Blanke travels to ‘Land Of The Wayfarer’ on picture-perfect EP on Ophelia Records
It might be branded as an EP but when this year is all said and done, there won’t be an ounce of doubt that Land Of The Wayfarer should warrant a seat at the album of the year discussion table. Blanke has made every waking moment count since formally joining Ophelia Records with his first original in March of 2021—Dancing Astronaut’s eventual track of the year winner “One More Day“—and 2022 set itself up to be the window of opportunity for him to wholly confirm his label stay with something larger than just a string of one-off originals. And that’s exactly what Blanke did, now opening a year that’s primed to be a breakout campaign by turning in his seven-track EP—with artwork beautifully painted by his own mother—that could’ve only landed on our defending label of the year.
Through both the Donna Tella-backed lead Land Of The Wayfarer single “Stuck On You” as well as “Lights Out” with Dancing Astronaut Supernova RUNN—an EP cut that began 2022 as a part of our favorite IDs list— Blanke had already skyrocketed expectations as to what his most expansive outing to date was going to provide upon its due date. And the five never-before-heard additions to Land Of The Wayfarer only go on to do the same. Judging “Echo Chamber” on its name alone, the EP’s introduction already seemed to be a promising beginning to Land Of The Wayfarer, with Blanke winding a near two-minute progression into a rousing hybrid between melodic bass and dubstep, surely icing itself as his new set opener moving forward. The EP’s three remaining collaborative cuts—”Lifetime,” an old-school Seven Lions-inspired union with fellow Aussie Esther Sparkes, “Think Of Me,” a midtempo-esque pairing with Ophelia Records mainstay SOUNDR, and “Only You,” an outright melodic-bass gem alongside the blissful vocals from none other than Dancing Astronaut‘s very own Meggie York—each respectively stretch Blanke’s melodic-fueled legs and gracefully walk alongside standout toplines from the three gifted singer-songwriters. And last but not least there’s “Arc,” which is hands down the weightiest Land Of The Wayfarer inductee that melds two ends of dubstep and psytrance, potentially challenging “Boom” as Blanke’s hardest-hitting appearance thus far. All in all, Land Of The Wayfarer resolves as nothing less than a top-of-the-line EP that’s undeniably dripping in vigor and versatility, re-supporting the collective feeling around dance music that Blanke decisively prevails as one of the genre’s most continually originative minds.
Stream one of 2022’s best projects thus far in its entirety below.
Featured image: Alex Estrada
Categories: Music