Shadows

Anyone who still thinks that techno lacks soul hasn’t heard Sam Shepherd, a.k.a. Floating Points. The London-based DJ and producer gained some buzz after pressing white-label 12-inch bootleg singles with a remix of Sun Ra’s “I’ll Wait for You.” His 2011 EP Shadows infuses sultry house and hints of dubstep with natural-sounding rhythms and organic tones. The opening cut, “Myrtle Avenue,” starts with a muted synthesizer percolating under groovy fretless bass notes, as a Fender Rhodes electric piano and chirpy Moog dance over skip-along beats. “Obfuse” follows, with ricochet beats and handclaps tailing a high-hat and snare into a panoramic field of analog retro ambience. “Arp3” is easily the most danceable jam here, with its infectious 4/4 beat and the warm warble of what sounds like an old Wurlitzer. The closing composition, “Sais,” is a wonderful blend of sweeping synths, drum and bass beats, and half-step rhythms trimmed in dubby trappings.