Recording: Potions & Strings

Artist: Potions & Strings

Songs: Quadrophonia + Aidan's String Quartet^* + Song for the World 2

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), May 6, 2026.

Potions & Strings - Quadrophonia

Potions & Strings - Aidan's String Quartet

Potions & Strings - Song for the World 2

Having tracked these things for awhile, my inner amateur ethnomusicologist is always curious to see certain patterns of collaboration re-emerge over time. The musical scenes I like to be in are collegial by nature, and Toronto's social/material circumstances seem to lead to parallel evolutions of musical/social agglomerations: sometimes it takes the form of a damn big band, just blasting out music together; sometimes, in the joyful romp of the groovy biglyup; and again and again as a joining-together of the song-playing folkies with the improvisers. The latter had its classic nexus in the emergence of Rock Plaza Central, birthed from the Tranzac's Southern Cross, as well as in groups like the amazing Sea Snakes, who sound like Potions' most direct local forebearers. (There's also the closely-related case of chamber-pop groups absorbing their friends in ever-growing string and horn sections.)

None of which is meant to detract from Potions' trajectory and amazing work in the here-and-now. Having issued an essential EP earlier this year, this set saw them showing off some songs that will presumably be on their forthcoming album, showing off a winning mix of off-the-cuffness and deep chops. The core quartet is Steven Noronha, Ben Rositsan, Josh Sparks, and Aidan McConnell (all busy around town in various other capacities), passing around instruments and vocal parts — and joined here by a string quartet of Sara May, Aline Homzy, Jill Sauertag, and Clara Nguyen-Tran. My understanding is that all of the members contributed arrangements for the songs (as well as the interstitial string miniatures) and everything sounded naturally integrated. It's rare to witness a standing ovation in the Southern Cross, but the packed crowd on hand knew they were seeing something special — there's the sense that, just at this particular moment, this band could do incredible things and be bound for much larger stages.

My camera angle wasn't the best — apologies to Josh and Aline! — but you can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

^* To be updated once an actual title comes to light!

Recording: Alex Raja Ven & Heart Map Ambient Ensemble

Artist: Alex Raja Ven & Heart Map Ambient Ensemble

Song: unknown^*

Recorded at Sankofa Square (Intersection 2025: Day 2: All Day Music Marathon, August 30, 2025.

Alex Raja Ven & Heart Map Ambient Ensemble - unknown^*

Back from a year's hiatus, the Intersection Festival was once again bringing some unconventional sounds to the unsuspecting public. The now formally-retitled Sankofa Square sports a decolonized name, but a slightly more carceral vibe — surrounded by metal fencing and closed off by gates right up 'til showtime, there was less of a random just-wander-through sense of invitation than there used to be.

There was also a slightly different curatorial vibe in effect. In the absence of Burn Down the Capital's Tad Michalak, Andrew Noseworthy stepped up as the main programmer, giving the day a flavour that'd be familiar to those following people | places | records, the "DIY genre-fluid 'zero profit' artists-first" label he is involved with.

Coming straight from the "heart" of the people | places sound, I had previously seen this modular ensemble in a more nascent formation — and though their numbers have grown, this was working in the same space of intracately-arranged compositions delicately swelling outwards and upwards.

You can check out some more from this set over on youtube:

^* I'm not sure if this piece is an arrangement of Eno's "Discreet Music", or whether it just has some of its DNA grafted to its core. Please leave a comment if you know!