Texada [Original Score] in Bloomington, MN

For those familiar with
Elori Saxl
's artful, atmospheric marriage of organic and synthetic sounds on ambient-leaning works that often share themes around the interplay of nature and technology, she may seem like an ideal choice to score a documentary about a remote Canadian island -- and for good reason. Directed by Claire Sanford and Josephine Anderson and produced by the National Film Board of Canada, Texada explores geologic shifts over the eons as well as the effects of industrialization and, more generally, humanity upon the island. In one of her most quietly powerful recordings to date,
Saxl
returns to components including analog synthesizers, processed baritone saxophone, and field recordings for this under-15-minute original score. It begins with the layered, spectral hum of "How Big Is Time," which gradually adds throbbing bass, breathy sax, and various looped rhythms, including churning, wave-like noise, to its persistent drone. That track is followed by the more animated but still hypnotic "It Happened Once," while "The Quarry" employs firmer, more percussive textures alongside reedy saxophone. Closing cue "The Most Special Place" is the soundtrack's loudest, as it seems to bring together prior timbres in a web of airborne harmonic noise while evoking rocks, machinery, water, and a heartbeat. Even without the context of the film and despite its brevity,
Texada
is an affecting work, and arriving as it did after a collection of
's music for the PBS series
Earth Focus
, it all but guarantees that the composer will stay busy, especially in projects with environmental subject matter but with the potential for much more. ~ Marcy Donelson