Montreal-based neoclassical and new classical composer Erik Lankin unveils The Art of Flying, the culminating single from his forthcoming debut LP, The Icarus Album. With a deeply cinematic and emotionally resonant sound, Lankin crafts a composition that soars—both literally and metaphorically—through lush string arrangements and electroacoustic sound design, anchored by a hauntingly reversed piano. This unique technique imbues the track with ethereal harmonic textures, symbolizing the impossibility of reversing time—a sentiment Lankin wrestled with while composing during a period of deep grief.
At its core, The Art of Flying represents transformation and resilience. The track serves as the emotional climax of The Icarus Album, a work that reimagines the myth of Daedalus and Icarus as Lankin’s own way of processing the loss of his father to suicide. In this moment of catharsis, Icarus is no longer falling—he has remembered how to survive, how to thrive, and how to reclaim his potential.
Accompanying the release is an evocative music video, seamlessly blending the imagery of birds in flight with vibrant, fluid paintwork, visually mirroring the song’s themes of metamorphosis and renewal.
With The Art of Flying, Erik Lankin has created more than just a piece of music—he has composed an experience. A powerful meditation on grief, healing, and the unyielding spirit of human perseverance, this single is a poignant and breathtaking prelude to what promises to be a deeply moving debut album
