Kuiper

This is experimental music at its very finest, and rarest: unashamedly cerebral, but also unrelenting in its dedication to powerful dynamics and – crucial point, this – melodic hooks.

It’s a strong, welcome follow-up: potent melodies, expert performances, and a boundary-pushing experimental nature that is both an enjoyable listen and an even deeper dive into uncharted musical waters.

Following up Floating Points' widely acclaimed Elaenia was always going to be difficult, but Kuiper finds Sam Shepherd eschewing the typically episodic tendency of self-contained music releases.

Kuiper is a cohesive work that captures Shepherd exhibiting a full command of his prowess.

The full 30 minutes of Kuiper seems logical as a comfortable extension of, and compromise between, Shepherd's recent discography.

"Kuiper" will likely come as a surprise for anyone strictly familiar with the jazzy, understated solo artist Floating Points, but as a snapshot of his explosive live band, it's an appropriate spectacle.

His commitment to quality and easy lilting melodies help him stand out, but it’s a little disappointing that his polyglot taste as a DJ doesn’t rear its head more often in his recorded material. Still, Kuiper extends the graceful Elaenia, even mussing its well-kept hair on the title track.

While both tracks suffer from their length, there is still an underlying hint of Shepherd's innovative mastery. It's the failure of this to come to the fore that means the Kuiper EP is not the best demonstration of what it's creator is capable of.

Floating Points stakes out ambitious sonic territory, and it's important to remember that Kuiper is essentially a rest stop on a much more sophisticated, gratifying trajectory.