Mirage (ballet)

Mirage
ChoreographerDamien Jalet
MusicThomas Bangalter
PremiereMay 2025
Grand Théâtre de Genève
Original ballet companyBallet du Grand Théâtre de Genève
DesignKōhei Nawa

Mirage is a 2025 ballet created by Belgian-French choreographer choreographer Damien Jalet, Japanese designer and sculptor Kōhei Nawa, and French composer Thomas Bangalter. The contemporary ballet premiered in full at the Grand Théâtre de Genève in May 2025, with international touring following its premiere.

Conception

Mirage is the fourth collaboration between Jalet and Nawa and was inspired by optical illusions of Fata Morgana. The ballet, designed for 16 dancers, initially made its debut in 2024 with a limited preview titled Mirage [transitory], before being premiered in full in May 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.[1] Costumes for the ballet were created by Kunihiko Morinaga, lead fashion designer of Anrealage.[2]

Jalet and Bangalter previously collaborated alongside French artist JR on the 2023 art installation Chiroptera, in which 150 dancers performed to the public on a cavernous structure built outside the Place de l'Opéra in Paris.[3][4] Following this collaboration, Jalet asked Bangalter about working on another project together. Bangalter said Jalet and Nawa's collaboration was akin to movie special effects shops, working "at the margin between performance art and art installation and choreography."[5]

Music

Mirage - Ballet for 16 Dancers
Thomas Bangalter - Mirage
Soundtrack album by
Thomas Bangalter
Released5 June 2026
Recorded2024
GenresClassical, minimalism
Length50:00
LabelErato
ProducerThomas Bangalter
Thomas Bangalter chronology
Chiroptera
(2024)		 Mirage - Ballet for 16 Dancers
(2026)
Singles from Mirage
  1. "Mirage: Part II"
    Released: 24 April 2026

The original music for the ballet was composed by Thomas Bangalter, formerly of electronic duo Daft Punk. Bangalter's first project following the duo's split had been his first ballet composition Mythologies, choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj, in 2022.[6]

Unlike Mythologies, which has no electronic instruments and is a fully orchestral classical composition, Mirage is electronic and minimalist, with the music following the "changing states" of the ballet.[7] Bangalter stated that he wanted to return to electronic music after Mythologies as long as it was "instinctive," saying that he had enjoyed composing to ballets rather than for symphonies because "a ballet is still at the service of a ritualistic urge of coming together."[8]

All instruments on the album are performed by Bangalter, with the works of Greek-French composer Iannis Xenakis being cited as a major inspiration for the composition. Bangalter used a graphics tablet while creating the music and relied heavily on spontaneity while using it.[9] He said he tried to blur the lines between where sound ends and music begins.[5] Bangalter said he focused on creating "texture, right on the edge between the electronic and the acoustic: sounds where you can’t quite tell how they were generated, or where they come from."[10]

The album was released on vinyl, CD, and streaming, as well as a limited Revox Tape edition, on 5 June 2026.[11] The second part of the composition was released as a single alongside the album's announcement in April 2026.[12] The album was released the same week as Bangalter's follow-up collaboration with JR, La Caverne du Pont Neuf, which consists of converting the Pont Neuf in Paris into a cavernous structure.[13][14] Bangalter compared Mirage and La Caverne du Pont Neuf, saying that both have focuses on sounds that reflect temporality.[15]

All music is composed by Thomas Bangalter.

No.TitleLength
1."Mirage: Part I"12:42
2."Mirage: Part II"9:57
3."Mirage: Part III"2:42
4."Mirage: Part IV"7:47
5."Mirage: Part V"2:49
6."Mirage: Part VI"6:06
7."Mirage: Part VII"5:00
8."Mirage: Part VIII"2:58
Total length:50:00

Personnel

  • Thomas Bangalter - composition, production, all instruments
  • Florian Lagatta - mixing, mastering
  • Cédric Hervet - art design, layout
  • Rahi Rezvani - cover art

Charts

Chart performance for Mirage - Ballet for 16 Dancers
Chart (2026) Peak
position
French Albums (SNEP)[16]194
French Classical Albums (SNEP)[17] 2
Swedish Classical Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 5
UK Classical Albums (OCC)[19] 11
UK Classical Artist Albums (OCC)[20] 46
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard)[21] 21

Reception

The ballet was praised by French magazines Transfuge and ResMusica.[22][23] The Institute of Contemporary Arts Kyoto praised the early version of the ballet in 2024.[24] Bangalter's single "Mirage: Part II" was included on The Fader's "Songs You Need In Your Life This Week" the week of its release, saying patience is rewarded to the listener as the track "builds to a thundering frenzy."[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Mirage by Damien Jalet premieres in Grand Théâtre de Genève". hube magazine. 2025-05-02. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  2. ↑ Leitch, Luke (2025-03-04). ""On the Margin of Experimentation." Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk on Composing the Soundtrack to Anrealage's Extraordinarily Enlightening Fall 2025 Show". Vogue. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  3. ↑ Baldacchino, Julien (2023-11-12). "On a vu la performance, étrange et lumineuse, de JR, Damien Jalet et Thomas Bangalter à l'Opéra Garnier". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  4. ↑ Pasquier, Isabel (2023-11-07). ""Chiroptera", nouveau projet fou de JR, Thomas Bangalter et Damien Jalet devant l'Opéra de Paris". France Inter (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  5. 1 2 Battaglia, Andy (2026-06-08). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter Talks About Making Music for Art Projects and Robot Life as Performance". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  6. ↑ Woolfe, Zachary (2023-04-03). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter Reveals Himself: As a Composer". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  7. ↑ Molloy, Laura (2026-04-24). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter announces new album 'Mirage – Ballet For 16 Dancers'". NME. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  8. ↑ Potton, Ed. "Thomas Bangalter: 'Not spoiling Daft Punk became very difficult'". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  9. ↑ Heffler, Jason (2026-06-05). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter Releases New Solo Album, 'Mirage'". EDM. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  10. ↑ Rota, Alma (2026-06-17). "Thomas Bangalter Finds Life After the Robot Suit". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-06-17.
  11. ↑ Murray, Robin (2026-04-23). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter Confirms New Album 'MIRAGE'". Clash Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  12. ↑ Eede, Christian (2026-04-24). "Listen to Thomas Bangalter's new single, 'Mirage: Part II', from ballet score album". DJ Mag. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  13. ↑ Bain, Katie (2026-04-23). "Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter To Release New Album Of Ballet Music: Hear a Preview". Billboard. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  14. ↑ GQ, La rédaction (2026-02-23). "JR et Thomas Bangalter de Daft Punk vont collaborer sur une nouvelle œuvre monumentale à visiter cet été à Paris". GQ France (in French). Retrieved 2026-04-24.
  15. ↑ AnOther (2026-06-05). "Thomas Bangalter and Hans Ulrich Obrist on La Caverne du Pont Neuf". AnOther. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  16. ↑ "Top Albums (Semaine du 12 juin 2026)". Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Top Albums Classique (Semaine du 12 juin 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Veckolista Album Klassiskt, vecka 25, 2026" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Official Classical Chart on 12/6/2026 – Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "Official Classical Artist Albums Chart on 12/6/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Classical Albums: Week of June 20, 2026". Billboard. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Jeancourt, Oriane (2025-05-08). "Le Mirage de Damien Jalet et Kohei Nawa au Grand Théâtre de Genève". Transfuge (in French). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  23. ↑ Schmitt, Jacques (2025-05-09). "À Genève, l'extatique et poétique Mirage de Damien Jalet". ResMusica (in French). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  24. ↑ Minoru, Shimizu (2024-11-05). "Life and death, symmetry breaking". ICA Kyoto. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
  25. ↑ "Songs You Need In Your Life This Week". The FADER. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
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