Floating Points Pushes the Boundaries on ‘Cascade’

Floating Points presents Cascade: eight enigmatic, new tracks, including a club mix of his iconic single, “Vocoder.”

Sam Sheppard, the visionary electronic music producer behind Floating Points, has redefined electronic music production continually throughout his career. His innovative work has significantly influenced the genre in mind-expanding ways, while each track pushes the boundaries of what is possible in the studio.

His journey began in 2008, but his 2014 EP King Bromeliad / Montparnasse catapulted him into the spotlight. Since then, he has continued to impress with EPs like Marhaba in 2015, Ratio in 2017, and the standout 2022 EP Someone Close, featuring career-defining singles “Vocoder,” ”Problems,” and “Grammer.” Floating Point’s impressive track record includes performances at Glastonbury and Coachella, including an extended b3b with Four Tet and Daphni at the world premiere of Coachella’s newest stage, Quasar, earlier this year.

While Floating Points’ dance-centric productions have defined his career, he has recently scored for the San Francisco Ballet and collaborated with legendary late Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra. However, the time has come for Floating Points to deliver his latest full-length LP, Cascade. It features eight all-new singles along with a fresh club edit of 2022’s standout hit, “Vocoder.” Floating Points’ ability to transcend genres while delivering a sonic one-two punch to the amygdala is second to none.

His digital craftsmanship, meticulous attention to detail, and ability to write tracks that stretch the boundaries of what we know to be possible make each of Floating Points’ productions unique. Despite the complexity of his music at times, he has mastered the art of creating danceable tracks that push the limits of human consciousness on the dancefloor. His most recent album highlights each of those abilities, whereas his earlier works sacrificed a touch of danceability. Cascade has proven Floating Points’ fresh direction in production, delivering him a wildly successful new album.

Take a deeper dive into the mind of Floating Points and his new album, Cascade, with our full album review below.

The nearly nine-minute journey that is “Ocotillo” perfectly highlights Floating Points’ unparalleled analog production ability while exposing his unique soul as a producer to those who might not be as familiar with his work. While “Key103” ushers in some of the past year’s most mind-bending analog synth work, Floating Points once again elevates the modern dance sound to realms beyond the kick-snare-clap formula. Then, “Del Oro” leaves no stone unturned in its quest to hold fast to the futuristic, warehouse-ready sound with which Floating Points live shows have become synonymous.

One of Floating Points’ most prolific tracks of his career, “Vocoder” lands a revamped club mix on Cascade. The already insatiable and futuristic track receives an all-new edit that thrusts it into the outer reaches of dance music. His unparalleled production is set to a danceable heartbeat in this number.

If the more house-centric side of Floating Points production is your flavor, look no further than “Birth4000,” a truly outstanding album highlight that will stimulate the temporal lobe to the highest degree. “Fast Forward” shines a light on Floating Points’ progressive house ability. The track’s final drop returns to the now signature club-ready energy found throughout Cascade.

“Afflecks Palace” is the most sonically complex track on the album.

A sprinkle of breakbeat, a tinge of acid house, and the right amount of comfortably chaotic percussion come together to provide another jaw-dropping concept. “Tilt Shift,” meanwhile, maintains the course of complexity to usher in atmospheric breakbeats that are second to none. Including a rolling crash course in synth work, Floating Points’ ability to capture emotion through soundscapes stands in the spotlight on Cascade’s second-to-last track.

The landing gear comes down to usher us mere mortals back to Earth with “Ablaze.” A gorgeous, atmospheric intro smooths any rough edges left behind from the previous tracks, diving into one last gritty breakbeat adventure. “Ablaze” is the sum of its parts as it balances the chaos and calm that has defined Cascade. This visionary and boundary-destroying record pushes the limits of what is possible in dance music production today.

Floating Point’s latest album, Cascade, is out now on all major platforms. Listen on Spotify below.

Stream Floating Points – Cascade on Spotify:

Floating Points- Cascade – Tracklist:

Vocoder (Club Mix)

Key103

Birth4000

Del Oro

Fast Forward

Ocotillo

Afflecks Palace

Tilt Shift

Ablaze

Artwork: Akiko Nakayama

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