Floating Points - Elaenia (LP) 2026 (Mint (M))

Elaenia, released November 2015 on Sam Shepherd's own Pluto label in partnership with Luaka Bop, took roughly five years to make while Shepherd, performing as Floating Points, toured internationally as a DJ and completed a PhD in neuroscience. Originally conceived as one continuous piece before being split into songs, the record spans classical, jazz, electronic and Brazilian influences, with musicians including drummer Tom Skinner and bassist Susumu Mukai filling out the arrangements alongside strings. Its title came from a dream Shepherd had about a bird lost in a forest, inspired by David Eagleman's book Sum, and the artwork was generated from a harmonograph he built from fiber-optic cables.