Although they’re based on opposite coasts, Elori Saxl and Henry Solomon have collaborated in the past – Solomon played in Saxl’s quartet live and accompanied her on the Texada soundtrack and Drifts and Surfaces EP – but this latest release marks the first time they’ve worked together as equal partners. With Solomon on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet and Saxl on the Juno 106 synthesizer, Seeing Is Forgetting exquisitely blends ambient and jazz while working in the occasional pop melody.
Saxl is based in New York City, and Solomon is in Los Angeles; their new record was recorded in Solomon’s hometown over five days. Self-described as “improvised music from the ground up… a meeting of both our minds, musical performance, and taste”, Seeing Is Forgetting takes its time conveying its ideas to the listener. Not to get mired down in cliches, the record is about the journey, not the destination. It moves at its own deliberate pace, and the results are exquisite.
Right off the bat, the instruments ebb and flow in an evenly paced manner with the opening track, “Reverence”, acting as a gentle overture. The synths and woodwinds create a distinct mood, like a jazz-leaning ambient soundscape, Solomon’s notes dancing around Saxl’s keyboard bed. The vibe is more synthetic and mysterious with “Raindrops”, as the keyboards are more prominent, with a pulsating sequence that suggests a mere hint of something danceable (or at the very least, more pop-friendly).
The presence of percussion adds a new dimension to the single “Reno Silver”, which remains offbeat and experimental but with a more playful side. Those percussive arrangements, also present in songs like the seductive, mysterious “Hiding Place”, which includes some wild, untamed soloing from Solomon, bring a grittiness to the tracks, allowing the songs to rise above what some may feel is a general lack of soulfulness in the ambient genre.
Seeing Is Forgetting isn’t terribly different from Elori Saxl and Henry Solomon’s previous collaborations. Still, by isolating the participants to the two of them, they can simplify the sound and break it down into a relatively uncomplicated setup. That’s certainly apparent in the odd but elegant title track, which closes the album with a brittle keyboard and woodwind base as Solomon occasionally veers into subtle jazz-leaning flights of fancy. It’s a graceful exit for a record that is filled with the gentle hum of ambient textures.