Rapt is the alias of Jacob Ware, a musician based in London, England. After 8 years of
involvement in the extreme metal scene and co-founding the death metal band Enslavement, Rapt is an exploration of his other musical passions.
Spanning folk, slowcore, classical and ambient music, the moniker’s name is intended to be fluid and loose, allowing the project to explore a range of genres. The blog Tome to the Weather Machine succinctly described Rapt as ‘Categorically Autumnal Music’.
Rapt’s last album None Of This Will Matter sold out of two tape presses and a limited edition
vinyl run, gaining positive reviews from critics and fans. Rapt new album Wayward Faith is out now on ZTapes.

“The Nest is an ode not to romantic love but friendship. Written when a loved one was
hospitalised due to an illness“.

What He Says: “To sum up a body of work, a collection of songs or a single piece of expression is hard. I can’t claim these pieces document a particular place, lived
experience or period of time but I can say they were written strongest in the moments I was
overwhelmed by the world. Much of this was written during a period I spent having returned to my childhood home, amongst cobwebs, creatures, artefacts and memories I didn’t recognise. I found myself in a life-hiatus, trying to move closer to a loved one during a pandemic and battling a physical illness that hampered my guitar playing and energy.
I found myself exploring faith during these periods, despite the most open mind I found any God to be too intrusive. There was no system that could explain the things humans experience in their lives and the things I saw and heard around me.
This humble collection of songs is my attempt to understand these things, to understand how experience shapes us and most importantly, how our own lived experience can be used to better understand another’s. The most important thing is to love and to be loved. To hold sight of this during the most stormy weather and the longest nights.“

His Mixtape: “8 Songs that inspired Wayward Faith“

Damien Jurado – The Last Great Washington State

To say this song changed my musical life would be an understatement. Every song I write will probably be somehow linked back to this song. 
I vividly remember where I was when I first heard it. Back in 2018 my partner lived on the other side of the city from me. I heard this for the first time on one of my many walks to her house. I remember stopping in the street and letting the song play out.
A beautiful reflection on the last time Damien saw the late and great Richard Swift, he’d flown over to visit and plan making another record together. The song also describes moving away from our homes, starting fresh, memories of friendships, heartaches and the future. The song’s lyrical density leaves so much to unpack. I hear something new in it almost every time I listen.

Mount Eerie – Distortion (live)

So much has been written discussing the power and heartbreak that Mount Eerie’s records circa 2017-2019 contain.
As moving and well put together A Crow Looked At Me and Now Only are, I believe the live album (after) to be the pinnacle of Phil Elverium’s output. Stripped down to the core, Phil is only accompanied by a delicate nylon string guitar and the acoustics of the church he is performing in. Distortion is a stunning, beautiful and monolithic reflection on the death of Genvieve.
Phil manages to keep the listeners attention despite the song being incredibly repetitive and droning, no easy task and a task I am just to achieve as a musician… I’ll pull it off one day.

Peter Blanchette – Si Beag Si Mhor Live

Peter Blanchette is possibly the greatest living classical guitarist in my opinion.
This is his take on a classic Irish folk tune, written by the blind harpist Turlough O’ Carollan. There are multiple cheeky nods to this piece of music in my current discography. I have no shame in saying I’ve borrowed motifs and ideas from this.
This performance is too beautiful for words, It truly speaks for itself.
I hope to have this played at my funeral.

Arthur Mcbride – Paul Brady – Live 1977

I have family roots in Northern Ireland. I grew up listening to Irish Folk music thanks to my mother. Paul Brady’s Arthur Mcbride is an understated masterpiece, a harrowing anti-war song, it describes two young men refusing to sign up to the army and fight in France. Paul Brady’s guitar playing is stunning here, a true virtuoso in open tuning.

Rose City Band – Silver Roses

I first heard this record when I was sick with covid. Combined with a liberal dose of slightly psychedelic over the counter flu medication this album healed my soul.
‘Earth Trip’ is a laid back, gentle stroll through west coast American woodland, the vocals and lyrics are minimal and hushed, not dissimilar to my own approach to ‘vocals’ (I consider myself a guitarist that sings, not a singer).
Earth Trip is a journey you won’t forget. I love the song structures, overall slow tempo and lack of hurry in the music. This record reveals itself to you slowly and washes over you, an aural hug on a cold day, bound to bring back memories of happier summers.

John Martyn – Rock Salt & Nails Live

Firstly, it is rare for a live rendition of a song to blow the studio version out of the water.
Performed near the end of John Martyn’s life, his voice is nearly shot and his health is clearly in decline.
There is so much emotion in this performance, you can see the heart put into the performance, at points it sounds like a final goodbye to the listener, at points you can see the pain and memories he feels delivering certain lines. His signature sense of humour comes to light near the end of the song, a sense of humour I’ve read he maintained until his final days.

Luke De Sciscio – My Love Abounds

Sometime after None Of This Will Matter was released, a track of mine was playlisted alongside Luke’s My Love Abounds.
I was on a depressing early morning train to a shitty day job the first time I heard this. Orange sunlight rising over crumbly high rise council housing.. Tired and sullen looking faces on the train opposite me. Luke is a master lyricist with an incredible voice and vocal range. The lyrics in this song grabbed me instantly, with lines such as ‘In the village I grew up, I cried all the lights off the porches’. I was surprised when he revealed to me that the song is in standard tuning, to my ears the chord progressions sound ghostly and anchored in a more elusive tuning. I am glad to be able to call Luke a friend. We toured together earlier this year after I pestered him on social media about releasing a record on vinyl… he was also kind enough to join me on vocals for the closing track of Wayward Faith, ‘New Pardoner’.

Grouper – Poison Tree

No list of my musical influences could be complete without mention of Grouper. Liz Harris’s 2013 album Dragging A Dead Deer Up a Hill single handedly took me from making black metal in my bedroom to where I am today.
Here I am sharing a lesser known and earlier cut from her discography. ‘Poison Tree’ is a mysterious, beautiful and understated track. A simple piano motif loops, the ear never certain where the loop starts. The lyrics are cryptic and ever-changing in their meaning.

Wayward Faith is out now via ZTapes. Look HERE for more information on Rapt.