SOMBRA is music to turn the lights off to. For music that is created in total depravity of the outside world, SOMBRA’s brooding sound has a surprisingly celestial quality. A fusion of dance-worthy Alternative Rock, Hip Hop, Industrial Pop and Indie, yet at the same time completely indefinable, Matthew Cataldo of SOMBRA has created a signature sound that has caught the attention of music lovers and tastemakers alike.

His new single, “PYRAMIDES,” is his first release after a long break, and is a surprisingly uplifting and lyrically meaningful track. Following a climb of Mt. Fuji with some friends, Matthew felt a sense of enlightenment and happiness, despite being forced to give up and turn back before reaching the summit. 

More than just his physical struggle to climb a mountain, “PYRAMIDES” is about his mental health journey, which has always been a key part of SOMBRA and his musical inspiration and drives. His experience at Mt. Fuji was the first time he gave up, but didn’t feel awful about it. It just felt like the right thing to do – to relinquish control. 

Listen and watch here:

“The weird thing about Fuji is that, once you get above the tree line – you can see the top of the mountain the entire time you’re climbing,” says Cataldo. “The end is always in sight. This makes it such a spiritually challenging climb. I got ¾ to the top of the mountain – unable to continue climbing, legs destroyed and soul completely defeated. The idea for the song, and some of the first lyrics come out of this disappointment.”

ACER is a dream pop duo made up of multi-instrumentalist Kyle Gottschalk and vocalist/art director Connory Ballantyne. Borrowing from the brooding post-punk sound of their former band House Art, Ballantyne’s vocals lend a confident and lyrical vision to the dynamically maximalist instrumentals written out of Gottschalk’s love for bedroom pop and shoegaze. 

Their fatalistic new song, “Someone Else’s Dream,” captures the feeling of resignation, when you finally let go of someone. There’s a lot of beauty but also melancholy in that. 

Kyle and Connory had both taken trips away from home after ending significant relationships, and the song takes inspiration from their reflections on the experience. 

Watch the video here:

ACER (July 8) is a youthful and hungry EP showcasing the musical diversity and raw energy of the two producers. 

Listen to the EP here: https://linktr.ee/acerisaband

“Creating this album was a big catharsis for me – I hadn’t had the chance to be a solo lyricist in a long time and so this project allowed me to flex that somewhat atrophied muscle again,” says Connory. “I hope people listen and get a sense of release as well in our attempt to soundtrack some darker times in a hopeful light.”

Manitoba born/Alberta based emerging artist Tanner Frame has released his third original single entitled “So Long.” Inspired by the emotion of “it is what it is” following a personal heartbreak, Frame incorporates modern country production elements to create a fresh and memorable sound.

The breakout country artist from Hanna, Alberta, with genuine charm, Garrett Gregory will take you to a whole new level of “entertained.”

The first of many singles to be released in 2022 is “Leavin’ You,” a song where Gregory faces the fact that most people won’t understand how much he loves music and that he’s following his dream. Making the choice to chase his dream however, meant that he had to leave behind the people that tried to crush them. It’s a tough dream to support, and most people won’t be behind you through it all. 

https://linktr.ee/garrettgregory

The song is from a point of exhaustion, finality and contempt. It’s the tone of harsh truth and an explosive end to what he thought he wanted. Even though it led to the end of a relationship, it solidified Gregory’s choice to pursue music. 

VENNA is the new vision of Edmonton-based indie alt-pop artist, Shay Esposito. At the age of 15, VENNA (then Shay Esposito) was the youngest recipient of the Rawlco Radio 10k/20 grant. At 16, she recorded and released her first album, For Annie.

Exercising her passion for evocative lyricism, “Nirvana” is about using somebody to perpetuate self-abuse. Inspired by the concept of masochism as a defense mechanism, it’s about choosing to continue an unhealthy relationship because gratification provides a sense of control.

Pulling inspiration from classic poets, fantasy literature, and countless powerful women bringing “anti-pop” to the mainstream, her music serves to provoke thought and emotion; as an aspiring author as well, she takes great care in crafting her lyrics to this end.

Distant Matter is the moniker of electronic pop artist and multi-instrumentalist Alexander Seligman-Swartz, who brings a textured, colourful, and sentimental infused sound to the electronic scene.

Distant Matter announced his highly anticipated debut EP, Iridescent, with new single “Do You Miss Me?” featuring Toronto artist, GUS. The 6 track EP will be his first EP since the creation of the Distant Matter project, and is scheduled for release in September of 2022. “Do You Miss Me?” is distinctive with a memorable vocal hook, bouncy baseline, and clever sound design. 

Birds see colours differently than humans do. For example, the male Yellow-breasted Chat has a yellow breast to the human eye, but a bird’s eye view reveals ultraviolet iridescent feathers on his chest that set him apart from the females of the species. This relates to the idea of who we let see our true colours, or in other words who we let see our iridescence.

There is a double meaning here, as one side of the coin is Seligman-Swartz showing who he is as an artist, whereas on the other hand, the meanings of the songs relate to what has gone on in his life throughout the last little while.