It’s been just four years since the release of Manchester native Sam Shepherd’s debut long player ‘Elaenia’ under his Floating Points project. The album was met with positive reactions from both fans and professionals and cemented his place among noteworthy British musicians. 2019 saw the first appearance from Shepherd on seminal UK record label Ninja Tune since a 2010 EP from the Floating Points Ensemble, this time for the release of his second album, Crush. The dozen-long tracklist is
a deeply eclectic walk down a foggy street of melancholic condensation and lightly rippled puddles. Tracks like Birth and Sea-Watch drench you in OST-esque soundscapes while others deliver a rhythmic and highly infectious blend of lightly dusted percussion and expertly produced synth bass. A perfect embodiment of UK dance music. The album is available on CD and vinyl, as a digital download and on all streaming platforms, with a number of live show dates also accompanying the release including Printworks in London, WHP in Manchester and shows in New York, Paris, Dublin and Berlin.
Where to start:
‘Last Bloom’ – Swampy drum beats and amazingly unruly melodies
‘LesAlpx’ – A roaring low end plays host to punchy kick drums and refined sound design
‘Bias’ – Rhythmic UK-esque drum patterns and tightly filtered basslines combine beneath harmonising vocals
Previous from Floating Points:
Elaenia LP (2015, Pluto)
Reflections – Mojave Desert EP (2017, Pluto)
If you like this then check out:
Dauwd – Theory Of Colours (2017, Technicolour)
Objekt – Cocoon Crush (2018, PAN)
Floating Points – Crush LP is out now on Ninja Tune.