Lumiere 130701***

A California native who now lives in in Berlin, Dustin O’Halloran has been steadily rising in the new-school classical ranks since 1996, when he emerged as a member of Devics. Along the way there have been some well-received solo piano albums and, most prominently, soundtrack work for Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette. O’Halloran’s debut for Fat Cat’s 130701 classical offshoot is a collaborative affair, with the ACME Ensemble, Adam Wiltzie, Peter Broderick, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Nils Frahm helping him coat his melancholic, cinematic piano tones with interesting chamber textures and elegant electronic edges. O’Halloran still flies solo (Opus 44 is a mannered, delicate thing) but it’s the collaborative pieces that really zing and provide perfect examples of high-calibre emotional heft (see Fragile N 4) or subtle, graceful intent (the way in which A Great Divide toys with the strings and electronics). See dustin ohalloran.com

Download tracks: A Great Divide, Fragile N 4