Running Violet is an eclectic collaboration of musicians. What started as an online ad for musical companionships resulted in hip shaking, tear-jerking, raging songs that soon occupied some of Toronto’s best live music venues and underground parties.

Their explosive new offering, “Who Needs Love,” takes an uplifting, hopeful look at growing up and the consequential traumas that shaped our futures. It features a punchy guitar solo by their guitarist Petr Balaz who fully produced, mixed and mastered the colourful tune about self-discovery.

Running Violet initially had its roots planted firmly in old school Rock & Roll with guitar licks, tones and solos ricocheting from ear to foot. Now, they incorporate sounds of the modern era while still holding on tightly to the styles that shaped them. 

Today, talented South Korean rapper and lyricist, Mushvenom, dropped the highly anticipated music video for his title track “SPACE MUSHIP”, which is also the album’s title, is now available on all digital streaming platforms. The full-length project is full of high energy anthems and showcases a unique futuristic style unlike any other, that exudes energy and passion with high-octane drops and verses for a never-ending party.

In his new music video, Mushvenom stars in an out-of-this-world retro space galaxy. It features an eye-catching universe of planets and extraterrestrial beings and within seconds of the video, fans are transported to a cutting edge Metaverse world; perfectly visualizing the chic, trendsetting energy Mushvenom effortlessly weaves into his music. Adding to the videos divergent undertones, Mushvenom wears a variety of cosmic inspired fashion with metallic colors and cyberesque materials, creating an atmosphere of novelty and curiosity throughout. It captures a mix of Star Trek and 2001: Space Odyssey, with visionary spaceships and extraterrestrials playing key roles in the ideology.

Continuing in the setting of a mind blowing, metaverse galaxy, Mushvenom is without a doubt highlighted as the leader of the space empire and surrounded by his extraterrestrial “fans,” as constant otherworldly backdrops keep the audience watching astonished with each scene. With the elements of futuristic design, extraordinary settings, and the mysterious space atmosphere, Mushvenom’s introduction to the Metaverse captures his innovative, unprecedented approach to rap. His quest for other galaxies is just the beginning of Mushvenom’s Metaverse.

Lee Tae-min, professionally known as Mushvenom, has starred in the Korean Hip-hop scene since 2019 from his striking performances on hit Korean TV show “Show Me The Money.” He is an independent artist who’s collaborated with other well-known Korean artists such as the composing duo GroovyRoom, rapper JUSTHIS and Korean superstar Jessi. He has over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify that is supported by his strong social media presence that shares his every move to his enraptured fans.

Chinese pop sensation, LAY (Lay Zhang) delivers a brand new music video today, Veil, the focus track from his upcoming EP, West. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of LAY’s debut as an artist, the superstar will be doing live shows overseas before making his way to North America. Concerts in Malaysia and Singapore to be held next month have been announced as part of his global “Grand Line 2: Infinite Lands”. Also set, is an appearance as a headlining act on November 26 at the Live Nation mega-festival MetaMoon, taking place at Barclays Center.

The music video perfectly plays on the already dreamlike quality of the track. It starts out on a bustling street as the sounds of the erhu begin to permeate. Suddenly, the dancer appears and as Mahjong pieces fly in the air, we are transported into a dream. Viewers are then greeted with the artist dancing lively to match the restless trap beat. Eventually, the global star literally does ‘illuminate the room’ as the visuals change with vibrant lights and more stunning choreography. The dreamlike aspects remain throughout the video as we jump between various scenes including a brightly lit city street and a serene forest until the video ends with a return to reality.

LAY has been on a whirlwind the last two years after joining forces with Steve Aoki and will.i.am for the 2020 hit cross-cultural collaboration Love You More, reaching #1 on the QQ Music China chart. He then released a string of hits with an album, an EP, cross-genre collaborations and solo singles overseas further propelling his international star power. LAY’s most recent release was a global collaboration with American hip-hop artist 24kGoldn on the single Dawn to Dusk, which received over 2 million streams on Spotify alone. He has been and continues to be a household name in Asia. In 2020, LAY released the hit album LIT and its title track of the same name. The digital album made over 30 million yuan in just 7 minutes 19 seconds after its release on QQ Music in China. In 2021, he released an EP EAST on his birthday that featured his renowned “M-POP” style telling a story of spiritual growth in his career using oriental elements and symbolic identities.

The Chinese icon is one of the most beloved stars in the region with a loyal and highly engaged 51 million followers on Weibo and over 14.1 million followers on Instagram. As a solo artist, LAY’s career has skyrocketed from tremendous success becoming the highest-ranked Mando-pop star on Billboard 200 chart and the first Chinese artist to enter the iTunes Top 60 in the U.S. with his third solo album NAMANANA. Outside of music, he is a powerhouse in the acting world of TV and film, hosted multiple top-rated reality shows in Asia and is one of the most awarded artists in China.

Afta Hill and ASADI are Persian diaspora artists from Los Angeles and Toronto respectively, coming fresh off a live performance at The Ford in LA. Their collaboration, “Citrus Dream,” is a smooth, nostalgic R&B pop track infused with traditional Persian instrumentation and inflections. 

As the title suggests, the lyrics play with the comparison of passionate love and the refreshing, thirst quenching flavours of citrus. A highlight of the track is the ear-grabbing sitar riff played by ASADI which gives the song a danceable groove, unique from other contemporary sounds in this genre.

YASSiN & Sean Terrio are a genre-crossing duo who have been recording and performing together since 2019. They won the second place prize for Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artist Program and made the Top 100 list for CBC Music’s Toyota Searchlight contest. Now, the two are gearing up to tour Canada and release their first album.

“I was hoping you didn’t notice my hand shaking when I tried to hold you.” Inspired by a long distance relationship, “Intertwine” is their high-energy summer bop which will have listeners reminiscing about the best and most exciting parts of love. 

The sunshiney track is a continuation of an ongoing love story told in their last several singles but most importantly, this song is just good, plain old fun. Keep your eye on this multi-talented two-piece – there is so much more to come.

Jérémie & The Delicious Hounds are new-age fosterers of soul music with a uniquely Canadian twist. Hailing from St. Boniface, the old French quarter of Winnipeg, they have crafted their identity as bilingual artists with their forthcoming full-length album. The Delicious Hounds name is a play on words about their “delicious sound” of smooth melodies, juicy guitar riffs and tasty horn licks. Jérémie’s smooth yet smoky voice is accented with a brilliant brass section to deliver round after round of phenomenal hits on golden platters. 

Cruel infuses nine fun-loving songs about amour and heartbreak in a mixture of both English and French, serving as an authentic representation of the languages they speak at home. The title track is about that combination of pleasure and pain—desiring someone that’s cruel to you and the consequential heartache. Sexy and dancy with somber undertones, “Cruel” has a funky disco vibe.

Jérémie’s staple friendliness, positive vibes and charismatic nature culminate into a profound presence that leaves listeners swooning for another bite of their unique modern twist on old-school rhythm and beats. The funky frontman assembled a full 8-piece band and they’ve been cooking up dance floors all across Canada ever since.