Erik Schilke - Synthesis (2021)

erik schilke is an electronic music producer, composer, and sound designer from new england, u.s.a.. raised in a musical family, erik grew up playing the piano, trumpet, guitar, drums and bass, and singing in choirs. he moved to montreal for university, where he studied as a classically trained upright bass player at the prestigious schulich school of music. in montreal, erik discovered his voice as an electronic solo artist, becoming fascinated with the endless, uninhibited opportunities for innovation and creation that the medium offers. erik’s passion for music and music production has pushed him to use music as a tool to study, explore and reflect upon the realities and nuances of life. today his work draws from the narrative patterns in the natural world around us to both engage with the soundscape of our existence and escape from it at the same time.

his debut album synthesis is greatly inspired by the interconnected patterns and pathways of nature, and how they help create meaning out of the chaotic process of grief. it explores the search for reason we are sent on when confronted with losing a loved one. synthesis captures the struggle toward finding peace, amidst the waves of encroaching anguish and disarray. it mirrors the process of becoming one with what is lost. it’s an encounter with the end of the world. a journey from the chaotic senselessness of grief to the strange and simple knowing or reckoning that nothing is ever lost, but constantly reappearing and integrating into the patterns of the universe all around us.