Today is the day for Theo Vandenhoff, as the debut 5-track EP 'Heartache Is An Empty Room' arrives to digital platforms worldwide and strictly limited, not to mention beautiful, transparent yellow cassette! Listen now on your preferred thingamyjig.

So what more can we say?! Well, Theo Vandenhoff is a synthpop romantic from Toronto who creates pop music for the painfully lonely. Alienated by soccer culture, Theo's dad is largely responsible for his appreciation of melodramatic 80s music with catchy hooks.

“Heartache Is An Empty Room” was recorded with producer/teacher-turned-collaborator Jay Merrow (Twin Rains). In contrast to their close working relationship, themes of uncertainty and isolation circulate through the record.

“On the nose, wrought with emotion and romantic.” – Theo muses, when asked to describe himself in just three words. “I’m the kind of guy that talks through movies with one-liners.”

The literal college drop-out has a ton of ambition celebrating the beauty of the moments in between. Despite grim circumstances, there is an overbearing sense of optimism - realistic yet absurd.

For his inauguration, we’ll be celebrating with a very special ‘live, live’ session from the bank vault on April 28. Before then, keep your eyes peeled for an industrial, minimalist yet maximalist music video and give the EP a spin!

Art and design for album is by Isabel Glasgow (@hauntedyachtclub).

With music bleeding in our ears, we're delighted to announce that your favourite new music-being, Theo Vandenhoff, has joined the Safe Sounds roster.

Theo is a synthpop artist from Toronto who creates infectious pop songs for the painfully lonely. The lead single, Heartache Is An Empty Room, will arrive across the interweb in one week on March 25th 2021.

The single is taken from the debut EP of the same name (SS111), which is currently being hard-pressed to cassette tape, but will also be clickable on Bandcamp and streaming services.

Theo is a young chap with a vision as strong as your knees. When we first listened we were drowning, but immediately found ourselves floating in a sea of bliss and melodrama. Imagine dystopian skylines set to heavy synths and drum machines.

With a driving post-punk attitude, you'll want to shelve this one alongside the likes of Joy Division, Preoccupations and Atlas Sound.

Oh, and what the hell, seeing as you've read this far, here's a little tidbit for you... we've got our first Safe Sounds "live, live" stream of the year in the works. When we say "live, live" we mean it's gonna be performed live, and broadcast live. So keep your eyes peeled and join us to see what happens when the rec light turns red.

More details soon. Stay safe out there - wake up and smell the coffee.

Toronto heavyweights Gloin, have today released a full remix EP called Sft Mnstr Rmxd - listen here. The original EP, 'Soft Monster', has been reenvisioned track-by-track by Lia Braswell, Teepy Slime, Ceremony East Coast, Moss Harvest and our very own Bill Cutbill.

Bill Cutbill's AMAZONAS remix makes use of the free sound library of Amazon jungle samples Bill unleashed upon the world in 2020. The library features 100+ samples he recorded in Brazil, and is free for artists, filmmakers, musicians and creatives to download and use in their endeavours.

Please check out the sounds of the Amazon now, and if you use any of the samples, all you gotta do is reference Bill's Amazonas Sound Library as one of your sources!

Bill would like to thank Gloin for inviting him to be a part of this release -

"I spend a lot of time hiding under the ground so that I can pretend I'm swinging between the trees. This project gave me something to focus on. Without the shackles and limitations of rules, I had a great time exploring the possibilities within the stems I was given.

"Starting with the bass and guitar lines, I found joy in pitch-shifting the two to create some new melodic paths. Having been given multiple drum channels, I then loaded them all into a session and pulled individual stems back or forward to find new rhythms from the original recordings. The bleed from the mics adds natural counter-rhythms and by finding areas that gave me satisfaction, I was able to create loops using the existing drums that had a completely different feel and supported the new melodic direction.

"Adding a combination of original synth samples and others I generated using a Juno-106 (which I believe I'm right in saying was the same instrument used on Gloin's original track), I finally layered the vocals take-by-take to create something that I hope will prove soothing to listeners out there in the great unknown.

"If you enjoy the track, please consider downloading AMAZONAS and making an optional donation to the Rainforest Trust to protect the endangered rainforest and the species that call them home."

Welcome to the present ~ it is February 1st 2021 which means ULTRA is out and another Safe Sounds column is upon us. This week, Idious Carrie chats with rryrry of RUM DO about the duo's latest offering - a double a-side single that will arrive via Safe Sounds on February 5th.

Read issue 4 online here, which also features Two Suns, Birds of Paradise, Boy Wonder, World News and Blue Light!

World News - Descenending (SS109) is available worldwide today! Listen on your preferred platform and don't miss the music video which is currently premiering with Toronto Guardian.

The 6-track single features four remixes from Paulo Sinski, Know Itself, rryrry and Sages, along with a live version recorded at World News' last live show before lockdown in Toronto.

Speaking of the track, Bill explained -

“Descenending is about helping a friend through a tough spot when you’re struggling to remain stable yourself. Touching on themes of community and mental health, it feels more relevant than ever today. Remember to cut yourself some slack and help others where you can – stay calm out there and try to enjoy your daze.”