Blanke on Authenticity and the Evolution of Dance Music
Blanke (@blankemusic) returns with PART III – AWAKENING, the third installment in the EP cycle leading toward his debut album. The two-track release, out July 10, 2026, follows PART II – SKYFIRE and moves the album’s larger story from collapse toward renewal. Across “Sunrise” featuring JEX and “Synchronise,” Blanke works with two different expressions of hope: one brighter and more melodic, the other heavier and more tied to the midtempo roots that helped define his earlier sound.
The release lands during a major year for JP Orchison, the Australian-born, Denver-based producer behind Blanke and ÆON. Across both projects, he has built a catalog that moves between melodic bass, heavy bass, progressive ideas, and drum & bass, with releases on Monstercat, Ophelia, Deadbeats, and Ministry of Sound. His credits include collaborations with Illenium, REZZ, Seven Lions, Zeds Dead, Gryffin, NGHTMRE, Big Gigantic, Dabin, and ATLiens, along with official remixes for Marshmello, SLANDER, and Sullivan King.
Navigating Hype Cycles and Authenticity
In our conversation, Blanke reflects on the rapid pace of modern music culture. He notes that dance music is increasingly susceptible to cycles accelerated by social media and connectivity. “The ease with which we can consume any given media means people cycle through it faster, requiring us as artists to create faster,” he explains. This pressure often leads to a conflict between creating art with depth and producing content that satisfies the algorithm.
Blanke admits to reassessing his own sound in response to these shifting aesthetics. “I am constantly shifting, for better or for worse, my sound and what I make,” he says. He emphasizes that authenticity is not a static state but a reflection of one’s experiences and influences. “Your art is an amalgamation of your current and past influences. A gigantic mash-up of experiences collected across your life and reflected out through your art.”
The Impact of Short-Form Content
When asked about the rise of short-form content, Blanke suggests that while it creates pressure to chase trends, it also offers unprecedented control for the individual artist. “It creates a massive opportunity for the individual artist, as we can now get our art into the eyes and ears of potentially millions of people from a single post on our own,” he notes. He advocates for a strategy of creating authentically rather than diluting one’s work for mass appeal, suggesting that cultivating a dedicated audience is ultimately more sustainable.
Returning to Club Roots
Despite his success as a touring artist, Blanke maintains a deep connection to his origins in club culture. He describes his early days as a DJ as a formative experience that continues to shape his live sets. “Everything I learned from opening and closing beautifully dark and dingy clubs for years directly influences the sound and flow of my sets now,” he says. For Blanke, the goal remains to balance his identity as a producer with the visceral, room-focused energy that first drew him to the craft.
