Over the past decade, the Canadian pianist and composer has become a major figure in the world of post-classical music for his minimalist, occasionally improvised piano compositions that beg comparisons to Chopin, Erik Satie, and Harold Budd. But on his fourth album, mirador, Jean-Michel Blais shifts from his trademark minimalism to what he calls a “light and generous maximalism” for a tribute to imagination and childlike wonder. Inspired by childhood memories in his suburban Quebec basement, where he found refuge in games of make-believe as a queer kid with Tourette syndrome, the songs channel the sense of possibility in these imaginary worlds, as mundane settings become portals to exotic locales. Incorporating Andean instruments, a string quartet, and a baroque choir, Blais’ compositions evoke a globe-spanning adventure, from the flamenco-inspired “granada” to the Andean reverie “carnavalito”—even if the journey only happens in your mind.