French electro pioneer Thomas Bangalter continues his musical pivot, collaborating with choreographer Damien Jalet and contemporary artist Kōhei Nawa.
It's already been five years since Daft Punk announced their breakup, and one half of the masked duo has kept very busy.
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Whether it’s scoring films, working on soundtracks to operas or composing a symphony orchestra for choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, Thomas Bangalter doesn't seem to stop.
His 2023 debut solo album, ‘Mythologies’ was a clear sign that there was life after being one half of the most famous electro act in the world. He surprised everyone by executing a whiplash-inducing musical pivot, trading in electronic dance tracks for a sprawling 90-minute classical composition.
In our review of ‘Mythologies’, we wrote: "The score ends up sounding like the Baroque lovechild of Vivaldi and Philip Glass, and it’s… Well, it’s sublime. Throughout, you can hear echoes of the Venetian master and American minimalism, as well as touchstones like Bach and Debussy. And in this sense, Bangalter’s approach to melodies and influences isn’t that dissimilar to sampling - an art Daft Punk mastered, to say the least.”
Now, the French artist has announced his next project: a new ballet soundtrack, 'Mirage – Ballet For 16 Dancers', which is billed as "a vast and atmospheric piece of electronic minimalism."
The music seeks to trace the “changing states” of a ballet choreographed by Damien Jalet and contemporary artist Kōhei Nawa.
Check out the first teaser below:
And just because you can’t tell an electro pioneer to chill, Bangalter has also announced "a massive immersive event" that he'll be hosting at Art Basel in Switzerland on 20 June.
The installation, Warehouse Artefacts, will combine a DJ set from German producer Rampa with visual art by Julian Charrière. It’s been described as "a sensory overload aimed squarely at the intersection of music and fine art."
‘Mirage – Ballet For 16 Dancers’ is out 5 June 2026.
