Neoclassical Composer Erik Lankin Shares Grief-Stricken Single

Neoclassical and new classical composer Erik Lankin’s forthcoming debut full-length, The Icarus Album (out early 2025), hears him reinterpreting the myth of Icarus and Daedalus as a metaphor for losing his father to mental illness.

Combining classical orchestration with contemporary sound design, he channels the full spectrum of emotion into instrumental soundscapes which are compellingly narrative and evocative. Latest single, “Aloft on Broken Wings,” is told from the perspective of Icarus who is in shock, having just witnessed his father’s death. His ears are ringing and he is plummeting downward, only to catch himself with a reflexive beat of his wings at the last moment. The cello enters alone over the sound design as Icarus, also alone, begins weeping. As the cello rises and descends, so does Icarus. He flies dangerously low and dangerously high.

In the second half of “Aloft on Broken Wings,” Icarus is joined by a comforting presence on the violin. It tells him “things are not okay right now but they will become okay again.” At the close of the piece, the violin teaches him the Icarus theme which will open the next track and shape the remainder of the album.