"Promises" is an extraordinary, collaborative album by the electronic giant Floating Points and saxophone titan Pharoah Sanders. The album features the London Symphony Orchestra and cover art by the acclaimed American artist, Julie Mehretu
“Electronic Music’s King...” NYTIMES
“There’s an attention to detail at work that’s practically unrivaled in electronic music.” PITCHFORK (BEST NEW ALBUM, CRUSH)
“The best tenor player in the world.” ORNETTE COLEMAN
“Few musicians have said more than the saxophonis Pharoah Sanders.” THE NEW YORKER
“The album is extraordinarily beautiful, mesmerizing and spatially haunting. Listening to it is a profound experience. JULIE MEHRETU
“Best thing I’ve ever done.” SAM SHEPHERD (FLOATING POINTS)
Sam: Pharoah...
Pharoah: Huh...?
Sam: Were you asleep? I'm sorry...
Pharoah: No no... I was listening... and dreaming... and listening to music in my head...
Sam: Oh wow... sorry.
Pharoah: Many times, people think I might be asleep... but in fact, I am just listening to music in my head. I'm always listening... to the sounds around me... and playing, in my mind... and sometimes I dream.
Sam: What were you dreaming about?
Pharoah: I'm on a ship. In the ocean. Bears coming around smoking cigars. The bears are singing, ‘We have the music. We have what you're looking for.’ I say, ‘Really?’ And I was making fish dinners. Shark..Lobster. Got all kinds of fish. And you know, a good pie. Pumpkin pie. You like pumpkin pie?
* * *
Pharoah: How you like that take, Sam?
Sam: It's cool. I think the bit in the middle, where it stops again...I think you can hear...We were both kind of confused. I like it as well because it sounds like two musicians that are trying to guide each other.
Pharoah: I think that's it right there. It came out different. It came out good though.
Sam: You happy?
Pharoah: Yeah, I'm cool with it.