Dream Works

Ever wondered what it might be like to ride a bullet train through 18th century Vienna? Neither have we. But it's a close approximation of how you might approach the work of 29-year-old musician Midori Hirano. The Kyoto-born classical pianist turned electronica artist, now based in Berlin, dances the divide between electronic and acoustic sound, creating lush, layered chamber music out of piano, strings, digital samples and vocals in songs that hark back to the past while hinting, irresistibly, toward the future.

Hirano's sophomore album klo:yuri takes its cue from her minimalist...