Montreal Artist Erik Lankin Contemplates How Our Lives are Interrupted by Grieving with Nostalgic Neoclassical Piece, “Legacy”

Erik Lankin of Montreal (Tiohtià:ke) is sharing a contemplative and soaring new release from his forthcoming debut full-length, The Icarus Album. 

The Icarus Album reinterprets the myth of Daedalus as a metaphor for the loss of Erik’s father to suicide. In the tracks leading up to “Legacy,” Icarus has overcome his grief and torment, having learned new ways to fly on the broken wings which his father left him. During this piece, he reflects on and laments his father’s life and legacy.

The soaring violin melody over reversed piano is suddenly and repeatedly interrupted to mirror the way that our lives are interrupted by death and grief. Nevertheless, Icarus finds a place of profound acceptance, expressed with a grand orchestral swell as he invites his father, flaws and all, to take his place among the honoured ancestors.

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

From 2020 to 2023, he 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. Erik’s 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.