Recording: Brian Abbott & Paul Newman

Artist: Brian Abbott & Paul Newman

Song: [2nd piece]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #115), April 7, 2026.

Brian Abbott & Paul Newman - [2nd piece]

Feeling some alienation from their instruments and their compositions, a year or so ago longtime friends Brian Abbott (guitar) and Paul Newman (soprano sax) decided to go back to first principles and began meeting weekly to improvise together. This set showed off the shared space they have been able to reclaim, finding new ways to reach expansion and resonation from their point(s) of origin.

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

[Track Could Bend is back at Wenona tonight (Tuesday, May 5th) with sets from the rest (Joe Sorbara & Jonathan Kay), Wobbly + John Oswald, and Red Trillium. Paul Newman will be performing as a member of Del Stephen's Furtherances (alongside Ghost Variables and Woolworm, Ontario) in the Tranzac's Living Room on Friday, May 15th.]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXXI

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXXI

Song: Where Have All The Melodicas Gone? [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), March 29, 2026.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXXI - Where Have All The Melodicas Gone? [excerpt]

The year's first fifth-Sunday-of-the-month brought a robust group of droners together to listen to each other and explore some distant zones.

The full ensemble for this occasion was:

• Abigail Trotsky - noise boxes, flanger
• Broken Pink Umbrella - theremin + effects, namer-of-things
• Chris Trotter - synths + pedals
• Dan Friedman - synths, flute
• Diane Roblin - melodica, kalimba [set 1 only]
• Heraclitus Akimbo - karaoke machine + synths
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• Jim Davis - bass + fx
• Leslie Partridge - guitar
• Mike Filippov - wave drum
• Nilan - gtr + preparations
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Vic - melodica
• Zack Berwick (Cosmic Clouds) - modular synths

As always, you can dig into the full session over on bandcamp:

[Due to a full-weekend Tranzac booking, Cosmic Homeostasis is being bumped, and will be performing in The Tranzac's Living Room on Sunday, May 17th at noon. However, also keep an eye out for a special offsite fifth-Sunday-of-the-month gathering!]

Recording: Toronto Improvisers Orchestra

Artist: Toronto Improvisers Orchestra

Songs: Non-pitched sounds/Rod's conduction

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), February 8, 2026.

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra - Non-pitched sounds

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra - Rod's conduction

February's version of the TIO required the wide-angle lens to capture, with a circle of seven musicians sharing sounds. These selections (which run directly one into another) show a couple of the techniques at play in their performances. At a suggestion from the group, the first part is an exploration of non-pitched sounds on everyone's instrument. Once that idea was poked at from all the different angles, Rod Campbell stood up to conduct a piece, nicely pulling all the sounds back together.

[The TIO are back in action in the Southern Cross at noon next Sunday (March 8th).]

Recording: Toronto Improvisers Orchestra

Artist: Toronto Improvisers Orchestra

Songs: [two pieces]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), January 11, 2026.

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra - [1st set, short piece]

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra - [2nd set, last piece]

I entered into the room with this set already in progress — which involved, in this case, Rod Campbell engaged in a discussion with his fellow musicians on possible ways to musically interpret a photograph of a snow-covered tree. Later, there would be some conduction (from Campbell as well as Susanne Farkas) which also involved discussion of how the group used their repertoire of hand signals. Otherwise, as with the second selection here, there were some freely-improvised sounds.

[The TIO is back in action tomorrow (Sunday, February 8th) starting at noon in the Southern Cross.]

Monday Roundup #261

Community notes:

• Exciting movie night! Luka Kuplowsky will be presenting Memory of Light, his study of The Cluttertones, "part observational documentary and part experimental-concert film", on Thursday evening (January 15th) at Innis Town Hall.

• On Sunday, February 22nd, The Punk Talks Series presents an afternoon with Mickey Skin and Linda Lee (of Canada's first all-female punk band, the Curse), and Cleave Anderson (who has been the drummer of a number of early Toronto and Hamilton punk bands, including the Battered Wives, Viletones, and Forgotten Rebels). Moderated by Liz Worth (author of Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond), tickets are $10 ("includes refreshments", and a post-event sildscreening workshop).

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Concert announcements:

Agnes [Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski/Rob Clutton] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-20 (Tuesday) [more info]

Experimental Link (feat. Sard / Raf Reza / Dastgâmachine) / BSMT 254 2026-01-23 (Friday). $22.60 (early bird)/$28.25 (1st release)/$33.90 (general admission), 19+. [FB event]

people | places | records Residency (feat. Cristina Lord / Nick Norton) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-24 (Saturday) [FB event]

Imaginary North and The Ambient PiNG present Ambient Afternoon (feat. Kilometre Club / Heart Map Ambient Ensemble / Daena Delam) / Society Clubhouse 2026-01-25 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $10, all ages/family friendly [more info]

Discoveries Vol.8 with Musical Host Batuki Music (feat. Nii Osabu / Dipo / Sintayehu “Mimi” Zenebe & Abebe Fikade / David J. / Ruth Mathiang / Ṣẹwà) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-29 (Thursday). $21.82. [FB event]

The Ryan Driver Sextet [Moon CD release] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-30 (Friday) [FB event]

The Cross Sea [album release] (Praises / Isla Craig / Catholic Wilt) / The Baby G 2026-02-20 (Friday). $21.53, 19+. [FB event]

Is your show missing from this list? Submit it via this form!

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Shows this week:

Toronto Electronic Music Open Mic (feat. Ben Green / Gruve Collective / Ross Edmonds / LoHeadroom / Caspar Project / Antibes / fame diet / Inchoate / Extinction On Schedule / Giant Floating Head) / Handlebar 2026-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-12 (Monday) [more info]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-14 (Wednesday) [more info]

Labyrinth Ontario presents Makam Nights (feat. Alejandro Franco Briones & Mehrdad Jafari Raad) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-15 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Mehdi Rostami / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-16 (Friday – early) [more info]

Long Winter 14.3 (feat. liz uninvited [album release] / Kai Samuels / bridge of sand. / 999ADJ) / It's OK* Studios 2026-01-16 (Friday). $PWYC ($20 advance tickets skip the line). [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Aiyun Huang / David Schotzko / Germaine Liu / Joe Sorbara / Mark Zurawinski / Mira Martin-Gray) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-01-16 (Friday). $pwyc

A Soulful Wintry Evening With Kurdish Kamāncha (feat. Shahriyar Jamshidi) / Burdock Music Hall 2026-01-17 (Saturday). $22.60 advance/$30 door. [FB event]

Our Full Selves (feat. ROSINX) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2026-01-17 (Saturday) [more info]

ur audio visual presents (feat. Heraclitus Akimbo [concert and lecture celebrating the release of I know what I have experienced and I know what it has meant to me, an album of music for solo lap steel guitar] / Charter of the Forest [Isla Craig/Karsten Stryker/Kurt Newman/Pete Johnston/Blake Howard]) / The Sun Room @ 918 Bathurst 2026-01-18 (Sunday – 4 p.m.). $pwyc. [FB event]

Sonomadic Improv Presents: Singing with Freedom (Ayelet Rose Gottlieb [workshop] / K2 [Jonathan Kay & Kayla Milmine] / "Open Jam") / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2026-01-18 (Sunday). $PWYC, snacks included. [FB event]

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It happened this week...

• ...on January 13, 2019 at Array Space (Somewhere There Presents: Paul Newman at 55).

Paul Newman & Brian Abbott - Toad Cricket Lear [part 1]

• ...on January 16, 2019 at Burdock Music Hall.

Cluttertones - Leeways Part 4 + 5

• ...on January 17, 2019 at The Canadian Music Centre (Riparian Acoustics/CMC Presents).

Alex Samaras - Everybody Says Don't

[Do remember that you can click on the tags below to go back and find the original posts (and often, more stuff) from these artists.]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXX

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXX

Song: A Gracious Limestone [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), November 30, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXX - A Gracious Limestone [excerpt]

Joining together at the Tranzac for the thirtieth time, this session marked the end of a productive year for the C.H. collective, meeting inside and outdoors to create come drones and community vibes. Keep an eye out in 2026 for a new "studio" album and more gatherings.

The homeostasis crew on this occasion included:

• Chris Trotter - radio, pedals, namer-of-things
• Dan Friedman - virtual line hum, flute
• Del Stephen - keyboard synthesizer & keys
• Fahmid Nibesh - contact mic/amp/guitar/pedals/metals
• Heraclitus Akimbo - chimes, Roland S-1, pedals
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• James Bailey - cümbüş, rattle
• Jim Davis - fretless bass gtr
• Jonny Luke - cornet + fx
• Mira Martin-Gray - synthesizer/resonator
• Niamh Girling - tanpura
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Rob Cruickshank - synth/pedals
• Scott M2 - Roland S-1
• Sterling McPhedran - banjo-ukulele

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

And, as always, you hear the whole session over on bandcamp:

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis

Song: Vale of Avoca (Set 2) [excerpt]

Recorded in the Vale of Avoca (Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip), September 14, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis - Vale of Avoca (Set 2) [excerpt]

A wonderful and special day out! As part of Ministry of Phonic Services' September-long Back to School Field Trip festival, members of the Cosmic Homeostasis collective gathered underneath St. Clair Avenue, in the Ministry of Phonic Services' Back to School Field Trip excursion to the Vale of Avoca (perhaps the city's most fancifully-named ravine). Feeling a world removed from the city, the expanded group enfolded itself into the space, with several guest performers taking advantage of stones, sticks and other found objects (including the trusses of the bridge itself!) to add some environmental sounds.

The full ensemble for this performance was:

• Allison Cameron - ukulele + NASA recording
• Colin Cudmore - percussion
• Dame Cook - MIDI synthesis/round objects
• Dan Friedman - Kastl Drum, Amp, EQ, mixer feedback, wooden flute
• Grace Scheele - toy melodica, recorder
• Grant Smales - nightjar sounds
• Heraclitus Akimbo - accordion, synth, pedals, water bottle
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• Jaz Tsui - rocks
• Jim Davis - digital synth
• Juniper Mitchell - site-specific lithophone
• Karen O'Keefe - vocals
• Kat Estacio - kulintang, rock, bow, dried leaves, boy bawang, found metal, bridge underboob
• Louis Pino - rocks and dirt
• Maks - rocks, camera
• Mike Filippov - wavedrum + found objects
• Mira Martin-Gray - synth, jaw harp, kazoo
• Niamh Girling - tampura, morchang
• Nilan Perera - amplified acoustic guitar
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Phil Johnston - guitar + delay
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Sonia Leung - violin, vocals
• Sterling McPhedran - rocks in the river

As always, this performance has been archived on Bandcamp:

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

[Mark your calendar, Cosmic Homeostasis will be back at The Tranzac on the afternoon of Sunday, November 30th.]

photo by Ministry of Phonic Services

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis

Songs: Split Infinitive [excerpt] + Urdu Amphitheatre [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), August 31, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis - Split Infinitive [excerpt]

Cosmic Homeostasis - Urdu Amphitheatre [excerpt]

A vibrant showing for a long weekend with fifteen homeostasisists joining in. An unusually-robust turnout of guitarists gave a unique flavour to the proceedings and a bit of structure for the drift over two sets.

The homeostasis crew on this occasion included:

• Nilan Perera - guitar + preparations, namer-of-things
• Broken Pink Umbrella - Intellijel Vascadia + effects
• Dan Friedman - Wire Hum, real and imaginary
• Fahmid Nibesh - Tranzac house guitar, ebow, vox
• Hilary Martin - pedals
• Jim Davis - bass
• Leslie Partridge - classical guitar
• Matt Collins - guitar
• Mira Martin-Gray - laptop, voice
• Patrick O'Reilly - piano + SK-1
• Paul Newman - tenor sax
• Rob Cruickshank - synth/electronics
• Scott M2 - Roland S-1
• Zack Berwick - OP-1 + effects
• Heraclitus Akimbo - tape loops, Zoia

And, as always, you can check out the complete proceedings from the afternoon over on bandcamp:

[Cosmic Homeostasis will be closing out the year's activities at The Tranzac on Sunday, November 30th at 2:30 p.m.]

Recording: Toronto Improvisors Orchestra

Artist: Toronto Improvisors Orchestra

Song: [2nd set excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Main Hall), July 13, 2025.

Toronto Improvisors Orchestra - [2nd set excerpt]

An air-conditioning failure sent the day's sets in the Southern Cross over into the Tranzac's Main Hall, giving some extra legroom for the TIO's monthly gathering. The crew were out eight-deep on this occasion, with a pair of saxophones adding embellishments to the proceedings, as Rod Campbell directed the proceedings. (He added some spoken word elements as well, which you can hear a little bit in the backgound here, though the microphones were more interested in the guitar and bass vi.)

[The TIO will be back in their usual Tranzac timeslot (and presumably back in the Southern Cross!) at noon on Sunday, August 10th.]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVIII

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVIII

Song: Cancel the Wedding [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), June 29, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXVIII - Cancel the Wedding [excerpt]

A fine summer afternoon saw a robust group of space-droners out to chill in some cosmic sounds. As usual, there was a mix of acoustic and electronic sounds, new faces and old.

The ensemble for this session included:

• Ian McPhedran - guitar, namer-of-things
• Sterling McPhedran - banjo-ukulele
• Dan Friedman - recorder, Organism 8, Skrewell, Crackle + Dust
• Mira Martin-Gray - vocals, tone generator, kazoo
• Zack Berwick - guitar
• Scott M2 - Roland S-1
• Grant Smales - Buddha Machine
• Andrew Finlay Stewart - violin, kalimba, pedals, celtic whistle, whistling
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Broken Pink Umbrella - Intellijel Cascadia synthesizer
• Phil Johnston - tape + fx
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Ariadna Ortega - cello (#2 only)
• Patrick O'Reilly - Game Boy
• Dame Cook - laptop
• Del Stephen - synth, piano
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Roland S-1, Bastl Wizard, radio

As usual, both full sets are available over on bandcamp:

And as well, you can check out some the day's full proceedings over on youtube:

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis

Song: Open Tuning [excerpt]

Recorded at Karma Co-op's parking lot (Open Tuning Festival), June 7, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis - Open Tuning [excerpt]

Heading out from "home court" at The Tranzac, and cutting across the Annex all the way over to Seaton Village, the CH crew joined in as part of the small-scale/hyper-local Open Tuning Festival. As with any excursion like this, a few people were confused and hurried by, a few stopped to listen and the back lane filled up with some heat-shimmying oscillations.

The ensemble for this occasion consisted of:

• Dan Friedman - Bastl Kastle Drum, Korg NTS-1, harmonica
• Eric Cinnesealach - clarinet
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Del Stephen - synthesizer
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• Sterling McPhedran - banjo-ukulele
• Mira Martin-Gray - Bastl Kastle
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Roland S-1, accordion

You can also head the full set (in its field-recording glory) over on Bandcamp:

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVII

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVII

Song: Helium [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), March 23, 2025.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXVII - Helium [excerpt]

Returning to the Southern Cross for teh first residency appearance of 2025, Cosmic Homeostasis was shifted from its traditional fifth-Sunday-of-the-month but still had a robust turnout to generate some drifting space-drones.

You can listen to the full session over on Bandcamp:

The ensemble for this performance consisted of:

• Dan Friedman - Sonicware Liven XFM, Korg NTS-1, Hmong mouth organ, namer-of-things
• Philip Hamilton - oscillators
• %%30%30 - percussion
• Jim Davis - bass sans fret, vox
• Jonny Luke - cornet
• Eric Cinnesealach - clarinet, recorders, whistles
• Eliza Cinnesealach - clarinet, recorders, whistles
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Sarah Peebles - shō
• Del Stephen - radios, tapes, synthesizer, whistles
• Scott M2 - Roland S-1
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Ian McPhedran - kalimba, pedals
• Sterling McPhedran - kalimba, pedals
• Elliott Chapin - flute
• Patrick O'Reilly - piano (set 2 only)
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Roland S-1, effects

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI

Song: I'm Not Bruce [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), December 29, 2024.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXVI - I'm Not Bruce [excerpt]

Closing out a busy and productive year (with shows in The Tranzac, in church, and outside) this afternoon saw a record number of homeostasisists gathering together to gently listen and make sounds. A real joy to be in the middle of, with so many strands that one could follow along, until something else grabs one's attention. And as always, you can hear the whole afternoon's worth of sounds over on bandcamp:

The participants this time around were:

• Jim Davis - bass + effects, namer-of-things
• Johan S. - sunvox ipad / UPI sketch
• Mike Filippov - wave drum
• %%30%30 - percussion
• Rosalind Saunders - violin
• Trevor Ablett - guitar
• Christina + Wesley Ablett - wave drum
• Jonny Luke - cornet
• Scott M2 - S-1
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Mira Martin-Gray - laptop
• Matt Collins - guitar
• yasmine - synth, shakers
• apple - shakers
• Sterling McPhedran - guitar
• Ian McPhedran - banjo-uke
• Elliott Chapin - flute
• Dame Cook - digital synthesis
• Dan Friedman - Moog Mavis, Korg NTS1, flute
• Philip Hamilton - oscillators, contact mic
• Victor O - Yamaha CP Reface
• Mickle32 - clarinet
• Heraclitus Akimbo - lap steel

Mike Filippov shot some really beautiful abstracted video on the day that really captures the spirit of the music. It doesn't look to be embeddable, so I recommend you click here and go watch it!

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis

Songs: Sanctuary Drone [four excerpts]

Recorded at Trinity–St. Paul's Centre (Sanctuary Drone), October 5, 2024.

Cosmic Homeostasis - Sanctuary Drone [excerpt 1]

Cosmic Homeostasis - Sanctuary Drone [excerpt 2]

Cosmic Homeostasis - Sanctuary Drone [excerpt 3]

Cosmic Homeostasis - Sanctuary Drone [excerpt 4]

After a couple expansive outdoor performances, the Cosmic Homeostasis crew were ready to make some further explorations into durational drone-making. Holding down the middle stretch of this all-night unofficial Nuit Blanche event, the musicians took over the Sanctuary's balcony, spreading out to give a spacialized mix to the audience down on the floor. Nearly twenty musicans came and went over the course of the night, adding some additional variety to the sonic textures. There was also a nice mix of acoustic and electronic sounds — the former especially blooming with the room's beautiful acoustics.

The participants in the Sanctuary Drone were:

• Blash Belmar - erhu, flutes
• Dan Friedman - Korg NTS-1, harmonica, whistling
• Eric Cinnesealach - clarinet
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• Janel Jones - trumpet, voice
• Magick - Magick
• Matt Collins - guitar
• Maxim Gontcharenko- singing bowls
• Michelle Breslin - guitar
• Mickle32 - effects
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Phil Johnston - tape loops, effects, 1-string guitar
• Rosalind Saunders - violin
• Ron Blake - apps, etc.
• Ryan Kinney - electronics
• Sonia Leung - violin, windchimes
• Heraclitus Akimbo - synths, effects, accordion

If you want to hear (a lot) more of this, I have archived the bulk of the performance over on bandcamp:

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXV

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXV

Songs: Geoff [excerpt] + A Partner for Geoff [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), September 29, 2024.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXV - Geoff [excerpt]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXV - A Partner for Geoff [excerpt]

In between more exotic engagements, the C.H. crew settled into the Southern Cross for a cozy fifth-Sunday-of-the-month gathering. A delightful wind section, this time out, as well as more fabulous underlying tanpura drones among some really nice sounds from new and old faces. It's always a treat to be in the middle of these sound-universes, but maybe this time a little more than usual.

The ensemble this time out was:

• Philip Hamilton - pedals, namer-of-things
• Ron Blake - apps, etc.
• Jim Davis - bass, pedals
• Dame Cook - haunted laptop
• Mira Martin-Gray - synthesizers
• Sterling McPhedran - banjo/ukulele
• Ian McPhedran - guitar
• Phil Johnston - oscillators, contact mic, voice
• Eric Cinnesealach - clarinet, percussion
• styrofoamNosebleedPrincess - tanpura
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Elliott Chapin - flute
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Pluto synth, Zoia, chimes

And as usual, you can check out the afternoon's full proceedings on Bandcamp:

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXIII

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXIII

Songs: Moving [excerpt] + Top of the Mountain [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), March 31, 2023.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIII - Moving [excerpt]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXIII - Top of the Mountain [excerpt]

With the calendar withholding a fifth Sunday of the month until March, this was the first manifestation of this ever shifting/growing collective in the calendar year, but even competing calls of Easter weekend couldn't stop a robust group of droners from gathering together. With birthday celebrant Diane Roblin considering the names of the pieces, there was a nice mix of gentle clatter and spacy drift over these two selections.

The full ensemble this time out was:

• Diane Roblin - Yamaha Reface, melodica, namer-of-things
• Scott M2 - Animoog
• Carly H - voice
• Dame Cook - plastic, cup, laptop
• Eric Cinnesealach - bass clarinet, percussion
• Mira Martin-Gray - tone generator, voice
• Mike Filippov - percussion
• Victor O - melodica, salt packets
• Marilyn Yogarajah - trumpet, piano
• Jesse Clark - percussion
• Phil - static apparition
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Mickle32 - bass
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Roland J-6, Bastl Kastle, radio, lyre

And as always, you can hear/download the entire performance over at bandcamp:

Recording: Lima/West/Kay/Newman

Artist: Liz Lima/Brodie West/Andrew Kay/Paul Newman

Song: Job's Anguish [last section] [composer: Brian Abbott]

Recorded at Gerrard Art Space (Faster Presents: juice?$#%*), March 23, 2024.

Liz Lima/Brodie West/Andrew Kay/Paul Newman - Job's Anguish [last section]

This night of improvisations closed out with a clarinet quartet essaying this new composition ("a sort of collage piece," it was explained) from Brian Abbott, who also conducted.

You can check out the complete piece over on youtube:

[This is the sort of thing you might hear more of at gatherings of the Cowbell Composer Collective, who have just started a residency at The Tranzac on second Sundays of the month, so keep an eye for further announcments on that front.]

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXII

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXII

Song: Stimulant Sister Comedown Cowboy [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Cosmic Homeostasis & Audiopollination: Pre-NYE gathering + celebration), December 30, 2023.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXII - Stimulant Sister Comedown Cowboy [excerpt]

With the regular fifth-Sunday-of-the-month afternoon timeslot reserved for NYE prep, Cosmic Homeostasis took over the Southern Cross for a rare evening drone meetup. That might have brought on some slightly more rambunctious zones, but things were still relatively contained, with a really nice mix of acoustic and electronic sounds. Rather a pleasant way to gather with friends and celebate the turning of the year.

The participants this time out were:

• Hallelujah Daisy Bettlej - piano, namer-of-things
• Dame Cook - laptop noise
• Scott M2 - Animoog
• Sable - dong xao
• Berrett E. Lediard - Refraction
• kat estacio - kulintang, electronics
• Diane Roblin - Yamaha Reface electric keyboard
• Eric Kinsella - percussion, bass clarinet
• Victor O - malfunctioning keyboard
• Del Stephen - FM synthesizer keyboard, pedalboard
• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Elliott Chapin - flute
• Mira Martin-Gray - Bastl Kastle
• Grant & Gertie - bowls
• Heraclitus Akimbo - iPad synths, shortwave radio, Zoia

As always, the full session is preserved over on Bandcamp:

Plus, you can check out some footage of the full first set over on youtube:

photo by Vincent C.

Recording: Paul Newman

Artist: Paul Newman feat. Naomi McCarroll-Butler

Song: Copernicus [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Living Room), December 21, 2023.

Paul Newman feat. Naomi McCarroll-Butler - Copernicus [excerpt]

Paul Newman marked the shortest day with the debut of "Copernicus", a "very large new piece" composed to be played on the winter solstice and lasting from sunrise 'til sunset. A table filled with computer equipment was used for a hitherto-unrevealed electroacoustic side to Newman's work, adding minimal synthscapes and a reoccurring narration, reading Copernicus' observations ushering in the heliocentric consensus. Throughout the length of the day, Newman was joined by several musicians (including Brian Abbott, Sara Constant, and Jamie Thompson) in extended duets; during the afternoon time I spent with the piece, Naomi McCarroll-Butler joined for this beautiful interlude, with the pair sliding in and out of sync on a minimal melodic line.

Recording: Cosmic Homeostasis XXI

Artist: Cosmic Homeostasis XXI

Song: Low-pressure Supercollider Sounds [excerpt]

Recorded at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge), October 29, 2023.

Cosmic Homeostasis XXI - Low-pressure Supercollider Sounds [excerpt]

A special day for the Cosmic Homeostasis collective, celebrating the release of a pair of recordings as a new album. Both birthed in a period when gathering at The Tranzac was unfeasible, "Broken Telephone" was a lockdown-era initiative where members of the group built layer upon layer of sounds as the recording passed from one person to the next. "Christie's Transmission" emerged from a period of tentative returning to gathering — in this case, outside on a couple occasions in late summer of '21 in Christie Pits. The latter recordings were beautifully collaged together by Jeffrey Sinibaldi, who also released these sounds on a tape from Vacancy Recordings.

Meanwhile, it was business as usual for the musicians who gathered to make some sounds together, with electronic sounds mixing with horns, percussion and even some tap dancing percussion. As usual, the full session is available over on bandcamp:

The participants this time around were:

• Paul Newman - tenor saxophone
• Rob Cruickshank - electronics
• Michelangelo Iaffaldano - voice, guitar, software synthesis
• Eric Kinsella - bass clarinet + percussion
• Scott M2 - Animoog
• James Bailey - Roland SE-02 with radios
• Victor O - Casio
• Christina Muratore - harmonica
• Michael Lynn - tap + clarinet
• Maebh Clark/Dame Cook - hauntological experiments
• Shelodyn - improvidence
• Philip - clip mic + oscillator
• Ian + Sterling McPhedran - radio
• Patrick O'Reilly - circuit bent Casio SK-1
• Heraclitus Akimbo - Kaossilator + Zoia
• Jeffrey Sinibaldi - namer-of-things

[Cosmic Homeostasis will close out the year with a special non-afternoon, non-Sunday event, taking over the Southern Cross on Saturday, December 30th in an evening that will be shared with Audiopollination for a special pre-NYE celebration.]