Multi-instrumentalist and producer Rafael Anton Irisarri has collaborated with Julia Kent (cello) and Hannah Elizabeth Cox (vocals) to create a mesmerising piece of ambient music that has an ominous, foreboding edge, a glacial atmosphere that builds up layers of delicate sounds. ‘Control Your Soul’s Desire for Freedom’ comes off Irisarri’s forthcoming album ‘FAÇADISMS’, released through his own Black Knoll Editions label, and is an expressive, almost melancholic piece that is ethereal and stately, a kaleidoscope of sounds that are intense and evocative.
The inspirations are profound and thought-provoking, critiquing the Western concept of freedom. Irisarri says of the track and the album:
The impoverished peoples of the Americas have known all along there is no ‘freedom’ – it is a façade designed by the ruling elites, like the fake villages created by Prince Grigory Potemkin to impress Empress Catherine the Great. FAÇADISMS inverts this notion: instead of subordinates impressing rulers with false displays, rulers control the oppressed with illusions of safety, democracy, and free speech.
It’s an instrumental piece that speaks so much without words – stately and elegant:
‘Control Your Soul’s Desire for Freedom’ is out now and available to stream and download through the link above and via all the usual sites here.
‘FAÇADISMS’ will be released on 8 November 2024 and Irisarri will be on tour in the coming months – details below.
European Tour Dates
14.09.24 Ametric Festival / Chaniá, GR
01.11.24 Casa Montjuïc / Barcelona, ES
03.11.24 Dababada / San Sebastian-Donostia, ES
09.11.24 Le Guess Who Festival / Utrecht, NL *
14.11.24 TBA / Bergen, NO
16.11.24 Festiwal Ambientalny / Wrocław, PL *
*with Abul Mogard
Rafael Anton Irisarri is a New York-based American composer, producer, and mastering engineer whose influence permeates much of contemporary electronic music. His work is defined by an alchemy of ambient, classical, and experimental elements, often exploring themes of introspection, nostalgia, and the emotional interplay between place, sound, and silence. Irisarri’s meticulous attention to detail is evident in both his solo output and his engineering work, with credits spanning critically acclaimed artists such as Terry Riley, William Basinski, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Grouper, MONO, Devendra Banhart, Eluvium, and many others.
Feature Photograph: Molly Smith
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