The making of Crush was powered in part by the lasting creative energy Shepherd felt during a string of dates supporting the xx, for which he performed alone with only a modular synthesizer. Contrary to his intent, his sets were typified by a newfound level of dynamism and a lack of regard for merely easing early arrivers into the mood for the headliners. That approach is sensed through much of Crush. Shepherd created the overwhelming majority of it on his own, albeit with more than enough gear — including his Rhodes Chroma, this time controlled with a customized tablet app — to stage a 2019 equivalent to the photo on the back of Herbie Hancock’s Sunlight.