Erik Lankin Shares Experimental New Classical Piece, “Labyrinth"

Montreal (Tiohtià:ke)’s Erik Lankin is sharing a new window into the world of his upcoming debut LP, The Icarus Album, a reinterpretation of the myth of Daedalus which Lankin has used to grapple with the loss of his father to suicide.

The tormented conceptual opening track, “Labyrinth,” is set on a stormy island as Daedalus is trapped inside the prison of his own making.

Descending, harsh modal clusters of the album’s classical string ensemble are paired with electroacoustic elements including static speaker tearing (borrowed from hardcore) and a low register heartbeat, pulsing out an 8 bit binary message saying “I AM NOT OK.” – Erik Lankin

Erik Lankin is a composer and producer of New Classical music, combining classical orchestration with contemporary sound design. He channels the full spectrum of emotion into instrumental soundscapes which are compellingly narrative and evocative.

From 2020 to 2023, Lankin assembled a team of some of Canada’s most accomplished classical soloists and neoclassical producers to realize his vision for his highly anticipated debut release. His dual ambitions on the levels of musical theory and emotional vulnerability were able to secure him multiple funding requests from the Canada Council for the Arts despite being an artist who seemingly came out of nowhere.

Erik’s music flows between grief and torment to find places of hope, triumph and healing, reflecting his personal journey of coping with loss and finding meaning in music. His work is a testament to his talent, passion, and courage as a composer. He is dedicated to forging new paths for classical music to be expressed in the world.