Credit: EARTH TO THE STARS
EDGE OF THE WORLD
[By: Blanke]
Genre: Midtempo bass, Melodic dubstep
Rating: 65
Cohesiveness: 75
Track quality: 70
Beginner-friendly? not really
Published 23/09/2026
If nothing else, Blanke's debut album is an ambitious one.
Best believe EDGE OF THE WORLD was backed by some very appealing marketing. With the 'Far From Home' tour (joint with fellow bass prodigy Virtual Riot, who also appears on the album), alongside the trilogy of EPs to compile the album's prereleases - not to mention the entire web videogame developed to allow a potential listener to explore the album's lore and landscape more deeply - the branding of this album has been nothing short of compelling. It feels genuine, too, and vaguely indie/homemade, rather than commercialized corporate slop.
The lore seems to run deep as well. On the intro page of the webgame, the punchy synopsis is written, "The rich have abandoned the dying Earth. You are a Nobody and the world is slowly learning to breathe again.", and this is accompanied by a button: "Enter the Verdance". And there's a cryptic language present - the mystique that Blanke wants to invoke, particularly with the strange Lunith crystals, used to grow trees and presumably heal the world, is palpable.
But the album itself seems to, inexplicably, detach itself from the lore, even despite the branding. At the very least, it is often difficult to piece out a clear throughline in the tracklist. There is some semblance of structure, but it is difficult and feels highly speculative - maybe, for instance, if "Kethexis" to "Sunrise" was some sort of prologue, then perhaps "Genesis" and "Born Again" are the true beginning of the album. It is hard to tell - the lore is harder still to find.
With the worldbuilding seemingly taking a backseat, the album struggles to justify its hour-long length. Thankfully, Blanke - for want of a less harsh phrasing - salvages it well.
For starters, though the record seems to lack structure so as to forgo the previously built-up lore, there is still rhyme and reason to the tracklisting. Primarily it is this antithesis between light and dark; fear and hope; destruction and rebirth - like the chaos of an ending world, and the rejuvenation of a new one.
EDGE OF THE WORLD is quick to flip between these two concepts, as if they are constantly locking horns throughout the album. There is a sense of whiplash, and it is intentionally brought forward - the heavy-handed, bassier vibe of cuts like "Illustrious" and "Overture" are interspersed evenly with soft melodic bass cuts like "Born Again" and "Hysteria". The cold, unfeeling nature of "Unbound" is immediately followed by a forward-facing hook from Jex in "Sunrise"; a vocal-driven future garage tune in "Helium" is smashed to bits by the belligerent "Arsenal" and the darker "Entropy", before "Colder" picks up the pieces with its pop-rock-infused melodic dubstep and vocals from Megan Ashworth. EDGE OF THE WORLD is written as a contrast, not a story - it is both the breaking point and the saving grace, colliding with each other.
This is further bolstered by the production itself. There'd be no use making an interesting album if it sounded bad. Though Blanke seems to stunt his worldbuilding, he more than makes up for it with consistently dynamic production between two of his most accomplished genres. The melodic dubstep is clean and bright, though a little repetitive, but EDGE OF THE WORLD truly shines in its midtempo bass sections. These hit hard, very hard, turning the typically moody rhythm into a stomping, crushing version of itself. Blanke gears the heaviness to reflect a festival-dubstep-like ferocity, but instead slower and grittier, and with a somewhat acidic, somewhat mechanical quality to it - tracks like "Synchronise" and "Illuminate" carry great weight in their loud, bassy mixdowns. The melodic tracks are still solid, sure, but a little too tropey in comparison for many to be of note - the only use that EDGE OF THE WORLD really seems to have for these tracks is for contrast, whilst Blanke's heavier work deals most of the damage.
It's a strange position to be in, where storytelling doesn't quite work out, but the concept is still able to justify itself, both through thematic structure and sheer track quality. It's a longer album, so there's bound to be some misses, but overall this is a confident album from Blanke - it's just held back a little by the promise of cohesive clarity that didn't quite work out. Nevertheless, a strong debut.
Listen on Spotify here.
Kethexis
The album's opener sports a couple of interesting leads before it goes into its buildup, and the ensuing first drop has a very nice flow but the slightly harsh mixing of the track holds it back. The second drop's dubstep is well-thought-out but suffers from the same issue - still, a solid enough opener.
Unbound
"Unbound" is a little more melodic in its opening, and the softer vocal matches that well, with Blanke progressing the track cleanly through the intro verse. It's quickly disassembled by a big sustained reese and a couple of quick-footed breaks fashioned into a build, before plunging into a deep, abrasive midtempo drop. It's a little atonal, and there's a bit of whiplash, but the ideas are too interesting to pass up. The second drop subverts the buildup nicely.
Sunrise
w/ Jex
Jex's vocal is very good and provides a clear hook for Blanke to work around - and he works around it well. His approach is a little wonky, a little freeform, and whilst there is some unfortunately tropey production that comes through at times, it remains a well-written song. Though that piercing, tinnitus-like sound in the builds is a little triggering.
Genesis ⭐
Perhaps, with such a title, "Genesis" should have been the first track. The first pre-drop is awesome, though, particularly with the lilting vocal chop, and the drops have an addictive bouncy quality to it that makes it a very fun listen, and a nice and heavy one at that.
Born Again
w/ Jason Ross, ZOHARA
Jason Ross lends his gentle melo-dub sound design to "Born Again", pulsing behind ZOHARA's vocal that describes some kind of new beginning. Perhaps this is where the album's narrative truly begins, though the track itself is little to marvel at.
Illustrious
w/ illoh
Immediately we get a taste of the hip-hop influence on "Illustrious". The track goes on to sound aptly brash, with a clean record-scratching bridge, before the basswork continues to rise in complexity through the track. As far as songwriting goes it's not the flashiest, but the production creativity is appreciated.
Hysteria
w/ Linney
The second pure melodic bass track on the album is a little weaker than the first. "Hysteria" mostly just does the job, with a vaguely nostalgic songwriting layout and plenty of big synths through the builds, but Linney's hook doesn't quite stick and neither does the vocal work through the drops - drops whose production mostly prefers to take a backseat.
Overture
Thumping, "Overture" brings forth a faintly cyberpunk soundscape, drawing from dark midtempo and cybersynth with its crescendoing main bass and deep, rolling breakdowns and bridges. As it continues, more of that abrasive Blanke edge is added.
Full Circle
w/ HYMNALS
At this point it seems that the album is going to alternate between lighter melodic-pop-bass and heavier track, and "Full Circle" is the strongest yet of the former style. Though HYMNAL's verse is relatively normal, there's something so wonderfully clear about how the drop is mixed, and the hook is also engaging.
Synchronise
The vocal sample is great here - acts as a weirdly catchy hook - but Blanke wastes no time in slamming through the heavy drop. Despite its harsh mixing, "Synchronise" hits like a truck.
Illuminate ⭐
w/ 1788-L
More than anything, "Illuminate" is impressive for its sound design. 1788-L certainly plays a part in this, but Blanke also holds the track together nicely - the metallic accents through the first movements are restrained. When closing in on the two minute mark, though, the track fully lets go and pukes a string of bass and chopped samples onto the soundscape, before gathering its thoughts and finishing with a more expansive finale - a very dynamic and very strong track.
Helium
w/ Dia Frampton
Dia Frampton pitches in quite a nice vocal and Blanke's future garage production shuffles around and feels tasteful throughout the track. It doesn't really establish an identity for itself, though, but it is undeniably a well-made track.
Arsenal
"Arsenal" is written in a very thematic way. It opens simply, with a nice melody and a few clean chops, but the robotic buildup and the gunfire samples (as well as a lot of machine-gun-bursts of bass through the drops) give the track a real sense of identity as it tumbles and crashes through a myriad of switchups.
Entropy ⭐
w/ EDDIE, Nevve
The vocal from Nevve is very strong and tinged with a confident darkness that matches Blanke's and EDDIE's midtempo production very nicely. The first drop is moodier and simpler, whilst the second explodes into shards of colour immediately and adds a new layer of complexity to the whole thing.
Colder
w/ Megan Ashworth
This time the vocal, from Megan Ashworth, feels more commercial-leaning, and her voice has a bob to it through the first buildup, followed by a tried-and-tested melodic dubstep drop. The second verse is a little more interesting as it pushes into a rock section, though the track eventually comes back to another, albeit a punchier, melo-dub drop.
Ultraliminal
w/ Virtual Riot
The digital sound design works well for "Ultraliminal", with Virtual Riot's influence showing right from the start. It opens with a vaguely frantic break-infused section, before Blanke drives his midtempo through, slowly adding Virtual Riot's melodic style to it.
Beautiful Tragedy
w/ Ella Poletti
Here's another melodic cut that relies on gentle piano leads, catchy female vocals and the occasional chop - but "Beautiful Tragedy", thankfully, finds itself in the realm of trance instead. It's a welcome switch, and the track flows nicely, though it feels a little rigid.
Internal Shell ⭐
"Internal Shell" finds itself as one of the stronger tracks on the record purely because Blanke is able to find a sweet spot of balance here. There's your existential sampling, your melody in the builds, your frantic breakbeats, and your powerful midtempo drops that thrive on their thickly laid basses and intentionally harsh mixing, all backed by some very good structuring, particularly with a beautifully colourful final drop.
Tiny Matches
w/ Daisy Guttridge
Perhaps one of the stronger melodic cuts on this records is "Tiny Matches", and it's a hopeful closer with some nice lyricism. The stuttery drops are future-bass-y and Daisy Guttridge's vocal is a good one
- Illuminate w/ 1788-L ⭐
- Internal Shell ⭐
- Entropy w/ EDDIE, Nevve ⭐
- Genesis ⭐
- Synchronise
- Full Circle w/ HYMNALS
- Unbound
- Arsenal
- Overture
- Tiny Matches w/ Daisy Guttridge
- Sunrise w/ Jex
- Kethexis
- Illustrious w/ illoh
- Ultraliminal w/ Virtual Riot
- Helium w/ Dia Frampton
- Born Again w/ Jason Ross, ZOHARA
- Beautiful Tragedy w/ Ella Poletti
- Colder w/ Megan Ashworth
- Hysteria w/ Linney