David Chalmin

"David Chalmin’s music has the clarity, confidence, and self-evidence of works that have matured over time, reflecting experience that is unencumbered by outside in- fluences and perspectives ….. A glowing melody and haunting electronic waves."

– VINCENT THÉVAL

Over the past ten years, David Chalmin has assumed an increasing number of roles: as a producer, arranger and sound engineer alongside some of the most respected indie figures worldwide (The National, Shannon Wright, Richard Reed Parry, Efterklang...); as a contemporary music composer, having founded the dream house quartet with Bryce Dessner & Katia and Marielle Labèque (who hosted Thom Yorke on stage in 2019); and as a mastermind of dense, heady electronica with his album la terre invisible in 2019.

The sixth movement of the piece Sept particules, composed in 2018 for harpsichordist Justin Taylor and his ensemble le consort, was sung to critical acclaim. And now, his soft, sensitive voice has become an integral part of all five tracks on innocence, ep released on Yotanka records in June of 2022.

He is recently worked on electric fields, a new project for Barbara Hannigan, Katia & Marielle Labèque with live videos by Netia Jones in which he performed live electronics. This work, co-written with Bryce Dessner premiered in November 2022 in Disney Hall, Los Angeles.

Among his other compositions: a piece for organ constellation premiered at Variations Festival Nantes, a piece for 100 pianos, piano orchestra premiered at Paris Philharmonie, a ballet star-cross'd lovers for two pianos, drums electronics and guitar created at the Cité de la Musique in Paris (recorded for Deutsche Grammophon), an original music for Madonna's short film her story filmed by Luigi & Iango.

He also created with pianist Katia Labèque, a project on moondog’s music premiered at Les Nuits de Fourvières in Lyon. The moondog album was released by Deutsche Grammophon.

With the trio Triple Sun, with bass player Massimo Pupillo (zu) and drummer Raphaël Séguinier (ubunoir), he joined the Dessner Brothers (The National) and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) for the project Invisible Bridge at the Paris Philharmonie.


Photo by Jonathan McCallum