Sam Shepherd, known professionally as Floating Points, has released the soundtrack for "Mere Mortals," a ballet that revisits the ancient Pandora myth through a contemporary lens. The full-length score accompanied Azure Barton’s choreography at the San Francisco Ballet in 2024 and is set to be performed in Edinburgh later this month, followed by London in September.
Floating Points, a London-based DJ, producer, and composer, is recognized for blending electronic music with classical influences. His work on "Mere Mortals" reflects this synthesis, combining orchestral textures with synthesized soundscapes. The project draws inspiration from classical mythology and was catalyzed by the book "Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths" by classicist Natalie Haynes. Shepherd explained that the ballet aims to challenge longstanding negative interpretations of Pandora, often associated with original sin and female curiosity, by presenting the character in a more nuanced and original context.
The score's climactic moment, the opening of the jar that releases evils upon the world, has been likened to a catastrophic event akin to a nuclear explosion. Martin West, San Francisco Ballet’s music director, emphasized the score’s experimental qualities, noting its blend of aggressive synthesizer elements and full orchestral force as reminiscent of works by composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Pierre Boulez. While the music features intense, sometimes jarring passages, it also contains lyrical, romantic moments—most notably in the final violin theme "Hope Takes Flight," performed by concertmaster Cordula Meeks. This finale reflects a wide heritage of solo violin music, drawing on influences from Olivier Messiaen to Arvo Pärt.
Shepherd’s diverse musical background informs the score’s breadth. Raised in northwest England, he trained as a chorister at Manchester Cathedral and studied piano and composition at Chetham’s School of Music. However, his trajectory shifted as he embraced electronic dance music, contributing to London’s club scene with performances at venues like Plastic People, an influential Shoreditch club noted for its exceptional acoustics and sound system. Shepherd credits this environment with shaping his understanding of how spaces affect sound, a sensibility evident in his meticulous approach to production.
Floating Points has previously navigated the boundaries between dance music and composition in several projects. His 2020 album "Promises" showcased collaborations blending jazz, synths, and strings, while his 2024 release "Cascade" focused more on dance floor rhythms. The Buchla synthesizer, a central component in his sound, features prominently in "Mere Mortals," contributing to the music’s dynamic and mutable qualities.
Composing the ballet score presented new challenges for Shepherd, who had largely studied composition during childhood. Revisiting foundational texts such as Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Principles of Orchestration," he independently worked through the intricacies of orchestral writing and recording, a process that took six months compared to the much shorter mix time for previous releases. Shepherd received moral support from composer Thomas Adès, whose own work in ballet provided a model.
Looking ahead, Shepherd expressed a desire to continue expanding his compositional scope, including upcoming film scoring projects and plans for large orchestral works that push the sonic intensity established in "Mere Mortals."