2019-10-18
Crush
Floating Points
By Maeve C.
Opening for The xx in 2017, Sam Shepherd played half-hour improvised sets alone with a Buchla synthesiser, and those nights pushed him towards Crush. He wrote and recorded the album in about five weeks, against the five years he had spent on Elaenia.
The same Buchla and a Korg drum machine formed the basis of the studio sessions, and the record leaves out the live guitars and drums heard on its predecessor. “LesAlpx” arrived first as a single, “Falaise” opens the sequence and two parts of “Apoptose” close it. Mixmag placed Crush second in its list of the best albums of 2019.
Sources
Label publicist press release: "out October 18 on Ninja Tune"; written and recorded in about five weeks versus five years for Elaenia; inspired by improvising alone with his Buchla while supporting The xx in 2017.Artist/Ninja Tune Bandcamp page: "released October 18, 2019".
Corroborates release on 18 October 2019 by Ninja Tune; Buchla and Korg drum machine; no live guitars or drums unlike Elaenia; "LesAlpx" single (18 June 2019); Mixmag 2019 list No. 2; track list.