Floating Points – Kuiper [FP002]

Sam Shepherd drops a surprise 12” still riding the wave of his impeccable, all-conquering 2015 LP, Elaenia. ‘Kuiper’ that was written after the producer started touring with his live band (Leo Taylor, Alex Reeve and Susumu Mukai), and is “completely different” each time it’s played. Here we have a new version, a riotous, stargazing 18-minute version recorded by the band at 8am. Flipside the B, ‘For Marmish Part II’, meanwhile, is an early demo version of the same track on Elaenia that includes Shepherd flexing his vocals.

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Floating Points – Kuiper [FP002]

Floating Points – Elaenia [PLUTO001]

For the past ten years, all roads Shepherd has followed have been slowly leading to ‘Elaenia’ – an album with roots deep in his formative years, and one that draws upon everything Shepherd has done so far. An album that provides context to the music that Shepherd has been making to date. Every DJ set he’s performed, every talent he has produced, every composition he has written are thought of as precursors to ‘Elaenia’ – a dazzling score which puts Shepherd in the spotlight as a composer who has produced an album that bridges the gap between his rapturous dance music and formative classical roots. Drawing inspiration from classical, jazz, electronic music, soul and even Brazilian popular music, ‘Elaenia’ – named after the bird of the same name – is the epitome of the forward-thinking Floating Points vision in 2015.

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Floating Points – Elaenia [PLUTO001]

Floating Points – Nuits Sonares / Nectarines [EGLO041]

Sam Shepherd has long been a master of the kind of ultra-deep, rolling, soft focus deep house that raises the spirits and soothes the soul. Even so, there’s something incredibly special about “Nuits Sonores”, the lead track from this EP. Based around a deep, tactile groove and blessed with rising synth solos, dancing acid lines and his usual fireside Rhodes antics, the track rises magnificently for 12 spellbinding minutes. As it progresses, further elements make their way into the mix, until it reaches the kind of organic deep house climax that makes even the grumpiest souls go weak at the knees. Flip for “Nectarines”, the kind of loose-limbed fusion of deep house sassiness, Detroit techno electronics and fluid jazz drumming at which Shepherd has always excelled.

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Floating Points – Nuits Sonares / Nectarines [EGLO041]

Floating Points – People’s Potential [EGLO006]

Eglo Records has just put out a super-limited new release by Floating Points. House mixed with Uk sounds and reminding of some of the Detroit Cats such as Marcellus Pittman.

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Floating Points – People’s Potential [EGLO006]