Floating Points - 'Elaenia'

9/10

Despite having been active and extremely well-praised since 2009, this is the first full-length studio album from Manchester-via-London producer Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points. His work to date has found its way throughout the experimental electronic music scene and is treated as one of the most inspiring and diverse producers in the country. And this new record certainly shows why.

After intriguing us with a beatless introduction, in the form of opener 'Nespole', the album opens itself up to a whole range of influences and experiences. Imagine if jazz music was created on synthesisers instead of brass and you can paint a picture of what this album sounds like. A rich cacophony of high-frequency electronic sounds, blended effortlessly together with a traditional backdrop in production, making this one of the most accessible and enjoyable albums we've heard all year.

While albums may no longer be a format popular in the electronic community, Floating Points certainly knows how to write a good one. Each track complements the last entirely and creates a beautifully sculpted 42-minute piece of work that is as inventive as it is engaging.

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