Floating Points - Nuits Sonores

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  • We know by now that Sam Shepherd is a master of long, snaking grooves, but did we know that it came so easy? According to his friend Four Tet, the London producer made "Nuits Sonores" while on the plane to the Lyon festival of the same name. He then mixed it down in the DJ booth and played it to a receptive audience. You probably wouldn't guess such a quick-and-dirty process could result in something like "Nuits Sonores," which is as smooth and well considered as any Floating Points track. "Nuits Sonores" is a memorable moment in an already incredible catalogue. Hearkening back to the peppy "Vacuum Boogie," it rides a squiggly acid lead that periodically explodes before receding into quieter passages. Taking its winding turns at high speeds, it's a bit like being thrown down a twisty waterslide, but as thrilling as that sounds it's all done in Shepherd's classy, restrained manner. At a more digestible six minutes, "Nectarines" is another exercise in discipline, taking relatively big-room elements—liberal use of reverb, throbbing basslines, snippets of vocals and horns—and letting them stew rather than whipping up a commotion. The best Floating Points tracks are marked by that unfussy sense of arrangement, so maybe it makes sense that Shepherd could write an exceptional track like "Nuits Sonores" so quickly.
  • Tracklist
      A1 Nuits Sonores B1 Nectarines
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