Having just released his astounding debut LP, Elaenia, last year, Floating Points has showed no signs of slowing down. Picking up impressive festival and gig slots around the world, it seems his brand of experimental electronica (if you can call it that, it doesn’t actually fit anywhere) is really starting to catch on as he tests our boundaries and our minds with his music. Now, he’s at it again as he releases a new single – an 18-minute long single.
Titled Kuiper, this is one of those songs that you have to totally immerse yourself in to get the full experience. Lying down with headphones firmly planted over your ears is perfect. Venturing across uncharted territory, it’s a journey and one that demands you to stay with it. Never once dull or boring, Floating Points keeps the listener riveted from start to finish with Kuiper. Dark, mysterious and spell-binding, it almost feels magical as it rises and falls, crashes and subsides as it goes along.
Saying in an accompanying press release, “Since starting a band to realise the music from my LP, it has sparked a deep interest in the band itself, and so Kuiper is the result of playing with Leo, Alex and Susumu,” it’s clear that Floating Points may have found a new direction. Not that that’s a bad thing, as you can tell from listening to this tune! He went onto say, “Each time we play it, its completely different. We set the scene with electronics, and some drum machines that form the foundation to allow the unfurling of the rest of the track. The version on this EP – believe it or not – was recorded at 8am!”
The EP in question is one of the same name as this new single, and is due out on July 22nd through Luaka Bop/PLUTO.
Read more: Check out our review of Floating Points’ “Elaenia”
Image: Consequence of Sound
Floating Points, aka Sam Shepherd has released an epic 50 minute concert video alongside announcing a North American tour.
The performance was filmed at the YouTube Studios in New York, which saw Shepherd backed by an impressive 11-piece orchestra. The concert was premiered by THUMP and features art which was created specifically for the show by Pablo Barquin and Anna Diaz of Hamill Industries.
The London producer released his highly anticipated debut album last year entitled Elaenia. It went on to feature on many best of lists last year and gained him plenty of critical acclaim.
THUMP initially released his performance of Silhouettes (I,II & III), but they have now released his full mesmerising performance at the announcement of an upcoming tour, which will see Shepherd play alongside his band.
“When we were doing the gigs, we realized that kind of energy exists in the band, and that’s what we wanted to tap into,” he told THUMP at the time. “Playing live is wildly exciting. The adrenalin is felt way more constantly and more exciting. It’s been a massive thrill.”
Despite his large following and critical acclaim it’s easy to forget that the 29 year old has so far only released one album. When talking about his only record so far though the English DJ was eager to point out his methods for both his songs and his live performances.
“I like to imagine I make music that doesn’t require the listener to have any prior knowledge or reference points,” Shepherd said in an interview with The Guardian late last year.
“I would like to feel that a person walks into an empty room and that, through listening to the record, the room is built for them without trying to push them out at any point. I’m trying to draw people in,” he continued.
You can watch Floating Points’ exclusive performance here.
UK artist Katy B has called on two of the most inventive, expansive and unique electronic producers working today for a brand new track. Four Tet and Floating Points (both of whom are in Australia over the next few weeks, by the way) have come together for Calm Down, to be featured on Katy B’s upcoming album Honey. It doesn’t have a release date yet, but it’s set to be her first release since Little Red in 2014.
Watery synths and a bouncing rhythm open the track, while B’s smooth, neo-R&B melody leads the way with effortless cool. The animated rhythm is complex and snappy, with as much attention to minute detail as you’d expect from Four Tet and Floating Points. The jaunty atmosphere has a dark side, though, a kind of seductive franticness that comes out through immediate and bumbling string embellishments.
It’s a really interesting and expectedly unique sound, with the marriage of the eclectic production work and Katy’s breezy melody spawning a thoroughly enjoyable electro-pop offering, one that is remarkably catchy considering the usual scope of the mad scientist producers.
Four Tet released Morning/Evening earlier this year, while Floating Points recently dropped his stunning debut Elaenia. Floating Points is also in town this week for his debut Australian performances. Meanwhile, Four Tet will be performing at Let Them Eat Cake, Lost Paradise and more.
This month heralded the acclaimed debut release from UK producer Floating Points. Elaenia, One of the most enigmatic, complex and beautiful records of 2015, we’ve found ourselves intrigued, and utterly hypnotised by his all-enveloping soundscapes.
This kind of fluid blend between electronic and organic music translates brilliantly to the stage- particularly when performed with live instrumentation. Floating Points, real same Sam Shepherd, takes this even further in his live shows – he performs with a complete orchestra, ensuring that every sound, every rhythm, every layer, has the precise tonal shape and colour intended within the composition.
Taking to Benji B’s BBC Radio 1 show this week, Shepherd performed two tracks in an exclusive Maida Vale session- lead single Nespole (if you can describe this kind of music as a single, anyway) and Argenté. Listen here. It’s absolutely beautiful.
Shepherd had previously visited BBC Radio 1 alongside Four Tet and Caribou back in July.
Floating Points is about to set foot on Australian soil for a run of DJ sets throughout the country:
Friday 11th December – Sugar Nightclub, Adelaide
Tickets here
Saturday 12th December – Meredith Music Festival – SOLD OUT
Sunday 13th December – Freedom Time #2, Melbourne
Friday 18th December – Urban Orchard, Perth
Saturday 19th December – Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney
Tickets here
Sunday 20th December – The Foundry, Brisbane
Tickets here
The name Floating Points (aka Sam Shepherd) may ring a few bells for you. Countless collaborations, singles and EPs under his belt from a sizeable five years in the business, he has been integral in the rise of “left field” electronica since his inception back in 2011. With all this in mind then, it may come as a surprise that Elaenia, his album that is released today, is just his first. Harnessing everything he has learned over the past five years and tying them together with an ease that merely highlights just how intelligent he really is, Floating Points has just released one of the most intricate, multi-faceted and accomplished albums of the year.
It’s been an interesting journey for Shepherd, but an intriguing one for fans to watch unfold. With each release, he further distances himself from the intelligent club tracks he was just so good at making: the type of music that saw him rise to the level of Caribou, Four Tet and Jamie xx. Whilst each artist had their own particular sound, all four still remained well within that dancefloor-oriented arena. That was until, of course, Elaenia.
This album is many things. It’s digital, but analog; simple, yet complex; easy to listen to, yet almost uncomfortable; controlled, but chaotic. It’s powerful in its delivery and it’s strong in raw and obvious talent. It says a lot without saying too much, and with each listen it continues to say more and more. The multi-layered approach mixed with the less-is-more approach is a technique that doesn’t sound like it would work, but with Elaenia it does so very well. Its building on what he’s already done, whilst paving the way for even stranger endeavours down the line. Sitting somewhere between cosmic jams and jazz-fusion, to an unfocussed listener Elaenia could sound like Shepherd was just throwing everything he could at a wall and going with what stuck. However, for someone who was switched on, it is so much more than that.
From the sprawling, glitchy, analog opener Nespole all the way through to the disconcerting and almost cruel closer Peroration Six (you’ll know what I mean when you hear it – no spoilers here), Shepherd has worked in so many layers it feels almost mathematical. Given he is trained in neuroscience and epigenetics, that could well be it. However, just because it has a more refined approach doesn’t make it any less emotive or dry. Instead, Shepherd has managed to create a constantly evolving shape-shifter of an album, taking on it’s own new form with each of it’s seven songs. Sticking to a skeletal formula for each track, Shepherd merely guides this creature into a suggested path, as if he knows it’s probably going to take off on its own anyway. Thin Air with it’s racing synths, subtle feedback noises and meticulously refined nature; leading single Silhouettes (I, II & III) with its slightly more accessible yet grand, over 10 minute delivery; even the delicate subtlety of For Mamish – Shepherd and his band of musical geniuses turn music into science with Elaenia.
Perfectly fluid and almost alive in the way it morphs and changes, the album could easily stand as a whole (which was the initial intention according to his interview with Pitchfork), or divided up as it is into seven tracks. Blissful, emotive and almost trance-inducing with the way it totally washes over you with wave after wave of new sounds, Elaenia is more of a journey or an experience as a whole than just a collection of songs, and it is stunning.
Elaenia is out November 6th via Pod/Inertia.
Written by Sam Armatys & James Tait
This week saw us drowning under a mountain of video clips so good we just had to share them all in a super sized edition of our round up. ALL OF THE VIDEOS. Expressionistic dance, stunning landscapes, public park rage, regurgitated spaghetti, and 90’s revival; we’ve got it all.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Pish
The video to accompany single Pish off upcoming oddly titled Mini Album Thingy Wingy, has all the trappings of a cinematic epic contained in just over five minutes. About to embark on their 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee tour, the track throws back to the classic BJM shoegaze sound, with drawling vocals and guitar lines for days. Frontman and mastermind behind the band, Anton Newcombe, has expressed a strong interest in creating soundtracks to films, and this video obliges with a beautifully shot exploration of a Japanese woman’s obsession with dance. It is a story about being consumed by your passion night and day and all the joy and madness that ensues. With a brilliant performance from actress Hinako Matsumoto, it is a must see.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlwQVZUTdJA]
Toiné Houston – Summertimmme (Reminiscing Part 1)
If your days have been warming up and you have been searching high and low for some smooth sounds to groove away a sunny afternoon, then look no more. Toiné Houston brings a silky anthem for the summer with her latest track, and has a video that is just too damn cute to pass up. The clip traces the blossoming of a childhood romance with a 90’s production quality that makes it feel like a cross between a Brandy video and the movie My Girl. It’s full of nostalgia and a great track from the neo-soul songstress’s upcoming Love States EP.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_9qhQGPGdc]
Floating Points – Nespole
Remember when Sia released the Chandelier video and everyone was blown away? Well, it seems she has opened the door for more and more music to be brought to life by expressionistic dance moves, with varying levels of effectiveness. One of the best to follow the path has landed this week, with the latest clip from Floating Points, for single Nespole. Every sound of the minimalist electronic track is mimicked by two ballerinas (both played by dancer Kiani Del Valle), with hypnotic motions that explore the malleability of the human body. Light and dark, they spar off against each other across a vast auditorium in a beautifully choreographed sequence. The track comes from EP Eleania, out November 6th.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfYP7uTZX8Y]
Hedge Fund – Boyfriend
Sydney indie post-punkers Hedge Fund have released a video for new track, Boyfriend, that demands your attention. If you have ever felt so sad and angry you want to rip up the grass, roll in the dirt and beat the shit out of tree, then this is the clip for you! The clip follows YouTube sensation Jordan Markovina (you might know him better as the hilarious and awesome friendlyjordies) as he goes on a shirtless rampage in a public park, and you can’t help picturing bewildered passersby marvelling at the scene. The high energy track is fistfuls of fun to match and will be stuck in your head for days.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rzk0Lt1jaI]
Loose Buttons – Thrill
These indie rockers from NYC released new single Thrill last month and have followed up with a video that embraces their sound, with lo-fi hues that bring back memories of blowing on VHS ribbons after too many plays. Director J.D. Aronson says of the clip “I think we ultimately stayed true to the notion of ‘the thrill’— living in the moment, and being the most authentic version of yourself.” The video traces a night of shenanigans from skating behind cars, to dancing in the street, to the kind of night swimming that would make R.E.M. proud. If you ever taped Rage and re-watched it, you will be oh so familiar with those streaky lines and yellow hues, and it’s a fun little exploration into creating memories.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDXxKRtLN-A]
Elk Road – Not to Worry feat. Governors
Not to Worry is the first track from young Perth producer Elk Road that was released earlier this year and has since received loads of attention. The video clip to accompany it was released this week, and plays like a post card to the artist’s hometown. With stunning landscapes that could find themselves in a tourism commercial, it’s beautifully shot by production duo Matsu & Parks. Juxtaposing the vertical lines of feeling trapped in café’s and office buildings with the horizontal lines of freedom on wide open roads and fields of flowers, it’s an ode to stepping out of the monotony of daily life. You can check out Elk Road at Your Paradise festival next month, Sydney’s Electronic Music Conference in December.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNSnxC7QkwQ]
Cosmo’s Midnight (feat. Kučka) – Walk With Me
I’m not usually one for pop music, but this is a damn near perfectly crafted slice of the artform from Sydney twins Cosmo’s Midnight. The vocal assist from Perth electronic songstress Kučka is a sugary falsetto delight that never threatens to become sickly sweet. The dream pop beat is infectious, the synths all kind of lush and the chorus guaranteed to stick in your head. The video is the perfect accompaniment too, Kučka lazing around her bedroom with a Husky, the Cosmo’s Midnight boys riding scooters around an affluent suburb in a pair of tracksuits robbed straight out of the lost property bin at a 90s squash court. There’s pickup basketball, scooter rap squats and Kučka in a kiddie pool before the trio meet up to throw down some of the sweetest choreographed suburban street dance moves you’re likely to see all year. Perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLXJzKdIlXE
Frøkedal – First Friend
Sticking within the pop world, although dialing it back just a little bit, is this absolutely NSFW video from Norwegian artist Frøkedal to accompany First Friend from her debut I See You EP. It starts out innocently enough, a young couple (portrayed by a pair of Norwegian actors) getting all touchy-feely in the late afternoon balcony sun, I can dig that. But then all of a sudden there’s a hand spider-walking with the creepiest of movements across the railing and then she’s regurgitating spaghetti into her partner’s mouth like some kind of messed up but honey-throated mother bird. The lyric ‘in an ordinary world I want nothing more than having you inside me’ is taken to graphically visual heights, with the woman spending the last minute of the song literally eating her partner, blood everywhere and grinning like a maniac. Shit escalated quickly, but it’s a cool and quirky film clip that swipes right with an ice cold pop song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jts61jbBeCk
Little May – Seven Hours
Just shy of releasing their debut album For The Company this week, Sydney trio Little May have given us an absolutely stunning music video for their song Seven Hours. The song is rock at its most hauntingly beautiful. The video features a back and forth living room ballet between a couple tangled up in their emotions. My favourite part of the entire thing is the menacing black storm cloud hanging above them as they lay on the bed together before the dude wakes up to find his bed out to sea and a humpback whale almost blowing him out of the water. Even if the song was garbage (and it is the absolute polar opposite of that) we’d watch this video over and over again just for the mindblowing visuals. Amazing.
G-Eazy – You Got Me
Sordid is probably the best way to describe the latest music video from Oakland born and raised G-Eazy. The trap beat is positively grungy, the bass turned all the way up as G-Eazy and his entourage enjoy a seedy night out on the West Coast. They visit (and eventually are thrown out of) a dankly fluorescent strip club, choosing instead to roam the streets in the wee small hours clutching bottles of champagne and riding around with the windows rolled down. It’s ratbag and it’s glorious.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3wlroM2gZ8
L-Fresh The Lion – Get Mine (feat. Parvyn Kaur Singh)
If you don’t watch this video and immediately wish you had a crowd around you to start a slow clap then I don’t know what to tell you. L-Fresh The Lion comes straight out of Sydney’s southwest with a pretty simple message (if you read between the lines of his verbose and socially conscious rapid fire flow) for the sadly perpetual horde of un-Australian racists and bigots he probably has to deal with on a daily basis: fuck off. The video features L-Fresh looking dapper as all get out, delivering an address to an unseen crowd with Australian flags adorning the background, interspersed with grainy television footage of past Prime Ministers (Tony Abbott’s shit eating mug getting quite a look-in), as well as from dark days in our recent history like the Cronulla race riots and those fuck-awful Reclaim Australia rallies. And the man is a goddamn talent, sharp as a tack. He wrote an op-ed piece to accompany the release of this video that is absolutely spot on; highlighting how the words and actions of our political leaders have a poisonous trickle-down effect on our national narrative.
L-Fresh The Lion, doing Australian hip hop proud and a name you need to watch out for.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiIj-enNs34