follows the performance.
This event is co-presented with Unsound New York. Special thanks to Andy Battaglia and Mat Schulz.
Photo by Bartek Stołek
Raphael Rogiński (b. 1977, Germany) is a Polish guitarist, composer, improviser, and researcher of musical folklore, working at the intersection of experimental music, jazz, early music, and traditional musical cultures. Drawing on traditions from Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and beyond, he develops a distinctive musical language rooted in deep research, improvisation, and the exploration of sound. He has released acclaimed albums including Plays John Coltrane and Langston Hughes: African Mystic Music (Bôłt Records, 2015; expanded reissue by Unsound, 2024), Talán (Instant Classic, 2023), and Žaltys (Unsound, 2024). Rogiński leads and performs in numerous projects, including Shofar, Hizbut Jamm, Żywizna, Elik (with Svitlana Nianio), and his solo electric guitar performances. His collaborations span experimental, improvised, and traditional music, involving artists such as Joe McPhee, Jim White, David Grubbs, Angel Bat Dawid, Keith Rowe, Michael Zerang, Perry Robinson, Svetlana Spajič, Ashik Nargile Mehtyieva, and more. His latest work explores the musical heritage of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region through contemporary arrangements, improvisation, and collaborations with musicians from across the region.
The Velvet Underground (1964 - 1973) were a rock band formed by Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Moe Tucker. Andy Warhol became their manager in 1966. Their albums included The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967), White Light/White Heat (1968), The Velvet Underground (1969), and Loaded (1970).
Due to the age and character of the building, the space is not optimized for ADA accessibility and is located up a single flight of 20 stairs with handrails. If you have questions about access, please contact us in advance of the event, and we will make every effort to accommodate you.
