Mechanical Forest Sound

Monday, December 15, 2025

Monday Roundup #257

Concert announcements:

More Noise Please! Presents: A Magical Evening of Solstice Celebration (feat. Grief Debt / J. Vulgare / Inchoate / Colin Cudmore / Panties / Rampancy / Shameful) / BSMT 254 2025-12-30 (Tuesday). $15/pwyc. [more info]

The Cluttertones [Rob Clutton/Lina Allemano/Tim Posgate/Ryan Driver] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-06 (Tuesday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Track Could Bend #112 (feat. Duo BEAK [Bea Labikova & Kayla Milmine] / Jody Chan & Yang Chen) / Wenona Lodge 2026-01-06 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Fuses (Roy / Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) / Monarch Tavern 2026-01-10 (Saturday). $17.50, 19+. [tickets + 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]

Winter's Delight: Musical Merriment with Good Company (feat. The Musicians of the Egg) / St. Thomas's Anglican Church 2026-01-24 (Saturday). $30 (General Admission), $20 (Students, Arts Worker), $10 Children. [FB event]

The Action Committee Orchestra [Maggie Keogh/Sara May/Maxwell Stover/Ben Rositsan/Keon Narinesingh/Max Donaldson/Regan Mowery] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-24 (Saturday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Josh Cole + Strings [featuring the premiere of "Concerto for Bass Drum"] / Sellers & Newel 2025-01-30 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

The Eric West Quintet [Eric West/Kae Murphy/Leland Whitty/Julian Anderson-Bowes/Chris Pruden] / Sellers & Newel 2025-02-06 (Friday). $25 minimum donation. [FB event]

Max Donaldson [solo piano record launch] / Sellers & Newel 2025-02-13 (Friday). $15 minimum donation. [FB event]

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

Shows this week:

BLOOP [Lina Allemano & Mike Smith] / Sellers & Newel 2024-12-15 (Monday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

THE AMBiENT PiNG and Imaginary North Present (feat. Gollden / Ken Little / Hozerz) / Handlebar 2025-12-15 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. The Adjacence [Lina Allemano/Ryan Driver/Nick Fraser/Karen Ng]) / Wenona Lodge 2025-12-16 (Tuesday) [more info]

Agnes [Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-16 (Tuesday) [more info]

Tireless Foliage [Jiaqing Wilson-Yang/Germaine Liu/Karen Ng] (Jordaan Mason / Eli Howey) / Three Dollar Bill 2025-12-17 (Wednesday) [more info]

Output 1:1:1 (Tigatron) / Ted's Collision 2025-12-17 (Wednesday). $10/pwyc. [more info]

Playscape Emporium: Theatrics (feat. Duo Cichorium / Hee-Soo Yoon / Toronto Saxophone Collective / Trevor Flemings / Domenic Clarke) / Array Space 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

Makam Nights (feat. George Sawa & Suzanne Meyers Sawa) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Beams (Dusted) / The Baby G 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]

coexisDance #112 (feat. Pulga Muchochoma/Waleed Abdulhamid/Nidhi Baadkar/Xicada/Tyler J Sloan/Amiel Ang/Steph Chua) / Trinity-St/ Paul's Centre (Gymnasium) 2025-12-19 (Friday). $15 (pwyc). [more info]

Mehdi Rostami / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-19 (Friday – early) [more info]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Bobby Gadda/Brandon Valdivia/Brian Fog/Jaz Tsui/Louis Pino/qeTTe fossa) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-19 (Friday)

Today Versions presents Del Stephen's New Panettone ["improvvisazione radicale & art excavations"] (feat. Del Stephen/Patrick O'Reilly/Mira Martin-Gray/Rod Campbell/Kieran Maraj/James Bailey/Andrew Finlay Stewart) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-20 (Saturday – 5 p.m.). [FB event]

Batuki Music Society presents (feat. Rhythm Section Band [Dally Dominic/Kofi Ackah/Quandoe Harrison/George Kobby/Gabriel Amankwah/Daniel Boateng]) / It’s Ok* Studios 2025-12-20 (Saturday). $20. [FB event]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Career Suicide) / The Baby G 2025-12-20&21 (Saturday & Sunday). $27.27, 19+. [FB event]

Video hits:

A real gift to all of us in the form of an excellent-sounding/excellent-looking full-concert document of The Weather Station's local show earlier this year.

It happened this week...

...on December 18, 2019 at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (No Octopus Dancing Holiday Bash).

No Octopus Dancing Holiday Bash Orchestra - [set 1, excerpt 2]

...on December 18, 2019 at The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge).

Lina Allemano/Rob Clutton/Blake Howard/Brodie West - [set 1 excerpt]

[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.]

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Recording: McConnell/Ng/Russouw

Artist: Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw

Song: [2nd set, 1st section]

Recorded at The Tranzac's Southern Cross Lounge (Karen Ng presents), October 14, 2025.

Aidan McConnell/Karen Ng/Adrian Russouw - [2nd set, 1st section]

Called together to share some music as well as some post-Thanksgiving pie, this trio saw Karen Ng (alto sax) joined by Aidan McConnell (percussion) and Adrian Russouw (double bass). Launching into a warbling groove, the trio went on some tasty-as-pie excursions over a couple sets.

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

Monday, December 8, 2025

Monday Roundup #256

Concert announcements:

Music Hosted by Karen Ng (feat. The Adjacence [Lina Allemano/Ryan Driver/Nick Fraser/Karen Ng]) / Wenona Lodge 2025-12-16 (Tuesday) [more info]

Agnes [Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-16 (Tuesday) [more info]

Tireless Foliage [Jiaqing Wilson-Yang/Germaine Liu/Karen Ng] (Jordaan Mason / Eli Howey) / Three Dollar Bill 2025-12-17 (Wednesday) [more info]

Output 1:1:1 (Tigatron) / Ted's Collision 2025-12-17 (Wednesday). $10/pwyc. [more info]

Makam Nights (feat. George Sawa & Suzanne Meyers Sawa) / The Tranzac (Living Room) 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $pwyc. [FB event]

coexisDance #112 (feat. Pulga Muchochoma/Waleed Abdulhamid/Nidhi Baadkar/Xicada/Tyler J Sloan/Amiel Ang/Steph Chua) / Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre 2025-12-19 (Friday). $15 (pwyc). [more info]

people | places | records presents (feat. Yang Chen / David Zucchi) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-27 (Saturday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Tranzac New Years Eve (feat. Eucalyptus / Alex “Bad Baby” Lukashevsky & Cocoa Corner [Aidan McConnell/Jack Johnston/Evan Cartwright/Charliecello/Alex Lukashevsky] / Bag) / The Tranzac 2025-12-31 (Wednesday). $33.64 adv / $32 door. [tickets/more info]

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

Shows this week:

Florian Hoefner Trio [Florian Hoefner/Andrew Downing/Nick Fraser] / The Rex 2025-12-07&08 (Sunday & Monday). $21. [more info]

The United Jewish People’s Order's Big, Beautiful Winter Fundraiser (feat. Black Ox Orkestar / Marching Disorder / Judy Rebick / Elvira Kurt) / Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre 2025-12-08 (Monday). $20-$60 suggested, no one is ever turned away. [tickets + more info]

Brodie West presents (feat. Brodie West's Double Double Basses Quintet [Brodie West/Rob Clutton/Josh Cole/Patrick O'Reilly/Blake Howard]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday – early)

10 Year Anniversary / Reunion party (feat. Bill Gilliam/Kayla Milmine/Ambrose Pottie) / Annette Studios 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). [more info]

Triio [Alex Fournier/Bea Labikova/Naomi McCarroll-Butler/Tom Fleming/Racha Moukalled/Stefan Hegerat] / Sellers & Newel 2025-12-11 (Thursday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Ariane Morin Residency, Concert #3: Balkan Brass Band (feat. Ariane Morin/Max Forster/Nathan Dell-Vandenberg/Ian Tulloch/Jaash Singh) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-11 (Thursday). $pwyc, suggested $20. [more info]

Jane Inc. [A Rupture, A Canyon, A Birth album release celebration] (Aisha Sasha John) / The Baby G 2025-12-12 (Friday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]

not a band [Modern Rot EP release] (Bag / Ether Girls) / Handlebar 2025-12-12 (Friday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]

Musica Universalis (feat. I Have Eaten the City [Colin Fisher/Brandon Valdivia/Nick Storring]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-12 (Friday). [more info]

The Mike Milligan Trio [Mike Milligan/Nick Fraser/Brodie West] / Sellers & Newel 2025-12-13 (Saturday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

Burn Down the Capital, Venus Fest and The Music Gallery present (feat. Beverly Glenn-Copeland with special guest Elizabeth Copeland / Kamra / Topanga Trio) / East End United Church 2025-12-13 (Saturday). $35-$40 PWYCA. [more info]

Le Monde Holiday Show (feat. Colin Fisher Quartet [Colin Fisher/Ben Dwyer/Spencer Cole/William Hunt] / Maxwell Stover [solo]) / Le Monde 2025-12-13 (Saturday). $20. [more info]

Toronto Improvisers Orchestra / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-14 (Sunday – noon) [more info]

Ayal Senior & Friends (feat. Senior & Newman / Sympathetic String Band / Nick Flanagan / Finnbogiorn Orn) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-14 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.) [FB event]

Video hits:

If you've been itching for a chance to spot local fave Lina Allemano playing as part of Mats Gustafsson's Fire! Orchestra, this archived livestream from the past weekend might be right up your alley:

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Recording: BLACK GALAXIE

Artist: BLACK GALAXIE

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #109), October 7, 2025.

BLACK GALAXIE - [excerpt]

Last spotted in the recital hall with an eight-channel diffusion system, this set saw Nolan Hildebrand bringing the noise with a table full of gear including mixer, laptop, snare drum, synth, pedals, and a mouth-deployed contact mic wrapped in a plastic bag. Garbled speech samples and fragmented X Files regranulations crept in around the noisebursts, all while Hildebrand looked to be having a blast while enjoying the squall.

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

Recording: O'Reilly/Strutt/Pitt

Artist: Patrick O'Reilly/Joe Strutt/Dan Pitt

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #109), October 7, 2025.

Patrick O'Reilly/Joe Strutt/Dan Pitt - [excerpt]

There's an informal rule at TCB that the host doesn't also perform, but on request of guitarist Dan Pitt, that rule was bent enough to reconvene this trio that had played together informally at Patrick O'Reilly's birthday jam. I brought out the Kaossilator, and the ukulele as well to make it a full-on string band. The results seems quite satisfying, blurps and bloops and some nice textured bits.

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

Recording: Brandon Auger & Deniz Tafaghodi

Artist: Brandon Auger & Deniz Tafaghodi

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at Wenona Lodge (Track Could Bend #109), October 7, 2025.

Brandon Auger & Deniz Tafaghodi - [excerpt]

Brandon Auger was back in town and proposed this game-like piece with local artist Deniz Tafaghodi, a lean-in-to-hear-it conversation of egg timers and small vibrating noisemakers. Face to face across a table, this proceeded like a sort of cooperative chess match, each taking turns adding and moving pieces, then pausing to consider.

The audio documentation here is a field recording of quiet sounds in a room, but the footage gives a better notion of what was going on:

Monday, December 1, 2025

Monday Roundup #255

Concert announcements:

Florian Hoefner Trio [Florian Hoefner/Andrew Downing/Nick Fraser] / The Rex 2025-12-07&08 (Sunday & Monday). $21. [more info]

mdbm [Michael White/Maggie Keogh/Don Rooke/Blake Howard] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). [more info]

BLOOP [Lina Allemano & Mike Smith] / Sellers & Newel 2024-12-15 (Monday). $20 minimum donation. [FB event]

THE AMBiENT PiNG and Imaginary North Present (feat. Gollden / Ken Little / Hozerz) / Handlebar 2025-12-15 (Monday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Cate Le Bon (Frances Chang) / The Concert Hall 2026-01-20 (Tuesday). $49.32. [FB event]

CMC Presents: Imagined Spaces (feat. Dame Cook / Sergei Kofman) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-01-22 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]

CMC Presents: Solo Works (feat. Wesley Shen / Roan Ma) / Canadian Music Centre 2026-02-19 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]

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

Shows this week:

Justin Orok Presents (feat. Lia Pappas Kemps) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-02 (Tuesday – early) [more info]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. claire rousay) / Standard Time 2025-12-02 (Tuesday). $14.85, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Track Could Bend #111 (feat. Sarah and Rob [Sarah Peebles & Rob Cruickshank] / Michael Palumbo) / Wenona Lodge 2025-12-02 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Peripheral Vision (Mike DeiCont Trio [Mike DeiCont/Eric West/Leland Whitty]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-02 (Tuesday) [more info]

Holy Oak Family Singers Xmas Show + Thom's Bday (feat. Thom Gill / Ryan Driver / Caitlin Woelfe-O'Brien / Luka Kuplowsky / Stefana Fratila / Carlyn Bezic / Ivy Mairi / Fez Gielen / Tiffany Wu / Heather Saumer / Fan Wu / Charles James / Joseph Shabason / Maggie Keogh / Dorothea Pars / Edwin De Goeij / Ben Gunning / Doug Tielli) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-03 (Wednesday – early). [more info]

Equinox and Solstice Residency (feat. Ghostlight) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-03 (Wednesday). $10 suggested. [FB event]

Performances & words in honour of Paul Dutton (Celebration of Life and Tribute Performance) (feat. Steve McCaffery/Rafael Barreto-Rivera/Lillian Allen/bill bissett/Brian Dedora/Gary Barwin/Gregory Betts/Beatriz Hausner/Joe Sorbara) / Supermarket 2025-12-04 (Thursday) [more info]

More Noise Please! Presents: An Evening of Unconventional Sounds (feat. High Grove / Magnetic Coroner / Reaching Needles / Babies R Stupid / Death Kneel / Deniz Tafaghodi) / BSMT 254 2025-12-04 (Thursday). $15/pwyc. [FB event]

CMC Presents: Game Night (feat. Render File / Obuxum) / Canadian Music Centre 2025-12-04 (Thursday). $15 Advance / $20 at the door (General Admission), $12 Advance / $15 at the door (CMC Members and Arts Workers), $10 (students). [more info]

Tania Gill Quartet [Tania Gill/Brodie West/Rob Clutton/Nico Dann] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-05 (Friday – early)

Military Genius (Context, NA) / The Baby G 2025-12-05 (Friday). $21.53, 19+. [FB event]

Doug Tielli and... (feat. Doug Tielli/Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Raphael Roter/Heather Saumer) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-12-05 (Friday)

Pine Trees and Blue Sky [featuring Marcos Balter's Violin Concerto and works by Jessica Ackerley, Toshio Hosokawa, Anna Höstman, and Haotian Yu] (feat. Continuum Contemporary Music) / St. George's Grange Park 2024-12-06 (Saturday). $22.63 (general admission), $19.44 (senior / arts worker), $11.98 (student). [FB event]

Theo Vandenhoff (Fresh Snow) / The Baby G 2025-12-06 (Saturday). $19/94, 19+. [FB event]

Long Winter 14.2 (feat. Indian Giver / STELLA / Wanda / Toronto Experimental Translation Collective) / St. Stephen-In-The-Fields 2025-12-06 (Saturday). $PWYC / $20 advance tickets (skip the line), all ages. [more info]

Amrita [Kayla Milmine & Anita Katakkar wsg Jonathan Kay] / The Rex 2025-12-07 (Sunday – 2 p.m.). $pwyc. [more info]

Bitchin Bajas (Fortunato Durutti Marinetti) / Monarch Tavern 2025-12-07 (Sunday). $27.96, 19+. [tickets + more info]

Florian Hoefner Trio [Florian Hoefner/Andrew Downing/Nick Fraser] / The Rex 2025-12-07&08 (Sunday & Monday). $21. [more info]

Bandcamp corner:

Don't forget that the last Bandcamp Friday of teh year is coming up this week! But some music + support the musicians you adore! Here's a couple things on my list:

Monday, November 24, 2025

Monday Roundup #254

Community notes:

As evidenced by the it-happened-10-years-ago documentation of the 10th anniversary party (as reproduced below), as far as I can tell this week is the 20th anniversary of the release of The Diableros' debut album You Can't Break the Strings in Our Olympic Hearts, a stone classic and a huge deal for Toronto's indie rock scene. Our community remembers the works and the spirit of songwriter/frontman Pete Carmichael, who passed away in 2020.

This falls outside of MFS's usual geographic radius, but if you're in the mood for a bit of a road trip this weekend (Friday the 28th and Saturday the 29th) there will be some familiar faces and strangers-worth-investigating playing as part of this year's Improvisation Festival (IF2025) out in Guelph. The U of G's ImprovLab is a nice listening room, and participants include: Em Wright and Wounded Dog, Matt Rogalsky and Dimitri Georgaras, Sarah Pagé, Roger Tellier-Craig and Karl Lemieux, A Taste of Audiopollination Guelph (with Claire Whitehead/Richard Benedict/Nico and Connor Kurtz/Nicole Marchesseau), David Mott/Ben Finley/Jesse Stewart, Kristina Guison with Colby Richardson and Colin Cudmore, coexisDance (with Vee J. Sparvier-Wells/Chantelle Mostacho, Susanne Chui/Heather Saumer, and Vee J. Sparvier-Wells/Chantelle Mostacho/Susanne Chui/Heather Saumer), Nicole Rampersaud/Joel LeBlanc, and Erica Pomerance (with Joe Sorbara, Germaine Liu, and Dan Loughrin). This event is free and open to all! More info here.

Concert announcements:

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Career Suicide) / The Baby G 2025-12-20 (Saturday). $27.27, 19+. [FB event]

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

Shows this week:

Lipliners Residency (feat. Ronley Teper & The Lipliners) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-25 (Tuesday – early) [FB event]

Nick Fraser presents (feat. Nick Fraser's Special Topics [Nick Fraser/Josh Cole/Max Stover/Kae Murphy]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-25 (Tuesday) [more info]

Bijuriya ["...an exuberant medley of drag and humour, as well as an eclectic array of musical genres... code-switches between drag, song, and sound as it navigates its creator’s dual personas."] (feat. Gabriel Dharmoo) / Buddies in Bad Times 2025-11-26–2025-11-29 (Wednesday–Saturday). $13–$78. [more info]

Brandon Davis's Stations Quartet [Brandon Davis/Luan Phung/Nick Fraser/Patrick O'Reilly] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-26 (Wednesday). [more info]

CCMC [Allison Cameron/Christine Duncan/Cheryl O/Rick Sacks/Mani Manzinani/Casey Sokol/John Oswald)] / Array Space 2025-11-27 (Thursday). livestream available

Karen Ng presents (feat. saucering [Tilman Lewis/Laura Swankey/Nilan Perera]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-27 (Thursday) [FB event]

Live in the Library: Jambo Hakuna Matata (feat. Adam Solomon) / Toronto Public Library – Parkdale Branch 2025-11-28 (Friday). $free, all-ages, no ticket or registration required. [FB event]

All-Set! presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-28 (Friday – early)

Burn Down The Capital presents (feat. V.Vecker / Khôra & Colin Fisher / Caleb Klager) / Le Monde 2025-11-28 (Friday). $20/pwyc, all ages. [FB event]

The Ryan Driver Sextet / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-28 (Friday) [more info]

Music Gallery presents (feat. Markus Floats with members of the Egyptian Cotton Arkestra / HOMEBODIES) / Friends House 2025-11-29 (Saturday). $20-$30 PWYCA. [more info]

Project Nowhere presents: BÉING Fest 2 – Night 1 (feat. Badge Époque Ensemble / Jack Name / Mandy Christ) / The Baby G 2025-11-29 (Saturday). $30.55 (weekend pass $48.01), 19+. [FB event]

Stef.in [album release party] (Anh Phung / Spectrum Soundbath) / 1RG 2025-11-29 (Saturday). $22.63. [tickets + more info]

Edgar Breau & Band / Lola 2025-11-29 (Saturday) [FB event]

Cosmic Homeostasis XXX / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-30 (Sunday – 2:30 p.m.). $pwyc, all-ages/family-friendly. [FB event]

Project Nowhere presents: BÉING Fest 2 – Night 2 (feat. Badge Époque Ensemble / Zach Phillips / Man Made Hill) / The Baby G 2025-11-30 (Sunday). $30.55 (weekend pass $48.01), 19+. [FB event]

It happened this week...

...on November 28, 2015 at Toronto Public Library – Yorkville Branch (Make Some Noise).

Jennifer Castle - Walkin' Down The Line

...on November 28, 2015 at The Garrison.

The Diableros - Olympic Island

[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.]

Monday, November 17, 2025

Monday Roundup #253

Community notes:

Our community recently lost Nobuo Kubota, a connecting thread through something like seven decades of improvised sounds in Toronto. His legacy and artistic practice will be celebrated in I Am the Art, a new full-length documentary that screens November 7th at Hot Docs.

Concert announcements:

Nick Fraser presents (feat. Special Topics) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-25 (Tuesday)

CCMC [Allison Cameron/Christine Duncan/Cheryl O/Rick Sacks/Mani Manzinani/Casey Sokol/John Oswald)] / Array Space 2025-11-27 (Thursday). livestream available.

All-Set! presents (feat. Molehill) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-28 (Friday – early)

Edgar Breau & Band / Lola 2025-11-29 (Saturday) [FB event]

Stef.in [album release party] (Anh Phung / Spectrum Soundbath) / 1RG 2025-11-29 (Saturday). $22.63. [tickets + more info]

10 Year Anniversary / Reunion party (feat. Bill Gilliam/Kayla Milmine/Ambrose Pottie) / Annette Studios 2025-12-10 (Wednesday). $pwyc

Beams (Dusted) / The Baby G 2025-12-18 (Thursday). $23.87, 19+. [FB event]

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

Soundstreams Encounters: Transoceanic ["works from diasporic composers Corie Rose Soumah, Kotoka Suzuki, and Anthony Tan reimagine sound and light through science-fiction visions that decenter Eurocentric narratives of progress"] (feat. Soundstreams) / Hugh's Room 2026-01-19 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]

Soundstreams Encounters: Arvo Pärt at 90 (feat. Erika Raum/Oskar Daniel-Raum/Xin Wang) / Hugh's Room 2026-02-09 (Monday). $free with reservation. [more info]

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

Shows this week:

Surface Topographies [music for harpsichord and electronics, works by Linda Catlin Smith, Christina Volpini, Boris Bezemer, Tristan Perich and a world premiere by Bekah Simms] (feat. Wesley Shen) / St George's Grange Park 2025-11-18 (Tuesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Agnes [Rob Clutton/Bea Labikova/Mira Martin-Gray/Doug Tielli/Kevin Turcotte/Mark Zurawinski] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-18 (Tuesday). [more info]

Not Dead Yet presents (feat. Lubomyr Melnyk) / Trinity-St. Paul's 2025-11-19 (Wednesday). $49.91, all ages. [FB event]

Makam Nights (feat. Ross Daly & Kelly Thoma) / Pamenar 2025-11-19 (Wednesday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Taste of Iceland in Toronto (feat. Óskar Guðjónsson & Skúli Sverrisson) / Jazz Bistro 2025-11-21 (Friday – 6 p.m.). $free. [FB event]

The Titillators [Ryan Driver/Thom Gill/Tania Gill/Germaine Liu/Nick Fraser/Colin Cudmore] / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-21 (Friday – early) [FB event]

Brittany Pitt/Dan Pitt/Laura Swankey / Sellers & Newel 2024-11-21 (Friday). $20 minimum donation. [more info]

BPM (Big Percussion Meeting) (feat. Charles Spearin / Important Hair / Kristina Guison / Mike Gennaro / Spencer Cole / Tyler Cunningham) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-21 (Friday). $pwyc. [more info]

Future, Past, They Disappear [works by Hannah Ishizaki, Angélica Negrón, Rebecca Bruton, and Ann Southam] (feat. The Array Ensemble) / Array Space 2025-11-22 (Saturday). $25 (or Pay What You Want), livestream: $12.00 (or Pay What You Want). [more info]

Liquid Architecture (feat. Sonia Leung / Zack Goldstein / Arie Verheul van de Ven / Ryan Kinney) / St Matthew's Clubhouse 2025-11-22 (Saturday). $10. [FB event]

Ministry of Phonic Services presents (feat. Down Town / Sweet Lips) / Bootsy’s 2024-11-22 (Saturday). $pwyc. [more info]

people | places | records Residency (feat. Leslie Ting & Germaine Liu / Evan Ziporyn & ContaQt) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-22 (Saturday). $pwyc. [FB event]

Sympathetic String Band & Friends (feat. Sympathetic String Band / The Selkies [Isla Craig/Andrew Patten/Ivy Mairi/Sean Donald]) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-23 (Sunday – early). [more info]

Hank the Kid [Henri Fabergé/Drew Smith/Jonathan Pappo/Morgan Waters] (P.S. I Love You / SAP) / Dina's Tavern 2025-11-23 (Sunday). $15. [more info]

Cacophony (feat. Cookie Brunel / Alison Clark / xodkaar x 666pastel) / The Tranzac (Southern Cross Lounge) 2025-11-23 (Sunday). [more info]

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Recording: Christine Duncan and The Element Choir

Artist: Christine Duncan and The Element Choir

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Christine Duncan and The Element Choir - [excerpt]

This year's Field Trip closed out with a trek up the Humber River Recreational Trail to the legendary Oculus Pavilion. With stars twinkling above and the late-season forest-dwellers whispering encouragement, the glorious UFO-like structure hovered above while a robust crowd gathered to hear some strange sounds — and then hung out for a late-night karaoke party.

Christine Duncan's longstanding improvising choir is a modular affair, capable of sizing up or shrinking down as space and vibe require. This latenight outdoor excursion saw them a dozen deep, making quiet whispers that added the late-night insect singers to their numbers, and then moving into some more raucous call-and-response — big dynamics bouncing back off the UFO overhang, then heading off into the night.

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

[The Ministry of Phonic Services has moved indoors for the season, and among their offerings is BPM — the "Big Percussion Meeting" hosted by Colin Cudmore and happening monthly at The Tranzac. Next one will be happening on Friday, November 21st.]

Recording: Future Proof

Artist: Future Proof

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Future Proof - [excerpt]

Longtime collaborators Bea Labikova and Raphael Roter have played together enough that sonic mindmeld is easily achieved — even as new instruments and techniques get added to their repertoire. But this duo project increasingly treats all of that as a given and a background element as the pair explore new frontiers in playful interactivity. In this set, the one-on-one musical encounters were navigational elements, allowing the pair to engage the audience in some "drummington" (badminton shuttlecocks volleyed back and forth on hand drums), bird whistles, and sparklers. The latter served as the set's coda, with members of the crowd listing off things to be thankful for as sparkling stars burst to life and faded away — reminding everyone to share the moments while they last.

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

Recording: SSSY

Artist: SSSY

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

SSSY - [excerpt]

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information out there on this Hamilton-based duo of Sargon Yousefian and Sahra Soudi, but there's definitely something interesting cooking here. With a table full of sonic bricabrac, plus a trumpet and percussive implements, the pair moved through several zones, moving from a more atmospheric build into some more abrasive textures.

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

Recording: Woolworm, Ontario

Artist: Woolworm, Ontario

Song: [excerpt]

Recorded at the Oculus Pavilion (Ministry of Phonic Services presents Back to School Field Trip: Closing Show), September 27, 2025.

Woolworm, Ontario - [excerpt]

The forest sounds mixed with — and then were subsumed by — the low thrum of Lucas Dvorsky's stereophonic rumblings and chitterings. The enforced pause of an ableton crash just reinforced the dialogue between foreground and environmental sounds.

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

Monday, November 10, 2025

Monday Roundup #252

Community notes:

While MFS fave Ben Grossman is in town to soundtrack some Cocteau, he'll also be giving an improvisation workshop at the Heliconian Club on the following afternoon (Saturday November 22nd). "All instruments and voices welcome, all levels of experience with creative music welcome," and admission is $20.