Release Date: 5/29/2026

It's the 10th anniversary of the record that paved the way for PROMISES. When we first released ELAENIA, Sam Shepherd had already made a name for himself through traveling the world as a DJ, and developing the now legendary club Plastic People in London, together with his friends. He had been working on this album for more than five years, and even built (invented?) an instrument that would draw the album cover, based on the music of the album. This was his first ever full-length release, and he rose to the occasion: Broken beat, spiritual jazz and krautrock, revered by the critics - earning one of the highest scores that year from Pitchfork, back when that meant something. Even before it was released, it was the music that Pharoah Sanders first heard by him, which set the foundation for their later collaboration. A lot has happened in the last 10 years, but this record still kills - and more than anything shows his origins. This limited, color anniversary edition includes a new bonus track on the LP ("Precursor"), and also comes with the KUIPER EP, all in a hand-numbered gatefold jacket.