Floating Points - Crush LP Review

This is my first music review and I'm about to write something that directly contradicts itself, and it may send many of you running for the hills and avoiding any review marked with my name in the future.

The new Floating Points album is everything you would expect from Sam Shepherd's alias, and at the same time, everything you wouldn't. Yes it is true that Floating Points has become a name synonymous with the unexpected, up there with the Four Tets and Burials, with whom something different is always expected, but is always delivered in a new uncanny way. But that's not exactly what I'm talking about with 'Crush', Floating Points first album in over 4 years. There's something else to it.

Of course his trade mark style is there, the snappy percussive elements, the oscillating basslines that almost sound alive, the serene synthesizer sounds. I agree it is difficult to pin down a style for Floating Points, but his trade mark sounds are evident on the album. What I mean is, I think this album marks a definite point in which Sam is moving away from the clubby sounds he has become known for, but he's not afraid to embrace them. It's proven from previous releases such as his first album 'Elaenia' that Sam has a keen composers mind and has never been afraid to take the path that forks away from the dancefloor and I think some of the tracks on the album are an attempt to show this desire is still there whether through the glitch orchestration of the opening track 'Falaise' or the more ambient soundscapes painted in 'Sea-Watch'. Crush is certainly a foray into the possible results of a musical sound from organic instrumentation and the beautiful juxtaposition that can be made when used with synthesizers. Crush is Elaenia meeting the dancefloor halfway.

The opening track 'Falaise' makes this point pretty clear from the get go. A lovely build up of violas and violins that as the track progresses is swept up and moulded by the glitchy sound, making it something entirely different, something organic transformed into something synthetic. The whole track is a dramatic masterpiece, the synths and orchestra building up in a gradual crescendo hand in hand.

'Last Bloom' follows this and this has the familiar sound of Floating Points to it. The arps and atmospheres level out the dizzying array of percussive elements that tease at the IDM-esque sound to come and almost seem to hark back to those memories that are somewhat sad but that you wouldn't change for the world. Overall it's a beautiful song in which the percussive elements carry a certain harshness.

'Anasickmodular' comes in with the 4 am vibes. As the track progresses the IDM vibes are clear cut in this one, but the track evolves from something between what you'd hear in a Brighton club as dawn approaches and something C418 cooked up for the new minecraft update. In this regards it's almost a microcosm of the entire album. An amalgamation of varying styles that you know shouldn't quite work, yet the more you listen the more it does. The basslines makes you want to move your body, the glitches keep you on your toes and the percussive elements are heavy and hard hitting.

'Requiem for CS70 & Strings' sees the return of organic instrumentation and is a softer track, slow in pace, showing what Sam can achieve on a slightly more stripped back level. The song features no percussion whatsoever, and to me, comes across as more of a study between the interaction of the organic and inorganic. The synthesizers and the soft growling bassline dance playfully with the sharp stabs of violin.

'Karakul' is a short intermission of heavy brooding sounds and analogous bloops and bleeps. It's a good stepping point between the previous track and the next track.

'LesAlpx' is personally, my favourite track on the album. Where to begin? The rolling drum pattern not dissimilar from Sam's track 'Ratio'? The sexy vocal chop that continually courses through the background? Or the arp which I think is just perfect? A perfect balance between a beautiful sound and get-the-fuck-up-and-dance. This track is gritty and light and airy all at the same time. The pure ecstasy of your bodies uncontrollable desire to move opposed by the feeling in the pit of your stomach that something big is lurking in the shadows.

'Bias' comes up next, keeping the jumpy vision of 'LesAlpx' running. The track is like a snake charmer and a snake, the influence of world music modestly poking through in the synth lead, the bassline slowing moving like the snake itself. The track takes a while to build, though you wouldn't realise without looking at the track times, you can easily lose yourself in the magnificent sound design. The only let down in this track for me is the percussion, it's good, but it just doesnt seem to 'go' right with the rest of the track. However I just want to go on record and say the mixing and mastering of the drums on this track are phenomenal and despite me personally not agreeing with the vibe given by them, they have ample space to breathe throughout.

'Enviroments' is a difficult track to describe. It's jarring, heavy hitting drums mix in an odd way with the serene soundscapes. The atmospheres used are somewhat melancholic and the track features the recurring IDM vibe with speedy stuttering drums. The track traverses this mish mash until the end when it's beautiful wrath is unleashed in a heavy pumping beat, with a whirring synth sound that's reminiscent of a malfunctioning machine.

Next up on the album is 'Birth' a serene journey that really reveals the composers mindset from Elaenia. The track is emotional, a wave of sadness washing over you as you listen. It's a beautiful composition. Birth can be best summed up as a track for reflection. For listening to when the sun sets, remembering lost loves and the hazy days of youth with old friends.

'Sea-Watch' follows suit. Another beautiful track that shows Sam's abilities as a composer. Chime like sounds overlay the dark tonality of the brooding piano, a song that genuinely feels 'underwater'. This is probably my second favourite track of the album, missing out on top spot to LesAlpx mainly because I enjoy the bouncier club sound more. But this is the kind of tune that you can really lose yourself in. The violins soon come in as smooth as you'd expect. Sea-Watch is definitely a journey worth taking.

'Apoptose pt.1' is the start of the send off of the album. Feeling like a sequel to Sea-Watch, the listener expects the same haunting vibes as the previous two tracks, but is quickly betrayed by the percussion. The clicks and snaps, bubbling like a broth. We soon realise this is something different. The rapid, high pitched hits and the lo-fi kicks giving the vibe of Sea-Watch a new lease on life.

'Apoptose pt. 2' is the final send off and picks up where pt. 1 left off. A slightly more metallic element takes over on the drums, as well as a watery, drippy sound. The track is a glitch riddled mess, but in a good way. There seems to be coherency in the madness of the sound and it seems to be a good when to send off an album of the unexpected. Whirring sounds juxtapose with the watery sound design, a meeting of the natural and the mechanical. The juxtaposition is a theme within most of tracks on the album and it's easy to see why. The reason for 'Crush' as an LP, from the producer himself is alluding to the 'pressure-cooker of the environment we find ourselves in'. And it's true, Crush reflects this with its dizzying infusion of styles and broad range of instrumentation, it really is a study of our current climate.

Considering Sam spent only 5 weeks on this album so as to distance himself from over complicating it, he's done a stellar job, achieving in 5 weeks something that some would struggle to achieve in years, and that's no exaggeration. The album will appeal to fans of fringe electronica, ambient and IDM as well as those who prefer bass music, techno and even dubstep. His delicate mix of writing, arrangement, production and his own instrumental skills have rendered this album a must have for the dancefloor and for those quite nights of contemplation. My only criticism of the album would be to not have the dancefloor ready tracks and the more laid back tracks grouped together and perhaps have it mixed a bit more. I can see why Sam has done this. Keep the dancefloor separate from the study, but when listening through start to finish the initial transfer can be quite jarring. The album, overall is a success and every track is a delight. I rate this 8.6 out of 10.

'Crush' is out now on Vinyl, CD & Digital and is available to buy from:
https://floatingpoints.bandcamp.com/album/crush