Rich Aucoin releases new album Classical Tonto. Following up his twice Juno-nominated quadruple album Synthetic, Aucoin returned to Calgary and its National Music Centre where he recorded more than 160 synthesizers for that effort, which he debuted at Montreal’s Mutek Conference and which was covered in Exclaim!’s Staff Picks, Bandcamp Daily, Juno Daily, Electroclashed, Brooklyn Vegan, Michael Barclay, Globe & Mail’s Arts Cover Story, Toronto Star Arts Cover Story and SPIN Magazine. This time, Aucoin recorded an album of famous classical selections on the synthesizers in this rare, large archive. Pieces by Bach, Beethoven, Satie, Liszt, Debussy, Albinoni, Mozart and Part make up this album, recorded on these rare half-a-century-old synthesizers, which were all assembled into the famous TONTO’s room at the museum.
13-Part EP Series features an artist from each province and territory that when overlaid forms a map of the country. Two years ago, We Are Busy Bodies began exploring the feasibility of developing and designing an intricate 13-part EP series. The idea was that when overlaid, it would form a map of Canada and allow a focus to be placed on an artist from each province and territory, a love letter to the music and artists from across the country. After many stop-starts and conceptual designs, the limited edition box set and square-shaped EPs will be released on October 23.
For the past 30 years, Toronto’s Picastro has been evolving an intense and idiosyncratic variant of indie rock songcraft, embracing unique instrumentation, unsettling dissonance, and an ultra-personal approach to form and dynamics along the way. The vision of vocalist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Liz Hysen has anchored the project’s sound throughout these three decades, even amidst a diverse cast of collaborators that have come, gone, and sometimes returned. Among these contributors are Owen Pallett, Brandon Valdivia (AKA Mas Aya), Stephanie Vittas, Nick Storring, Matthew Ramolo (AKA Khôra), Germaine Liu, and members of beloved Toronto groups spanning Eucalyptus to Pecola.
Wales-born, Brighton-based guitarist Gwenifer Raymond continues her ascent as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary instrumental music, with a run of new releases and performances that underscore her growing international profile. Fresh off a striking Tiny Desk performance recorded between dates on her recent North American tour, We Are Busy Bodies is poised to reissue remastered vinyl versions of her first two albums, You Never Were Much of a Dancer and Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain. Both records, long regarded as modern touchstones in fingerstyle guitar, have been remastered for vinyl, offering a deeper, more expansive presentation of her intricate compositions.
MXD is a nine-song set of expansive, progressive, art-leaning rock epics adorned with celestial saxophone, singular vocals, and kaleidoscopic arrangements. The project grew from an “old-school New York manager putting together a boy band” moment when veteran manager Steve Saporta connected the two artists when McCaslin needed a vocalist for his 2018 solo album Blow. Inspired by a conversation Ryan had with Donny’s young son Henry about his day, lead single, “Henry Takes The 5th” reframes the mundane through a child’s lens where the everyday feels enormous, heavy, and extraordinary.
Contínua is the second full-length by Orbital Ensemble, set for release on June 19th, 2026, by We Are Busy Bodies, pushing the group’s neotropical psychedelic sound into more ambitious and collaborative territory. Written and produced by Toronto-based, Brazilian native multi-instrumentalist Felipe Sena with co-writers Artu Bastos and Dan McLay, the album features expansive arrangements and special guests on vocals, strings and harp. Recorded primarily live off the floor with additional overdubs, the record captures the band’s magnetic force while continuing their vision of blending Brazilian musical heritage with contemporary psychedelic and jazz exploration.
Beefheart & McQuinn is the new project from UK artist Moby Beefheart, aka William Murray (formerly of UK outfit Fur), and Melbourne / Naarm musician Winter McQuinn (Sunfruits, jade imagine). Coming together after a chance coffee meetup, the two artists share a palpable musical connection. Sharing a love for the folk and rock sounds of yesteryear without pastiche obsession, Beefheart & McQuinn make contemporary psychedelic folk / soft rock, a rich sonic tapestry of vocal harmony blends and deft musicianship/production.
Closed For The Festival is MIDI Janitor’s fourth full-length and is the follow-up to the Holy To Dogs LP, which was originally released on cassette in 2024 on legendary Vancouver tape label Hotham Sound and then in a vinyl edition by Toronto’s We Are Busy Bodies. Closed For The Festival will be the first MIDI Janitor record to be released exclusively by We Are Busy Bodies. The new album, Closed For The Festival, is a biography of Jonathan Orr’s shadow self. The album’s first single, ‘Sovereignty Figure’ is out today.
Upcoming Releases
Recent Releases
