Percussion
Berlin 2025
Percussionist and sound artist from Santiago de Chile, has been active since 1998 focusing on improvisation and experimentation with Cajón, drums and simple objects in concerts, performances and sound actions in public spaces too.
He has developed experimental work with the Afro-Peruvian Cajón, exploring its sonic and timbral possibilities in improvisation and sound art. Treating it as a resonant geometric object, he uses non-traditional positions and techniques like rubbing, striking, and scraping with various materials. His work includes solo and collaborative pieces, focusing on the Cajón’s geometry, materials, and the spaces during interventions. In this context, he has created a metal Cajón for sound experimentation.
CONTACT
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CURRENT MUSICAL AND SOUND PROJECTS
_CAJÓN
Improvised and experimental percussion using the Afro-Peruvian instrument in an extended way as a utilitarian sound object. Concerts in solo and ensembles.
Experimental sound and audiovisual project with trumpet, cajons and objects since 2012 by Birgit Ulher.
_FÁRRAGO
Improvised music in a duo with guitarist, composer, and Copenhagen-based graphic artist, Tomás Gubbins.
_CAJON 1mt/min
Sound action where a Peruvian cajón is dragged with a rope from one end at a speed of 1 meter per minute.
_SOLSTICIOS Y EQUINOCCIOS Performance
Sound action in public spaces where every four years since 2012, sounds are played during each of the astronomical events of the year in the Southern Hemisphere (June, September, December, March, June), with a sound action lasting 24 minutes.
The versions have been held in 2012-13 in Valdivia, Chile (solo format), then in 2016-17 (duo format), and in 2022-23 (trio format), both in Santiago de Chile. They have featured the participation of musicians Nicolás Carrasco, Antonia Valladares, Eduardo Astudillo, and Francisca Echeverría. The next action is planned for 2026-27 in a quartet format, and so on.
_FUERZA LABOR Trio
Fuerza Labor is a jazz-inspired trio formed in 2016 by drummer Felipe Araya, along with Edén Carrasco on winds and Santiago Astaburuaga on bass. They blend improvisation and composition, creating a distinctive sound marked by long, full sound blocks, abrupt cuts, and dynamic transitions.
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CURATORIAL PROJECTS
Nieve & Smog Festival in experimental music
Founder. w/Tomás Gubbins, Antonia Valladares. 2016 until now. Bandcamp N&S
Caja Panamericana de Improvisación – CPI Series in experimental music and sounds situation
Founder. 2014 until now
ALBUMS
2024 Machalli w/Nicolás Carrasco. Santiago
2020 Remoción en masa Fuerza Labor (drum kit). Santiago
2020 Las condiciones de los cuerpos en los puestos de trabajo w/Nicolás Carrasco. Santiago
2017 Punata Solo. (Bolivia & Santiago) California USA
2016 Scoriacon Réplica. Lithuania
2015 Solo cajón #2 Santiago
2014 Durné w/Benjamín Vergara (drum kit). Valdivia
2012 Acustiico2uo w/Toto Álvarez, Viña del Mar
2010 Solo cajón #1, Valdivia
2008 Paisatges w/Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga. Barcelona
NEXT CONCERTS ♫
25.04.2025 TOMA CHOCOLATE #12. SOWIESO, Berlin
Extended solo set cajones and other objects
Toma Chocolate is organized by Mariá Portugal
Facebook event
28.07.2025 Réplica / Blurred Edges Festival, Hamburgo
w/Birgit Ulher
SOUND AND VIDEO
Cajón (in solo and enssenble format)
Piezas de escucha (Cajón. By Santiago Astaburuaga)
Réplica (w/Birgit Ulher)
Fuerza Labor trío (w/S.Astaburuaga & Edén Carrasco)
Solo drum kit
VISUAL ARCHIVE
REVIEWS
(The Wire)
Araya is an improvising Chilean percussionist who has chosen as his primary focus the Peruvian cajón, a boxy instrument that sort of looks like a plywood table. Not that I can actually read the notes. But it’s still a highly interesting mix of neo-environmental sounds and music, regardless of who, what or where. Byron Coley
(Sound Projector)
Felipe Araya is a Chilean performer who takes an unorthodox and minimalist approach to playing his Peruvian cajón, a box-shaped percussion device. The conventional way to play it is to strike the sides of the box with sticks or hands. Instead, Araya uses it like a table-top with various small objects laid on top of it, which he rubs and strikes and scrapes. Ed Pinsent
(Cassette Gods)
Felipe Araya acts upon his cajon like so: rub, smoosh, flutter, clack, swipe, squeak, massage, caress, shuffle, drag, scrape, massage, tinkle, creak, shudder!… do not look for rhymes or reasons here. Jacob An Kittenplan
(Disaster Amnesiac)
He plays the Peruvian Cajon, a quite simply structured percussive box with a large hole in its middle. Felipe experiments with the Cajon’s tones and textures, utilizing extended techniques such as rubbing, sliding, kneading, and dropping it. It’s really quite cool to hear musicians from different parts of the world experimenting upon instruments that are pretty much indigenous to them. Mark Pino
PAST CONCERTS
2025
05.03 Neu Berlin Institute of Improvised Music. PAS, Berlin
w/Will Pethick, Trombone + Johannes Koch, Drums + Lilu Herlambang, Visuals
23.01 Workshop: Material Cajón, volumetric sound interactions and tridimensional scores with cajón. Bien Contemporary, Copenhagen
24.01 Solo set w/Lotte Anker. FIMARA n°11, Cap30, Copenhagen
25.01 FÁRRAGO w/Tomás Gubbins + Sarah Buchner, Asger Thomsen, Mika Persdotter, Sarvin Asa, Anne Andersson. Cap30, Copenhagen
26.01 Sound Walk – FÁRRAGO + Friends. Field recordings in/on Copenhagen
27.01 FÁRRAGO w/Tomás Gubbins. Recording session, Copenhagen
«This work was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union».
2024
30.10 w/Siri Salminen, Carina Khorkhordina, Hosek Contemporary, Berlin
28.09 Réplica w/Birgit Ulher, Café Plume, Berlin
08.09 Réplica w/Birgit Ulher, Gregory Büttner, Tam Pham, Hamburg
14.07 Emilio Gordoa Ensemble (w/Sofia Borges, Eric Bauer, Max Glass). PAS, Berlin
12.07 w/Gustavo Obligado, Edith Steyer. Dim Things, Berlin
02.07 w/Hada Benedito, Kellen Mills, Edén Carrasco. Untergründ, Berlin
21.06 w/Lorena Izquierdo. Exploratorium, Berlin
22.05 Solo performance Cajón 1mt/min. Cafe Plume, Berlin
16.05 Réplica. Kühlspot, Berlin
18.04 Solo (drum kit), PAS, Berlin
24.02 Réplica. Sowieso, Berlín
25.01 Réplica. PAS, Berlin
2023
18.11 w/Bryan Eubanks. Cafe Plume, Berlin
01.09 w/H. Benedito, M. Montoya, L.Izquierdo, D.Craig, H.Navarro. PAS, Berlin
26.08 w/ Edith Steyer, Hada Benedito, Isabel Rössler. Kühlspot, Berlin
23.06 Solo cajón. Casa Esmeralda, Santiago
21.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
16.02 w/Siri Salminen. PAS, Berlin
08.02 w/Angel Faraldo. PAS, Berlin
11.02 w/Eric Wong. CPI, Berlin
27.01 Fárrago. Rytmisk Musikkonservatorium, Copenhagen
21.01 Réplica. KATARAKT Festival, Hamburg – FEST
12.01 w/Bryan Eubanks. PAS, Berlin
06.01 Fárrago (w/Tomás Gubbins). Ilali, Berlin
2022
26.01 w/Kika Echeverría duo. Kühlspot, Berlin
22.12 w/Axel Dörner, Lorena Izquierdo. Kühlspot, Berlin
21.12 w/Eric Bauer, Carina Khorkhordina. PAS, Berlin
10.12 w/Sarah Claman, Lorena Izquierdo, Sebastián Vidal. Barcelona
08.12 w/Angel Faraldo, Sinestesia, Barcelona
05.12 Solo cajón w/Tomás Gris, Ruben Turba. Cruce, Madrid
03.12 Solo Cajón w/Dialegkollectiv. CCCC, Valencia
10.11 Machali. Amaza, Santiago
25.09 Fuerza Labor. Sofa, Santiago
27.08 w/Rodrigo Espinoza. Nieve & Smog, Santiago
21.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
15.04 w/Amanda Irarrázabal, Benjamín Vergara. Casa Esmeralda, Santiago
23.03 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
15.01 Fondos. Sofá, Santiago
2021
21.12 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
20.11 Fuerza Labor. Sofá, Santiago
01.09 Solo cajon. Estación Cerrada, Santiago
20.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
22.04 Festival Chiii. Sao Paulo (on-line)
2020
20.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
22.04 FESTIVAL CHIII, Sao Paulo, Brazil – FEST
28.02 Solo cajón, w/Piero La Rocca. KAOS, Palermo
23.02 w/Axel Dörner, Lorena Izquierdo. PAS, Berlin
20.02 w/Eric Wong. PAS, Berlin
19.02 w/Mat Pogo. Loophole, Berlin
12.02 Réplica. Stark Bewölkt, Hamburg
04.02 w/Emilio Gordoa, Michael Thieke, Lena Czerniawska, Eric Bauer, Carina Khorkhordina. Au topsi pohl, Berlin
15.01 w/Edén Carrasco. Miércoles Mutante, Santiago
04.01 w/Tomás Gubbins, Edén Carrasco, Alfredo Tauber. Sofá, Santiago
2019
22.12 Fárrago. Sofá, Santiago
24.11 Fárrago. Relincha Festival, Valdivia
21.11 w/Christian Delon, Ce Pams. CPI, Santiago
11.10 Solo cajon. Sofá, Santiago
06.09 w/A.Irarrázabal, T.Gubbins, S.Carrasco, E.Carrasco. Sofá, Santiago
2018
07.11 Fuerza Labor Full Blast concert. Matucana, Santiago
04.09 Nieve & Smog, Santiago
23.07 w/Gerogina Canifru. Al Otro Lado del Río, Santiago
14.07 Fuerza Labor. Santiago
14.03 Lote. Estudio Metáfora, Santiago
26.01 w/Rodrigo Castellanos, Benjamín Vergara. Relincha, Valdivia
2017
21.12 Fuerza Labor. Eunk, Valparaíso
16.11 Solo cajón. CPI, Santiago
27.09 CPI en Relaciones Simbióticas. Matucana, Santiago
09.09 w/Matias Mardones, Raúl Díaz. Perfectible Festival, Santiago
08.09 Lote. Turrel, Valparaíso
21.08 Solo cajón. Eunbk, Valparaíso
18.08 Fuerza Labor. Sofá, Santiago
21.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
20.03 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
09.03 Fuerza Labor. Matucana, Santiago
03.02 Solo cajon. Radiaciones de Fondo. Santiago
26.01 Solo Cajón. Radiaciones de Fondo, Santiago
23.01 w/Tomás Gubbins, Benjamin Vergara. Sofa, Santiago
2016
21.12 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
16.11 Lote. CPI, Santiago
29.10 Réplica. Umbral, Oaxaca
27.10 Solo cajón. Umbral, Ciudad de México
25.10 w/ Jacob Wick, Rolando Hernández, Gudinni Cortina, Santiago Astaburuaga, Héctor Rey
23.10 FESTIVAL UMBRAL cajón, Ciudad de México – FEST
08.09 Lote. Turrel, Valparaíso
05.08 Fuerza Labor. Nieve & Smog, Santiago
14.07 w/Tomás Gubbins. Sofá, Santiago
26.06 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
27.05 w/Benjamín Vergara. Nieve & Smog, Santiago
26.04 Duornette. Espacio en Construcción, Valdivia
23.04 w/Edén Carrasco, Tete Leguía. CPI Santiago
15.04 w/Ignacio Morales, Edén Carrasco, Benjamín Vergara. Santiago
25.03 w/Elsa Bergman, Edén Carrasco. Sofá, Santiago
24.03 Cajon 1mt/min. Needl, Santiago
2015
10.12 w/Ryoko Akama + ensemble. CPI, Santiago
31.10 Solo cajón. La Salvajería, Santiago
24.07 w/Benjamín Vergara. Espacio en Construcción. Valdivia
17.07 w/ Christian Delon, Ignacio Morales, Mirko Petrovich. CPI, Santiago
02.07 w/Dimitra Lazaridou Chatzigoga, Jennifer Aullum. OTO Project Space, London
26.06 Solo cajón. Zaratan Arte Contemporánea, Lisboa
24.06 w/Sebasitan Brenche. Berlin
21.06 Solo cajón. Series Studio 8, Berlin
20.06 Solo cajón. Hinterhof Unter Terrain, Viena
17.06 Solo cajon. Der blöede dritte Mittwoch, Viena
12.06 Ráplica. Blurred Edges Festival, Hamburg – FEST
11.06 Solo cajón. INSUB, Ginebra
09.06 w/Ferran Fages IBA col·lectiu d’improvisacio. Barcelona
06.06 w/Alejandro Marcos Rojas, Nicolás Carrasco. Rompemoldes, Sevilla
05.06 Solo cajón. Cruce, Madrid
04.06 w/Colectivo Madamme. Cruce, Madrid
19.05 w/Cristian Alvear. Needle, Santiago
16.05 w/Benjamín Vergara, Matías Mardones. CPI, Santiago
04.04 w/Ramiro Molina. Casero Conciertos, Santiago
19.03 w/Cristian Alvear. Casa Cultural Sofia Hott, Osorno
06.03 w/Cristian Alvear. CPI, Santiago
08.01 w/C.Alvear, V.Araya, E.Astudillo, E.Carrasco, C.Delón, F.Godoy, M.Mardones, I.Morales, A.Ortega. MAC, Santiago
2014
16.12 w/Eduardo Astudillo, Elsa Bergman, Isidora Edwards. Sofá, Santiago
11.12 w/C.Alvear, V.Araya, E.Astudillo, N.Carrasco, C.Delón, I.Morales, A.Ortega, Cyril Bondi, D’incise. CPI #1, Santiago
28.11 w/Santiago Asataburuaga, Nicolás Carrasco, Cristian Alvear. Museo R. A. Philippi, Valdivia
27.11 w/Nicolás Carrasco, Cristian Alvear. Centro Cultural Alianza Francesa, Osorno
30.06 w/Leonel Kaplan, Juan De Cicco. una.casa, Buenos Aires
17.05 w/Benjamín Vergara. Bar Uno, Santiago
10.05 w/Luis Toto Alvarez Pocasangre. Casa Dinamarca, Valparaíso
06.04 w/Pierre Borel, Luis Toto Alvarez. casa Dinamarca, Valparaíso
2013
14.12 w/Dafne Vicente Sandoval, Klaus Filip. Valparaíso
06.12 w/Dafne Vicente Sandoval, Klaus Filip. Museo Philippi UACh, Valdivia
07.01 Solo cajón. La Tola, Santiago
21.11 w/Benjamin Vergara. Valdivia
06.10 w/Benjamín Vergara, Raúl Díaz. Valdivia
16.08 w/Gisela Frick, Benjamin Vergara. Donceles, Valdivia
20.06 w/Luis Conde, Sam Nacht, Federico Barabino, R.Díaz. una.casa, Buenos Aires
15.06 w/Raúl Díaz. Sesiones Quinto Piso, Buenos Aires
14.06 w/Carolina Rizzi, R. Díaz, Buenos Aires
20.03 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
14.02 w/Gisela Frick. Espacio La Minga, Valdivia
06.01 Solo cajón. La Tola, Santiago
05.01 w/Simon Wetham, Luis Toto Alvarez. Piso 3, Santiago
2010-2012
21.12.12 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Santiago
14.12.12 w/Luis Toto Alvarez Pocasangre. DUOC, Valparaíso
28.11.12 w/Rodrigo Jara Corral. Festival Tsonami, Valparaíso
24.11.12 w/Birgit Ulher. UDLA, Santiago
21.11.12 w/Birgit Ulher and ensemble. Goethe Institute, Santiago
22.11.12 w/Raúl Díaz. Arteduca, Santiago
05.10.12 w/Luis Toto Alvarez, Neg Fi. Sala Musicámara, Valparaíso
28.09.12 w/Luis Toto Alvarez Pocasangre. Piedra Feliz, Valparaíso
22.09.12 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Valdivia
07.09.12 w/Rodrigo Jara Corral. Demolición, Valdivia
27.08.12 w/Luis Toto Alvarez. Patio Volantín, Valparaíso
16.08.12 w/Raúl Díaz, Fernando Mancilla. La Minga, Valdivia
28.07.12 w/S.Carrasco, E.Carrasco, N.Carrasco, R.Díaz. Piso 3, Santiago
20.07.12 w/Rodrigo Jara Corral. La Minga, Valdivia
30.06.12 w/Lui Toto Alvarez. Le Maison Dore, Valparaíso
29.06.12 w/Luis Toto alvarez. Patio Volantín, Valparaíso
20.06.12 Solsticios y Equinoccios. Valdivia
12.04.12 w/David Stackenas, Luis Toto Alvarez. MAC Valdivia
29.01.11 Concierto de Ciudad. Festival Tsonami, Valparaíso – FEST
26.01.11 w/Luis Toto Alvarez. Espacio Fábrica, Valparaíso
19.01.11 w/Sabu Toyozumi. MAC Valdivia
20.11.10 Solo cajón. Festival Tsonami, Valparaíso – FEST
03.10.10 w/Luis Toto alvarez. Casa E, Valparaíso
02.07.10 w/Ly Thanh Tien, Jean Marie Arnau. MAC Valdivia
Thank you for coming all the way here!
blurred edges festival, Hamburgo, Junio 2015
Tisha Mukarji: piano
Felipe Araya: Peruvian cajón, objects
Gregory Büttner: computer, objects, external speakers, fan
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Edén Carrasco, vientos
Santiago Astaburuaga, bajo eléctrico
Felipe Araya, batería
Remoción en Masa
Fuerza Labor, 2017
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_licrbi7w0gp6htUPT0gkFPuAnwZCOq2ww
Felipe Araya 
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