Ever the metamorphic talent, Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd) returns to the radar with his newest album in four years. After lead single "LesAlpx" garnered plenty of buzz with its brooding bass and heavy dance floor beats, Crush delivers the rest of the goods in similar fashion.
Notably much darker, moodier and meatier than previous Floating Points material, Shepherd really sinks his teeth into newfound territory. The UK producer has never been a big believer in sticking to the confines of genre, which shows on Crush. Tracks like "Karakul," "Environments" and "Birth" are scattered throughout the album, and explore new soundscapes, disrupt traditional melodies and work against the grain to ultimately disorient and reorient the listener within Shepherd's musical universe.
There is a lot at play here, and with good reason. While Shepherd's previous full-length album, Elaenia, took five years to create, Crush was conceived over the course of five intense weeks, inspired by his experience supporting the xx in 2017. Described as a "tempestuous blast of electronic experimentalism," Crush is a dose of highly concentrated electronic music that doesn't disappoint.
Though the sonic explorations undermine the album's overall cohesiveness, Crush remains a shining example of Shepherd's growth as an artist, and his willingness to push boundaries well into his career. Fans of experimental electronic music will recognize his deft talent to unearth new beats, while others will recall why tracks like "Anasickmodular" are the reason they fell in love with Floating Points in the first place.
(Ninja Tune)Notably much darker, moodier and meatier than previous Floating Points material, Shepherd really sinks his teeth into newfound territory. The UK producer has never been a big believer in sticking to the confines of genre, which shows on Crush. Tracks like "Karakul," "Environments" and "Birth" are scattered throughout the album, and explore new soundscapes, disrupt traditional melodies and work against the grain to ultimately disorient and reorient the listener within Shepherd's musical universe.
There is a lot at play here, and with good reason. While Shepherd's previous full-length album, Elaenia, took five years to create, Crush was conceived over the course of five intense weeks, inspired by his experience supporting the xx in 2017. Described as a "tempestuous blast of electronic experimentalism," Crush is a dose of highly concentrated electronic music that doesn't disappoint.
Though the sonic explorations undermine the album's overall cohesiveness, Crush remains a shining example of Shepherd's growth as an artist, and his willingness to push boundaries well into his career. Fans of experimental electronic music will recognize his deft talent to unearth new beats, while others will recall why tracks like "Anasickmodular" are the reason they fell in love with Floating Points in the first place.