Photo: Peter Coccoma

Back in July, American experimental electronic composer Elori Saxl released her mini-album Drifts and Surfaces, and she is ready to follow it up with a new album. Entitled Earth Focus, the album is a collection of new material composed to soundtrack the PBS TV documentary series of the same name. Focusing on environmental challenges, each episode on the series looks at a specific location like the Joshua Tree National Park and the Mojave Desert, amongst other places in Southern California. Her music “underscores the emotional narratives of these places, emphasizing the interplay between humans and nature and the impact of human-constructed environments”, as the press release describes.

Earth Focus arrives on November 15th through Western Vinyl, and ahead of it Saxl has shared the first single ‘Grows Along The River Slow’. Of the track, she says:

“It was inspired by the languid flow of the LA river and the plants that grow within and alongside it, pushing through cracks in cement and finding ways to flourish despite the human-built landscape. The track features analog synths with synthetic harp and flute samples that eventually give in to real acoustic flute performed by Stuart Bogie. I would say this track is me leaning into the psychedelic and floaty sounds of Californian music a bit beyond my comfort zone as a New Yorker, but it felt right for the series to lean deep and create music evocative of the musical scene past and present in Southern California.”

A serene and engrossing piece, ‘Grows Along The River Slow’ is after your ears.