Cascade
Sam Shepherd’s not-quite-techno is the 21st-century equivalent of good progressive rock or jazz fusion: sophisticated, intelligent music whose outward sense of exploration mirrors an almost psychedelic journey within. Inspired by his teenage epiphanies with techno in Manchester in the late ’90s and early 2000s, *Cascade* is easily his most immediate album: “club bangers” (“Key103”), acid bass (“Afflecks Palace”), even a little Giorgio Moroder-style Eurodisco for good historical measure (“Birth4000”). The beats are nakedly 4/4 and the surrounding ambience the kind of moody, infinitely cascading synth tapestries you might find on a psytrance mix, rendered with a grace that makes them feel paradoxically subtle. Having done complicated, Shepherd makes it simple.
Three years after exploring new dimensions in ambient jazz alongside Pharoah Sanders, Sam Shepherd refocuses his efforts on the dancefloor, with dazzling results.
Floating Points seamlessly blends the widescreen and subtle throughout Cascade.
It’s worth remembering that when the name Floating Points first appeared on our radar, it was via a series of rugged, club-focussed 12s. Since then,
The eclectic British producer returns with a more dance-focused album laden with giddy modular synths
Floating Points' Cascade is a bassy, minimalistic swirl of house, techno, and ambiance to be enjoyed on the dancefloor or as the backdrop to solo introspection.
Cascade by Floating Points album review by David Saxum for Northern Transmissions. The LP drops on September 13th via Ninja Tune
Floating Points - Cascade review: Admirable levels of disco dancer, but no Miss Oranje
High energy techno and rave from the synth craftsman needs your best speakers. New music review by Joe Muggs