​Floating Points, pharoah sander & London Symphony orchestra - Promises

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​Promises sees the collaboration between British artist Sam Shepherd (Floating Points) with jazz legend Pharoah Sanders in his first recordings for over decade. The five-year project came to its completion in 2020 with the addition of the London Symphony Orchestra, culminating in a one track, nine-movement odyssey.

Not quite classical, nor jazz, or even ambient - the album gradually unfolds, wave after wave, meandering but never swaying off course. A repeated arpeggio acts as constant refrain that anchors Saunders’ spiralling saxophone. Sanders is largely reserved, a perfect complement to Shepherd's sparkling motif, yet in movement five he surges, and gives way to the oncoming orchestral strings that emerge in movement six. Signalling his farewell, he finally bows out in movement seven, encircled by a swarm of swirling electronica. Much more than a collaboration, this album encapsulates a commitment staked upon musical exploration itself, a solemn pact, a promise.