PRESS RELEASE

The single is an extended excerpt from the forthcoming album Mere Mortals, Floating Points’ debut ballet score, to release later this year

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) May 1, 2026—Boundary-pushing artist Sam Shepherd makes his Deutsche Grammophon (DG) debut with an extended track for synths and orchestra entitled “Falling to Earth,” recorded with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. Respected worldwide as composer-producer-musician-DJ Floating Points, Shepherd is known for mesmeric live sets that often combine acoustic and electronic instruments. As well as a string of hit singles and EPs, he has released acclaimed albums including Elaenia, Crush, and the Mercury-shortlisted Promises (with jazz icon Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra).

In 2022, he took on the new challenge of writing a full-length ballet score in response to a commission from Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of San Francisco Ballet. Inspired by the myth of Pandora, Mere Mortals premiered at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House in January 2024, directed by Rojo, with choreography by Aszure Barton, design and visuals by Hamill Industries, costumes by Michelle Jank, and lighting by Jim French.

Shepherd played synths live with the SF Ballet Orchestra during the production’s successful first run, and was reunited with the Orchestra to record the work for DG. Issued digitally on May 1 as a prelude to the release of the Mere Mortals album later this year, “Falling to Earth” comes from the heart of the ballet. Like the score as a whole, it blends orchestral and electronic sounds to powerful effect, echoing the retelling of the myth, which draws parallels between Pandora’s story and the unforeseeable impact of AI on our own society today.

Floating Points is currently appearing live in a new run of Mere Mortals in San Francisco (through May 3), and will also take part in the work’s European premiere at the Edinburgh Festival (August 28–30, with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra), and in performances at Sadler’s Wells in London (September 9–12, with the Royal Ballet Sinfonia).

About San Francisco Ballet
San Francisco Ballet, led by Artistic Director Tamara Rojo, is a world-leading ballet company and a trailblazing commissioner, collaborator, and presenter in dance. With a deep commitment to new and contemporary works and the classical repertoire, SF Ballet is a catalyst for the future of ballet, investing in commissions and acquisitions; presenting established and emerging choreographers with a breadth of viewpoints; uplifting dancers, artists, and creatives across disciplines; and cultivating the next generation of the world’s top dancers in its School.

About San Francisco Ballet Orchestra
San Francisco Ballet Orchestra is recognized as one of the foremost ballet orchestras in the world. Led by Shelby and Frederick Gans Music Director & Principal Conductor Martin West for two decades, the orchestra is comprised of 49 recurring members with expertise in musical stylings spanning from classical ballet and symphonic pieces to modern and contemporary scores. The orchestra accompanies San Francisco Ballet for its full repertory season at the War Memorial Opera House running January to May, as well as its annual production of the Nutcracker.

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