Advertisement

Review | Elori Saxl’s music sounds so new. Why does it feel so familiar?

Review | Elori Saxl’s music sounds so new. Why does it feel so familiar?

Exploring the Ethereal Soundscapes of Elori Saxl: A Journey Through the Collision of Nature and Technology

In a world where the digital and the natural coexist, Elori Saxl's music emerges as a captivating exploration of this intersection. Her experimental electronic compositions weave together the fragmented sounds of classical instruments, creating a tapestry that evokes the ever-changing landscapes of the natural world. From the mist-shrouded shores of Lake Superior to the ephemeral dance of data points, Saxl's music invites listeners to immerse themselves in a realm where the boundaries between the tangible and the intangible blur, leaving us to ponder the intricate relationship between humanity and the technological advancements that shape our experiences.

Capturing the Essence of the Elemental

Drifts and Surfaces: Sculpting the Awe of Lake Superior

On her latest album, "Drifts and Surfaces," Elori Saxl ventures beyond the realm of ambient music, crafting a sonic experience that is both captivating and unsettling. Inspired by the ever-changing landscapes of Wisconsin's Madeline Island in Lake Superior, Saxl's compositions weave together fragments of live percussion, creating a tremulous and awe-inspiring blur. The result is a soundscape that mirrors the constant flux of the natural world, where drifts give way to surfaces, and ice breaks apart to become waves.Saxl's approach to this album is one of meticulous attention to detail, as she meticulously manipulates and rearranges these digital particulates to evoke the essence of the elemental. The listener is transported to a realm where the familiar and the unfamiliar coexist, where the intimacy of human breath and the airless digital facsimile converge. The swells and pulses of "Drifts and Surfaces" can be interpreted as droplets in a lake or as data points in a cloud, blurring the lines between the natural and the technological.

The Blue of Distance: Synthesizing Weather and Water

Saxl's previous album, "The Blue of Distance," showcased a similar approach, using synthesizers and woodwinds to create a sonic representation of weather and water. The music plays tricks on the listener's eardrums, challenging them to discern the source of the sounds they hear. Is it the breath of a human or the artificial hum of a machine? This interplay between the natural and the digital is a hallmark of Saxl's work, inviting the audience to engage in a constant process of discovery and rediscovery.The "Blue of Distance" album conveys a sense of intimacy and vastness, mirroring the ever-changing nature of the natural world. Saxl's compositions capture the essence of weather patterns and the ebb and flow of water, creating a sensory experience that transcends the boundaries of traditional music. The listener is left to ponder the intricate relationship between the tangible and the intangible, the physical and the digital, as they immerse themselves in the sonic landscapes crafted by this innovative artist.

Navigating the Collision of Nature and Technology

Elori Saxl's music is not merely a collision of nature and technology; it is a seamless integration of these two worlds. Her compositions do not seek to pit the natural against the digital, but rather to explore the ways in which they coexist and inform one another. Just as the creation of a violin can be seen as a collision of nature and technology, Saxl's music embraces the interplay between the organic and the synthetic, inviting the listener to consider the nuances of this relationship.The artist's approach to her craft is one of careful curation and manipulation, as she pulverizes recordings of classical instruments and rearranges them to create a new sonic landscape. This process is not a rejection of the natural world, but rather a celebration of the ways in which technology can be used to capture and reinterpret the essence of the elemental. Saxl's music does not argue for or against the dominance of technology; instead, it simply seeks to reflect the reality of the world we inhabit, where the digital and the natural are inextricably linked.

Capturing the Truth in the Cascade

Ultimately, Elori Saxl's music is not about making a statement or taking a stance; it is about capturing the truth of the world around us. The cascading raindrops and the data points that gather to form the shape of reality are the inspiration for her compositions, and her role as an artist is to translate these phenomena into a sonic experience that resonates with the listener.In doing so, Saxl invites us to engage in a process of discovery and contemplation, challenging us to consider the ways in which the natural and the technological intersect and inform one another. Her music is not a utopian vision of a technocratic future, nor is it a lament for the loss of the natural world. Instead, it is a reflection of the complex and ever-evolving relationship between humanity and the forces that shape our experiences, both tangible and intangible.As we immerse ourselves in the ethereal soundscapes of Elori Saxl, we are invited to let go of our preconceptions and embrace the beauty and wonder of the world around us. Whether we are captivated by the mist-shrouded shores of Lake Superior or the ephemeral dance of data points, Saxl's music invites us to engage in a deeper exploration of the human experience, one that transcends the boundaries of the digital and the natural.

Advertisement