The world surrounding Blanke’s upcoming album continues to evolve.
Through edgeofthe.world, an expanding series of interconnected EPs, and a story built around destruction, rebirth, and hope, the Denver-based producer is gradually revealing a universe that extends far beyond the music itself.
The latest chapter arrives through SKYFIRE, a two-track EP that pushes the narrative forward while exploring the duality that sits at the center of the project. While Arsenal revisits the heavier side of Blanke’s sound, Beautiful Tragedy leans into the melodic influences that first drew him toward dance music. Together, the two records continue expanding a story that expands with each release.
But before the music, it’s the universe it dwells in that formed first.
“It’s evolving in a way that feels surprising even to me. I’ve wanted to build this world for so long, and this EP series leading into the album, and it’s been so great to watch it finally unfold and be given to the fans,” BLANKE explained in an interview with The Daily Frequency. “I’ve loved Zelda so much growing up, and it’s really stuck with me through my adult life since I didn’t really play much else once I stopped playing Zelda. So the world-building aspect is influenced a lot by that game, and I want to create something long-lasting that holds a message as well. Something that I can continue to build on even after this album is out. This universe is only really just beginning!”
That desire to create something larger than a collection of songs has shaped nearly every aspect of the project, including how it is being released.
Rather than building the campaign around standalone singles, Blanke chose to tell the story through a series of EPs. For an artist whose catalog has always moved between melodic songwriting and heavier production, the format allows different sides of his sound to exist together rather than in isolation.
“There are a couple of things to this. The first and most obvious one for me is that my sound has always been so diverse. It’s almost a bit confusing to try and keep up. I realize the reality of that, and so my way of somehow displaying that and keeping it coherent is by releasing multiple-track EPs that show many sides of my “sound” in close proximity to each other. Instead of having each single song separated by weeks or months, putting them out together forces a listener to identify me as someone who does both. I’m not sure if it’s an effective approach yet, but I’m giving it all I’ve got anyway!”
The approach also reflects a broader shift happening throughout music.
Artists are creating and releasing more than ever before, while listeners have become conditioned to constantly look for what’s next. Even as the project continues growing, Blanke recognizes that reality.
“The other side to this is that I actually think the pace of today’s world has influenced this a little bit as well. I’ve definitely felt the pressure to produce more quickly because of the volume of what I’m putting out, which to me feels indicative of what people expect anyway. I would love to see multiple-track EPs from my favorite artist. It’s always more, more, more! We’ve just been conditioned that way. So while it wasn’t necessarily intentional to release so much in that regard, it kind of fits anyway.”
At the same time, SKYFIRE represents something much more personal. For years, Blanke found himself operating within a culture largely centered around singles. Building a larger universe gave him an opportunity to create something with greater depth, emotion, and meaning.
“I’ve not actually done it to the extent of what I’ve wanted to before. I’ve never felt I had permission for some reason. I felt like the culture was just based around singles. And it was getting really monotonous for me, and I presume for a lot of artists considering the amount of albums coming out this year. I’ve had this universe in my head for a long time, and it’s been so fun to finally realize it. It’s also made me care so much more about the music and my brand because of this larger-format project. It has really been so fun and is definitely something I want to continue doing. It creates something bigger than myself and bigger than just a singular song, which is how I grew up listening to music. All of the most influential music to me has been in album format.”
That process also gave him an outlet to explore another creative passion. Long before building a world around SKYFIRE, Blanke enjoyed writing, so the project ultimately became an opportunity to channel that interest into something tangible.
“I’ve also always enjoyed writing. My dad was a journalist and drilled English as a subject into me, and I always loved reading how he wrote things. It’s not something I’ve ever properly dived into, but in a way this gave me an outlet to write a detailed story that resonated with me, create a universe, and eventually share it.”
The story itself is rooted in themes that feel increasingly relevant. Environmental collapse, resource depletion, greed, and humanity’s relationship with the Earth all sit at the center of the universe surrounding SKYFIRE. Yet despite its apocalyptic setting, the story ultimately revolves around hope.
“The whole universe is based around real potential outcomes from the current state of the world. I have a belief that we are all connected in some way and that there is so much more to our connection to the Earth, as well as each other. The story is about the drying up of resources if we continue on this current path of overconsumption and greed with no regard for how we are treating the Earth. This leads to the inevitable eventual collapse of civilization, then the idea that the rich will leave for a new world, leaving behind everyone else.”
In the world of SKYFIRE, those left behind become known as the Nobodies. Their future changes when an unlikely meteor event introduces a new element called Lunith, bringing new life back to the Earth and reconnecting humanity with something it had lost.
“The “Nobodies” are who is left behind. The saving grace comes as an unlikely meteor event that brings with it a new element that replenishes the Earth and thus reinvigorates our connection with it. Lunith, the new element, is basically the physical manifestation of all the “woo-woo energy” stuff we talk about when it comes to our connection with the Earth and each other. It makes it more tangible and brings hope with it and connects us back to that innate and primal feeling we have with the big rock we live on.”
That balance between destruction and rebirth has become one of the defining ideas behind the project. Even when discussing collapsing civilizations and environmental disaster, Blanke consistently returns to themes of connection, optimism, and renewal.
“I find the idea that you don’t control how people interpret your music or message really fascinating. As an artist, you just create in the best way you can, but once you put it out, it’s up to them. I actually don’t know what I want people to take from it if I’m honest. I just know this is the story I’ve had in my head for a long time. It shows a bunch of my personal interests and influences throughout my life. My connection to the Earth, the storylines that have resonated with me. The duality of heaviness and darkness, with beauty and light.”
At the same time, he understands that not every listener will engage with the story on the same level. For some, the world-building will become part of the experience. For others, the music alone will be enough.
“I’m sure 90% of people won’t even realize there is a story behind it, and that’s fine too. Just enjoy the music for what it is! But overall, the feeling I try to portray is always hope and connection. It’s always subconsciously sitting underneath it all.”
That same philosophy can be found in one of the project’s central themes.
“It’s always the way, isn’t it? In life there is rarely new growth without a chapter of absolute chaos, change, and a loss of control. It just resonates. I liked the idea that meteors, which have caused widespread destruction before, instead brought this new element with them to help restart life on Earth. Juxtapositions are always more fun.”
Building a universe of this scale requires more than music alone.
The visual side of the project has become equally important, helping bring the story to life across artwork, animations, live production, and the expanding world surrounding edgeofthe.world.
“I’m working with a really talented and invested couple of people who I’m truly grateful for. We found them just before we started all of the album stuff, and they’ve been foundational to how the world is being built. They’re fully around the story, the message, and the idea I wrote out and genuinely feel like they’re invested, which has made a huge difference with how the current visual aspects have turned out and eventually how the live elements will look too.”
Although much of the visual creation is collaborative, Blanke remains involved throughout the process.
“I’m part of every step and more or less direct it, and they’ve definitely taken the reins on the visual creation while I continue to work on the musical side.”
For SKYFIRE, the story itself remains the foundation. Everything else grows from there.
“For this project, the story itself guides most things. The visuals are directly influenced by the storyline, and the music then fits into that. It’ll be great to build the live set out as it will show the universe in a different light as well, which will be more music-forward.”
That same duality continues throughout the music itself. While Arsenal taps into the heavier side of Blanke’s catalog, Beautiful Tragedy revisits the melodic influences that first inspired him to create electronic music. Rather than choosing one direction over the other, he continues to embrace both.
“It’s just always been a part of what I create. It’s hard to do anything different. I’m sure there are more efficient and refined ways to express them together. Maybe one day I’ll get there! But I couldn’t imagine committing myself entirely to creating one side or the other.”
The next chapter arrives August 8 when EDGE OF THE WORLD takes over ReelWorks in Denver. For the first time, fans will be able to experience the world surrounding the project in a live setting, bringing together the music, visuals, and storytelling that have shaped the album’s rollout so far.
And while the moment feels exciting, it also comes with a level of pressure that reflects the scale of the project itself.
“Terrifying, since it’s the most cohesive and creatively forward production I’ll have ever done, but hopefully very gratifying on the other side! That’s what anything hard or risky is meant to feel like, though. It feels exciting.”
