Rafael Anton Irisarri

Rafael Anton Irisarri’s Points of Inaccessibility is a haunting, masterful exploration of digital loneliness. Conceived in a former psychiatric prison in Utrecht and finished in his New York studio, the album transforms cold, architectural echoes into a deeply warm and emotional ambient landscape.

The record is defined by its massive, slow-moving textures. The 14-minute opener, Faded Ghosts of Clouds, is perhaps Irisarri’s finest work to date, a deconstructed cello sonata that feels like watching a sunrise through heavy industrial fog. Throughout the four expansive tracks, his signature bowed guitar tones are layered with Moog bass and Prophet-5 synths, creating a sense of heavy weather that is both suffocating and strangely comforting.

A major highlight is Signals from a Distant Afterglow, featuring the ethereal, disembodied vocals of Karen Vogt. Her voice drifts through the mix like a fading radio transmission, perfectly capturing the album’s theme of human connection struggling to survive in a world saturated by digital noise.

While Irisarri’s previous work often leaned into grim abrasion, Points of Inaccessibility feels more melodic and refined. It’s an album that demands patience, rewarding the listener with textural sorcery that feels less like a collection of songs and more like a physical space you inhabit. It is a monumental achievement in contemporary ambient music and a career zenith for the composer.