Erik Lankin is a composer and producer of New Classical music based in Montreal (Tiohtià:ke). He grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo where he started piano lessons at age 4. At 12 he stopped lessons and began self-directed study; i.e. playing whatever he wanted and then deconstructing the material to inform his own early compositions. Erik’s musical influences are diverse and multi-genre, they stem as much from his own life as from Classical pedagogy.
Erik’s music combines Classical orchestration with contemporary sound design. It flows between grief and torment to find places of hope, triumph and healing. This reflects his personal journey of coping with loss and finding meaning in music.
Early adulthood for Erik was marked by struggles with mental illness and at 21 he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. Creating music became a fundamental part of his recovery and inspired him to reorient himself to becoming a full-time composer.
From 2020 to 2023 Erik 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: The Icarus Album. The project reinterprets the myth of Icarus and Daedalus as a metaphor for losing his father suddenly to mental illness.
Erik’s music channels the full spectrum of emotion into instrumental soundscapes which are compellingly narrative and evocative. 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.
-Written by Cid V. Brunet, Erik’s partner
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Which ‘hood are you in?
I live and work from my home studio in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (not Homa) and can be found there walking my 14-year-old husky mix while taking a break and gathering my thoughts.
What do you do?
I create new classical music from my most difficult emotional experiences to find survival and healing. Having just begun the process of releasing my music, it has been wonderful to learn that listening to it helps others to explore their own grief and turmoil and find some solace and comfort. This is why I compose music.
What are you currently working on?
I am currently working with producer Devon Bate (Jean-Michel Blais, Jeremy Dutcher, etc.) to build The Icarus Album into a live show which we will begin touring later this year. I am also busy releasing my debut track “Daedalus Requiem” which requires a lot of support creating content and being active on social media. I have upcoming collaborations with Montreal composer Abele Kildir, and also with Brandon University.
Where can we find your work?
Spotify | Website | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook
