Tag Archives: Sam Shepherd

Switched On – Various Artists: Total Kompakt 24 (Kompakt)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

Kompakt’s annual compilations are a very reassuring presence in the world of electronic music, and this one is no different, as Michael Meyer assembles a typically inventive and varied set of tracks.

What’s the music like?

With the quality threshold high, Kompakt always find something to tickle the fancy of any electronic fan. The familiar names from the label are here again and deliver the goods – headed by Meyer’s own excellent Urian.

Tee Mango’s So In Love is an English signing, delicate minimal beats orbiting a warm-hearted song. Jürgen Paape introduces a lightness of touch and humour to Chee-Caruso that works really well, while on a slightly tougher course Rex The Dog contributes a distinctive hook to his nocturnal Laika.

Sascha Funke is pretty delicate, with some interesting offbeat play on The Heck, but Jörg Burger’s Legacy of Ashes is a bit too monotoned to hit the spot. By contrast Wassermann’s Die Goldene Zeit is a warm wash of colour over a serrated bass.

Does it all work?

It does, pretty much – reliably good music from a reliable source. Digital customers get the bonus of another seven tracks, which include Deer Jade’s easygoing, piano-led winner Jukurpa and the strident The Shell, a collaboration between Gui Boratto and Darren Emerson. Meanwhile electro-goodness is found from Raxon’s Your Fault.

Is it recommended?

It is, enthusiastically. Keeping up with Kompakt’s output is strongly advised, and as this compilation shows they are still on very good form!

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,314 – Friday 27 September 2024

Switched On – Floating Points – Cascade (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

This is the fifth Floating Points album, and the first since Sam Shepherd’s alias teamed up with Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra for the memorable Promises, one of the very best albums released around lockdown.

That period provided the indirect inspiration for Cascade, for Shepherd had grown frustrated at the lack of opportunities to promote his preceding solo album, Crush, to heaving dancefloors where its potential clearly lay. Seizing the opportunity to write for the club crowds, he delivered an album of speed and complexity.

What’s the music like?

There is some dazzling music on Cascade. A lot happens in the hour in which it unfolds, and while some of the tracks are quite complicated in their arrangements, Shepherd’s trump card lies in his ability to make intricate music that rewards close inspection while making some eminently danceable grooves.

That applies very much to Birth4000, which traverses a number of styles while ensuring there are plenty of hooks for the listener to latch on to. Afflecks Place – named after the Manchester market – bubbles up from the ground, in the power of an elemental force, while Key103 has primal urges taking us right into the middle of the dancefloor.

The larger structures work really well, the album only nine tracks but featuring a couple of bigger constructions such as Ocotillo and Vocoder that develop instinctively and dramatically.

Does it all work?

It does. On occasion Shepherd’s music almost has too much going on, but he seems to pull it back it just the right moment, and adding the closing track Ablaze as a comedown works a treat.

Is it recommended?

Yes, enthusiastically. A dizzying high that delivers on several levels.

For fans of… Squarepusher, Throwing Snow, Mount Kimbie, Jamie xx

Listen & Buy

Published post no.2,302 – Monday 16 September 2024

New music – Floating Points: Del Oro (Ninja Tune)

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by Ben Hogwood

Floating Points, aka Sam Shepherd, has today shared a new single, Del Oro, which is out now via Ninja Tune.

With a busy summer of live appearances ahead, Shepherd is following up the energetic Birth4000 from last year with a single that has some of the Floating Points hallmarks. Beat driven and busy, Del Oro progresses between minimal beats and shimmering motifs, while never taking its eyes off the dancefloor.

As with Birth4000, ‘Del Oro”s artwork comes from Tokyo based artist Akiko Nakayama. In the words of Shepherd’s press release, “Nakayama brings her painting to life using vibrant, brilliant liquids that combine and wash away, meant to represent the natural growth, change and life cycle of all things on earth. Nakayama worked alongside long-time Floating Points collaborators Hamill Industries to create the “Alive Painting” to accompany the track”…which you can watch here:

Shepherd will be playing a number of dates throughout the summer including We Out Here Festival in Wimborne (16 August), London’s All Points East (23 August), Lost Village Festival in Lincoln (24 August) and Forwards Festival at Bristol (31 August)

Published post no.2,199 – Tuesday 4 June 2024

Floating Points releases new album ‘Crush’

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For the first time in four years, Floating Points – aka Sam Shepherd – is releasing an album.

For those who love to anticipate a book on the strengh of its cover, Crush looks like it will be a remarkable listen indeed. The signs are good, too – with three peaks of swirling electronica already made available in the last few months. These were capped by Anasickmodular, whose video Shepherd posted a couple of days ago:

The highly acclaimed video for Last Bloom is full of colour, reflecting the accelerated growth of the music:

Meanwhile LesAlpx gets straight down to action with an urgent beat, its video a set of some of the most colourful bubbles you could imagine:

If they take your fancy, head to the Floating Points Bandcamp site to explore the album further.

As a companion piece, Shepherd’s contribution to the Late Night Tales compilation series is highly recommended – a chance to broaden your mind with some after hours treats!