Montreal-born, Gabriola Island, BC-based composer, vocalist, and meditation guide Mark Fenster returns with “Rising Embers,” a glowing, introspective new track from his just-released album, Serenity Sessions, Vol. 1—a deeply personal collection of sound journeys and guided meditations designed to restore calm, connection, and clarity for the listeners.

Driven by multicultural instrumentation, gentle orchestral textures, and a sense of spiritual movement, “Rising Embers” conjures the quiet beauty of a campfire’s final glow—each ember lifting into the night as a symbol of trust, release, and transformation. The piece invites the listener to follow a path of rising emotion and soft realization, repeated yet evolving, landing in a space of gratitude and peace.

“Sitting by a glowing campfire, feeling the warmth, absorbing the calm, watching tiny embers lift and fall to the sky, as if letting go, completing the experience and flowing back to the source. This is how I feel when I realize I’ve made the leap, I’m ok, and all is well now that I’ve believed and trusted and seen the beauty behind the blast,” says Fenster.

“‘Rising Embers’ is the musical version of this experience… Ultimately to the calming place of grateful acceptance and realization that there is so much good and so much for which to be grateful. Sometimes it’s just hiding in plain sight, like the rising embers from a campfire.”

Midnight Channel surprises longtime listeners with their first-ever vocal track, “Must Be Nice” – a dreamy, rhythm-forward blend of bossa nova melancholy, delusional romanticism, and subtle frustration. With vocals by Geneva Murphy, the Lethbridge-based jazz collective explores what it feels like to be left behind in love and how powerful it is when someone finally sees you.

“Must Be Nice” is a love song about how hard it is to even get a date – let alone meet people who see you. It’s a reflection on that third-wheel feeling from high school, when everyone around you seems to be finding connection, and you’re stuck focusing on all the “self-work” people tell you to do. It’s about longing, being left out, and how powerful it is when you finally do meet someone.

The song is lush and layered, blending soft Latin grooves with warped jazz harmony, cuíca and berimbau percussion, and a moody, meditative vocal performance. Guitarist Austin Phillips flips his strings upside down – literally – to craft piano-like voicings, while Matthew Erdmann’s production channels cosmic textures using a Yamaha YC-30 portamento strip, à la Sun Ra. The result is a richly expressive, emotionally off-kilter song about the ache of watching connection happen around you and wondering when it’ll be your turn.

Hip hop icon and multi-platinum artist Kardinal Offishall is following up his brand new return to music, the Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall influenced “LET EM OUT,” with a decidedly sultry followup, the Amapiano and Afrobeats imbued “SOAK.”

“LET EM OUT” and “SOAK” are both taken from the multi-platinum artist’s long awaited and highly anticipated EP, Everyday, Sometimes.

Featuring TV and platinum music star Rotimi and newcomer Ocean Banks, “SOAK” brings us to a place where we leave behind our insecurities and embrace our inner sexy.

It’s a feel-good anthem made to move your body and lift the vibes all summer long.

“In a time when real connection feels rare and true sensuality is harder than ever to experience, enter the summer banger ‘SOAK’!” shares Kardinal, who also works as a Global A&R Executive at Def Jam Records, helping to shape the sound and direction of today’s music. 

Inspired by Toronto house parties, block parties, clubs and Caribana, “SOAK,” is a languid dip in the pool at the height of humidity and in true intimacy.

ABOUT KARDINAL OFFISHALL:

With a career spanning over two decades, from early underground classics like “Ol’ Time Killin’” all the way to hit singles like “Dangerous” featuring Akon – that made him the first Canadian rapper in history to land in the Top 5 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart – Kardinal’s laundry list of notable collaborations with superstars including Rihanna, Drake, Lady Gaga, Daniel Caesar, Ludacris, and exclusive music being featured on a Dave Chappelle Netflix comedy special, has placed his catalogue in the upper echelon of urban music performers of today.

Kardinal’s first official release since 2019, “LET EM OUT,” came after years of achievements that include an honorary Doctorate from York University, hosting Canada’s Got Talent alongside stars like Howie Mandel and Shania Twain, and a UWI Luminary award, to name a few.  A true multi-hyphenate — artist, producer, executive, and cultural architect — he’s been a voice for the streets, a leader in boardrooms, and a relentless champion for artists and communities alike. 

Award-winning East Coast artist Carolina East returns with a stunning live version of her 2021 single “Until You Are Sorry,” offering a raw, emotionally charged performance that highlights her commanding voice and magnetic stage presence.

“‘Until You Are Sorry’ was born from the quiet strength it takes to walk away from someone who refuses to take accountability,” East shares. “It’s about loving yourself enough to wait for the apology you know you deserve.”

Originally recorded for a TV special in Halifax, NS, during the height of the pandemic, this version captures East at a career-defining moment – performing live alongside Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band, an experience she describes as “a dream come true.”

“This recording has become one of my favourites,” she says. “It was one of the first times I truly felt myself on stage – like I belonged up there with those incredible musicians. I’m so proud to finally share it with the world.”

Mixed by Cory Tetford, the live cut brings a fresh energy and emotional clarity to the track, bridging the intimate and the epic.

Drawing from a life spent between wild northern landscapes and intimate moments of reflection, Rogan Mei returns with “Lefroy,” a hopeful and heart-pulling indie folk track about self-discovery, resilience, and return. Anchored in quiet emotion but expansive in imagery, the song is part meditative memoir/part mountain summit.

Inspired by a painting of Mt. Lefroy by Lawren Harris – viewed during a visit to the McMichael Gallery on the anniversary of his mother’s heart transplant – “Lefroy” emerged as a metaphor for personal reckoning. “As we stood looking at this mountain, I imagined myself climbing it,” says Mei. “The first line and melody just popped into my head, and I wrote the rest in the days that followed.”

The track’s evolution mirrors its lyrical arc. Originally longer and more subdued, “Lefroy” was restructured for live performance as part of Canadian Musicians Co-operative’s Showcase tour before being recorded for his upcoming Dickies Green Plaid Jacket EP. Rather than opt for a studio, Mei and his band recorded it in the house he grew up in – immersed in nature, memory, and intention. “Everything (except the female vocals) was recorded in the same room, by people I know, playing real instruments,” he says. “Very few records are made that way anymore.”

Hamilton-based synth-pop duo Dynasty share their new single, “Combative Heart,” a lush, emotionally charged track about learning to stop wrestling with life and start moving with it. With soaring, cinematic production and introspective lyrics, “Combative Heart” captures what it feels like to ride into the unknown, arms wide open,  trusting the journey even when it’s messy.

It’s about that part of you that pushes back when you’re trying to move forward. But instead of shutting it down, it’s about learning to follow it. Even when it’s unclear, it’s still your guide.

Built on heartbeat rhythms, airy synths, and spacious melodies, the track unfolds like an emotional journey – vulnerable, reflective, yet quietly powerful. There’s an energy in “Combative Heart” that feels both freeing and grounding, a reminder that life isn’t judging you – it’s just happening. 

This was actually the second song we ever worked on together, and kind of the nail in the coffin of deciding to release this project. We felt this intense excitement as it started to build, and it almost brought tears to our eyes. It was like, okay… we have to share this.

We wanted it to feel like a journey. Emotional, open – like you could close your eyes and just be on the ride. – Dynasty