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For the most part in Luaka Bop’s history we release music from artists who are relatively unknown or forgotten. That’s a lot of fun you know, taking a Tom Ze or William Onyeabor or Shuggie Otis – or, like now, a Doug Hream Blunt – and working to get people as excited about their music as we are. But, for the first time<\/span>, we are also releasing an album by someone who has already had success and respect, though has never before released a full album. His name is Sam Shepherd and he goes by the name Floating Points<\/strong><\/a>. Sam\u2019s record \u2018Elaenia\u2019<\/strong> is one of the most beautiful, and, surprising albums we have heard and simply, just so different.<\/p>\n Sam was born in Manchester, England and started out from taking lessons in classical composition and jazz. As he tells us:<\/p>\n \u201cI forcibly had piano lessons since I was eight \u2013 hated it. I joined Manchester Cathedral Choir as a choirboy, and as a result got into Cheethams School of Music across the road, where I studied jazz piano and composition. The composition teacher let me use the old analogue studio as much as I liked, \u2019cause they just got a fancy digital studio, which they\u2019re probably still trying to figure out! This meant I\u2019d spend endless time trying to get an MS20 to stay in tune, making tape loops with the reel to reel, getting arthritic on the S-90 and electrocuting myself on the patch bay. This plus jazz plus choral music and Manchester record shops moulded me into a mess of love for so many sounds\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n