Created and developed in Montreal’s DIY scene, Empty Melon (the solo project of Ada Lea bassist/producer Summer Kodama) follows up on her debut single, “Hoping to Find,” with “Don’t Look Away,” an atmospheric, dark, and emotionally charged song that transforms late-night spiralling into something strangely beautiful. Blending experimental electronics, art pop textures, and cinematic sound design, the track embraces discomfort rather than avoiding it, finding clarity through directness, vulnerability, and self-confrontation.

“Don’t Look Away” first emerged during a solitary drive in the early hours of the morning. “It started with spiralling while driving alone at 2am and improvising on the bass guitar,” Summer explains. What began as a fleeting emotional moment gradually evolved into a meditation on honesty, both with others and with oneself.

That commitment to honesty ultimately became the emotional core of the song. While the title may initially sound confrontational, for Summer it represents something much more personal.

“I think there’s a catharsis to expressing yourself and your needs with plain, direct language,” she says. “It allows you to facilitate an alignment with your most authentic self. Honesty is the most important component of self-expression.”

That sense of emotional directness is reflected throughout the production. Where “Hoping to Find” drifted through the hazy space between sleep and wakefulness, “Don’t Look Away” occupies a darker emotional landscape. Summer describes the two songs as “polar siblings,” with one basking in sunlight while the other emerges under the cover of night.

Written during the same month in May 2024, the tracks reveal two contrasting sides of the same creative period. If “Hoping to Find” explored rediscovery and openness, “Don’t Look Away” leans into uncertainty, introspection, and the courage required to face difficult truths head-on.

The recording process itself became an exercise in experimentation and trust. Seeking greater accountability and creative freedom, Summer found an important collaborator in Leo Bagel, keyboardist for Post NC. “I’ve been finding it extremely helpful having a collaborator to experiment with,” she explains. “I already feel two opposing voices in my brain, so the third brings balance, inspiration, and more accountability.”

Ontario artist Justin Maki unveils his sophomore album Technicolor Dreams alongside its lead focus track “Hey,” arriving together as the culmination of one of the most ambitious creative processes of his career. Adventurous, bold, and deeply rewarding, the album finds Justin pushing himself further than ever before, writing and co-writing 100 songs before selecting only the strongest material to make the final cut.

Inspired by a podcast interview with Andy Grammer, who famously writes hundreds of songs before beginning an album, Justin adopted the same philosophy. What followed was an 18-month creative marathon that challenged him to trust both quantity and quality in equal measure.

Recorded alongside acclaimed production duo VAŪLTS (David Mohacsi and Maïa Davies), the album became an exercise in embracing change and letting go of pre-conceived ideas. After living with rough demos for nearly a year, Justin found himself challenged to rethink arrangements, rewrite sections, and allow the songs to evolve beyond their original forms.

While Technicolor Dreams doesn’t follow a singular narrative thread, its collection of songs reflects a period of artistic growth and creative confidence. Rather than building around a central concept, Justin selected tracks based purely on their quality, resulting in an album that explores a wide range of experiences, emotions, and perspectives while remaining united by strong songwriting and adventurous musicianship.

Leading the project is “Hey,” a fun, hopeful, and irresistibly catchy pop single that perfectly captures the album’s spirit of possibility. Built around an infectious groove, bright synth textures, and a memorable singalong chorus, the song follows a protagonist dreaming of escape from routine and imagining a more fulfilling life beyond the daily grind.

“I think I was speaking to my past life,” Justin reflects. “Clocking in and clocking out and wishing I had more freedom and a beautiful life partner to share it with.”

The track’s playful energy is balanced by thoughtful production choices. Sidechain compression gives the synths a breathing, pulsing quality, while the unexpected inclusion of a banjitar introduces an unconventional texture that helps the song stand apart from traditional synth-pop fare.

Together, Technicolor Dreams and “Hey” embody Justin’s guiding creative philosophy: simplicity with underlying complexity. The songs are designed to be immediately enjoyable while rewarding deeper listening, offering catchy melodies, thoughtful arrangements, and subtle musical details that reveal themselves over time.

In a sea of skilled musicians at Berklee College of Music, Mick Eddy’s wide range of skill and natural ease at creating catchy music make him stand out from the others. Based in Boston, Mick Eddy is a singer-songwriter and producer who skillfully blends vulnerable emotion with upbeat instrumentals. His two recent self-made singles, “Come Over” and “About You,” are an entryway into the sonic universe of his upcoming album, “Strange Weather.” Mick Eddy has mastered the art of creating “ear candy” that draws listeners in over and over again: these songs are driven by catchy, groovy basslines and electronic beats that are hard not to dance to. Evocative of late 2010s pop music, these tracks create a nostalgic atmosphere with modern elements that keep them from feeling dated. The production is cohesive, filling every empty space all without feeling cluttered over overdone.

“Come Over” begins with layers of clean, spacey electric guitar, instantly creating a warm and nostalgic atmosphere that absorbs you into its sound. With lyrics reflecting upon fond memories over a breezy pop instrumental, the song feels like the soundtrack to a montage of a blissful summer spent in love: happy, energetic, and something you long to restart as soon as it ends. Eddy’s strategic layering of textured guitars creates sonic depth, making “Come Over” an engaging listening experience.

While “About You” may seem at first like a standard indie pop song, paying close attention to the lyrics reveals that it is much more than that. Mick Eddy’s expertise in pairing vulnerable lyrics with catchy instrumentals results in a song that can be interpreted through a variety of lenses. Whether you’re dancing along to the music or feeling the emotional weight of the lyrics, you will enjoy this song just the same. “About You” features multiple clean-toned guitar solos, highlighting the technical skill typical of a Berklee student. Drawing on his evident knowledge of music theory, Eddy crafts solos that are engaging for listeners of all levels of musical knowledge.

These thoughtfully crafted songs share a signature sound without feeling redundant. Eddy’s range of lyrical content takes listeners on a journey of emotions, showcasing his talent for creating music that is both playful and introspective. Mick Eddy has successfully established himself in the music world as a force to be reckoned with, revealing, through only two singles, a talent and understanding of music that take many years to master.

Connect with Mick Eddy:

Website | Instagram | Spotify

Denise Marsa returns with “EVER DIE,” an electrifying new dance pop single that blends soaring electronic production with an emotionally driven message. As she continues her momentum in the international dance music world, the release follows a remarkable run of chart success, including eight Top 10 placements on the UK Music Week Commercial Pop Dance Chart since 2024.

Built around an infectious beat, expansive synths, and Marsa’s commanding vocal performance, “EVER DIE” is both an uplifting club record and a deeply personal statement. The song explores perseverance in the face of uncertainty, encouraging listeners to hold onto hope while recognizing the importance of compassion, empathy, and shared humanity. Its combination of high-energy production and heartfelt songwriting creates a track equally suited for packed dancefloors and quieter moments of reflection.

Rather than focusing solely on escapism, “EVER DIE” embraces dance music’s long tradition of bringing people together. The single arrives at a moment when connection often feels more important than ever, using rhythm and melody to celebrate resilience while encouraging listeners to move forward together. The result is a song that balances emotional vulnerability with an undeniable sense of optimism.

The release further expands Marsa’s growing catalog of contemporary dance music that pairs commercial appeal with meaningful themes. Her recent success has established her as a consistent presence in the international dance community, where her music continues to resonate with audiences seeking both infectious hooks and thoughtful lyricism. By weaving messages of empowerment into polished electronic productions, she has carved out a sound that is both accessible and emotionally authentic.

Marsa’s career spans decades of artistic independence. A self-taught keyboardist, singer, songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur, she founded KeyMedia Public Relations and KeyMedia Group in 1998 while simultaneously releasing her debut self-produced album, SELF. Since then, she has remained dedicated to creating music on her own terms, continually evolving while maintaining a commitment to authenticity and creative freedom.

Throughout her recent body of work, Marsa has demonstrated a talent for transforming personal reflection into universally relatable songs. “EVER DIE” continues that evolution, combining modern dance production with themes of endurance, healing, and hope. It is a reminder that music can be both an escape and a source of encouragement, offering listeners an opportunity to celebrate life’s challenges through movement and shared experience.

With “EVER DIE,” Denise Marsa once again delivers a dance pop release that extends beyond the club, reinforcing her reputation as an artist whose music connects emotionally while inviting audiences to keep moving forward.

Spoken word artist, author, and mental health advocate Mikey Tableman, has launched his first EP, “My Manic Maze,” an ambitious multimedia project out today, Friday, July 10th through EQUATOR. 

A blended spoken word EP, cinematic visual experience, and live performance series, My Manic Maze transforms Tableman’s personal experiences working as a leader in nightlife and festivals with addiction, trauma, burnout, and recovery into an immersive journey designed to spark conversation and encourage vulnerability through musical poetry, storytelling, and art that turns his personal struggles into thoughtfully woven, collective understanding. 

“My Manic Maze is a deeply personal undertaking I’m sharing. It’s a storytelling project that explores the complexity of the mind. The highs and lows, the spirals, the questions, the growth. It’s not about diagnosing or labeling. It’s about making people feel seen inside their own internal chaos. The initiative blends poetry, narrative, and visual elements to create something immersive and reflective.” – Mikey Tableman 

In early June, Tableman premiered the EP’s first release, “The Tea,” during “The Alchemy,” a live event showcase Los Angeles, produced by Tableman’s wellness- creative platform A Mind’s Pursuit 501c3, in association with Critical Breakdown and The Juice Joint. Serving as his creative stories introduction, the track explores the often invisible realities of social anxiety, overthinking, and the exhausting pressure to appear okay while struggling internally. Layered with the darker parts of his psyche juxtaposed through cinematic production and spoken word storytelling, the piece sets the emotional tone for the larger journey audiences will experience throughout My Manic Maze. 

The second single, “Down The Rabbit Hole” released June 26th, continuing the downward spiral into his mind, while the third release “Santiago” arrives simultaneously, supported by a highly cinematic music video. These follow-up releases explore the journey of healing, self-forgiveness, and learning to make peace with the parts of ourselves we once tried to escape. Through vulnerable storytelling and emotionally driven spoken word, the track embraces the reality that healing is not linear, but a daily choice to keep moving forward, accept the struggle, and finally choose yourself. 

Alongside the music releases, Tableman will also launch, “My Manic Maze,” the book. A  biographical, poetry laden journey surrounding his identity, relationships, emotional wellness, daily purpose, and modern masculinity. The book will be available in print and audio through online retailers on July 28th. 

Rather than existing solely as an album or a book, Tableman invites audiences to experience My Manic Maze through multiple forms of expression. By combining spoken word, memoir-style storytelling, with music, poetry, film, and visual art, the project explores the complexity of mental health through radical honesty and emotional transparency. As awareness surrounding mental health continues to grow, Tableman’s story has arrived as a reminder that vulnerability can be a catalyst for connection, healing, and hope. 

My Manic Maze – the EP is out today, July 10.