Floating Points: Late Night Tales (180g) Vinyl 2LP

“I tried to find music that reflects the stillness of night," Sam Shepherd aka Floating Points says of the collection of 17 tracks put together for the latest Late Night Tales. Shepherd's music taste has always been notoriously tricky to pinpoint. It ranges from ethereal classical joints on the one end to pulsing techno on the other, connected via "the transcendental power of music to move hearts, minds, and feet." Musical interests aside, his production is equally wide-ranging, from killer dancefloor cuts on his early EP's to the expansive, warm, and visionary debut full-length Elaenia, released in 2015. The depth of this Late Night Tales excursion reflects these broad tastes. From rare soul, to ambient, to jazz and folk, its all here. I'll go ahead and let Late Night Tales describe the exquisite track choices:

"There’s the gorgeous "Via Làctea", culled from Carlos Walker’s debut album, Abu Talib’s (Bobby Wright) plaintive "Blood Of An American" and Robert Vanderbilt’s gospel reworking of Manchild’s "Especially For You". Raw soul and feeling oozing from each song’s pores.

At the other end of the music scale are the modernists, such as Québécoise Kara-Lis Coverdale who weighs in with the indelible "Moments In Love", Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith whose "Milk" is an exercise in tranquility, while Sarah Davachi’s meditative mix-opener offers respite from a weary world.

We have some tracks exclusive to Late Night Tales; alongside Davachi’s offerings there is also Toshimaru Nakamura’s "Nimb #59", as well as the now traditional cover version. Shepherd delved into his childhood memory for this one, a track taken from the first album his parents bought him, Kenny Wheeler’s "Music For Large & Small Ensembles": Sam offers up his interpretation of "Opening Part 1". Wheeler also contributes horns to Azimuth track "The Tunnel", written and performed by Norma Winstone and John Taylor who, coincidentally, are the parents of Floating Points’ drummer Leo Taylor. Closing the album, Lauren Laverne reads the suitably nocturnal poem "Ah! Why, Because The Dazzling Sun" by Emily Brontë."

Shepherd reflects, "I was quite keen to have some electronic music in there but I also really wanted to have some soul music mixed in, so I had to try and find a pathway between all of this different music.” It's a musical pathway he finds fluidly, and will be on repeat on your table. Comes with download card for individual tracks and full continuous mix. Recommended.

• double 180g vinyl
• includes 30 cm art print
• download card included
• music label: LateNightTales 2019

reviewed by Richard Cashmere 4/2019