Toronto's Orbital Ensemble soar on cosmic second album "Contínua"

Orbital Ensemble will be playing songs from their new Contínua album at Sonic Boom on June 30th.

Here's the scoop...

Contínua is the second full-length by Orbital Ensemble, out now via the Toronto-based label We Are Busy Bodies, pushing the group’s neotropical psychedelic sound into more ambitious and collaborative territory. Written and produced by Toronto-based, Brazilian native multi-instrumentalist Felipe Sena with co-writers Artu Bastos and Dan McLay, the album features expansive arrangements and special guests on vocals, strings and harp. Recorded primarily live off the floor with additional overdubs, the record captures the band's magnetic force while continuing their vision of blending Brazilian musical heritage with contemporary psychedelic and jazz exploration.

The album was recorded during an intensive four day session in August 2025 at Pine Island Studio, an isolated studio on Stoney Lake in Ontario. The ten compositions were tracked live as a six piece ensemble, mirroring Orbital’s touring formation and allowing the music’s energy and interaction to unfold naturally. The session featured Jon Catanus on drums, Ana Higuera on percussion, Dan Mclay on bass, Felipe Sena and Artu Bastos on guitars, and Jakob Leeson on saxophone. The recordings were developed further in Toronto with additional layers including flute and saxophones by Mei Akanuma, vocals by Daniela Longaray, string arrangements by Jessica Deustch, vocals and percussion by Cajú Collective, and harp by Rachel Kitchlew recorded in the UK.

Released worldwide with supporting seven-inch singles produced by Cajú Collective, Contínua marks the next chapter in Orbital Ensemble’s evolution. Across its ten tracks, the album explores themes of resilience, presence, saudade, forgiveness, and spiritual protection while expanding the project’s sonic palette between cosmic jazz melodies and dense psychedelic sound. 

You can get a copy of Orbital Ensemble's new Contínua album via Bandcamp right here. See 'em live in Toronto at Sonic Boom tonight (Tuesday, June 30) at 6 pm. It's free! Check out the video for "Atende o Telefone" below. 

Orbital Ensemble – Contínua

1. Resiliência 06:27

2. Deusas 04:51

3. Razão 03:58

4. Doomscroll 03:50

5. Invocada 02:32

6. Atende o Telefone 03:52

7. Triha 05:41

8. Perdoar 04:07

9. Diatônica 03:16

10. 7 Ervas 04:13

Tinariwen is playing the Concert Hall w/ Orbital Ensemble on September 17

Saharan blues crew Tinariwen and Orbital Ensemble hit the Concert Hall on September 17. Tickets are $60.75 – get 'em here. 

Project Nowhere w/ Teke::Teke, Orbital Ensemble, Miserable Weekend @ St. Anne's Hall, Friday

Montreal's fab Teke::Teke is joined by Orbital Ensemble at St. Anne's Parish Hall as part of Project Nowhere – get tickets here.

Desire & Johnny Jewel light up Project Nowhere @ St. Anne's Parish, Oct 2

The dynamic IDIB duo of Desire & Johnny Jewel join the expansive Project Nowhere event at six west end T.O. venues Oct 2 to 4.   

Here's the scoop...

Project Nowhere returns for a third year to Toronto's west end on OCT 2-4, 2025. The full lineup of artists has arrived, promising the best of underground heavy hitters and up-and-coming talent from Toronto and beyond!

 

The festival's multi-venue format will span six spaces along Dundas West - Nineteen Seventy Eight (Expo Vintage Outlet), St. Anne's Parish, The Garrison, The Baby G, BSMT254, and Hank's Liquor. Show-hopping with a 3-day pass (for $119.60) is highly encouraged - the only way to experience all the shows one's heart desires, all weekend long. 

Tickets for the Desire's highly-anticipated show with Johnny Jewel and Kat Duma at St. Anne's Parish Hall on Thursday, October 2 at 7:30 pm are $32.31 advance and available right here. Tickets for Friday night's boffo blast featuring Teke::Teke with Orbital Ensemble and Miserable Weekend also at St. Anne's Parish Hall at 7:30 pm are $32.31 and available here. Saturday's main event will be The Mystery Lights sharing a bill with Detroit's Shadow Show and The Mersey Sound at The Garrison at 8:30 pm. Tickets are again $32.31 and available here. Check out Project Nowhere's full-lineup, schedule and info at the event site right here: https://www.projectnowhere.org/. 

PROJECT NOWHERE VENUES

St. Anne's Parish Hall - 651 Dufferin St.

Nineteen Seventy Eight - 1978 Dundas St. W.

The Garrison - 1197 Dundas St. W.

The Baby G - 1608 Dundas St. W.

BSMT254 - 254 Lansdowne Ave

Hank's Liquor - 1415 B Dundas St. W.

Here are a couple of clips of Desire accompanied by Johnny Jewel along with some performance footage of Teke::Teke, a stylish Shadow Show video and a KEXP performance by The Mystery Lights followed by a listing of Project Nowhere's scheduled shows for October 2nd and 3rd. 

Toronto's Orbital Ensemble launch "Orbital" debut @ 915 Dupont, Thursday

Check out the video and a performance of "Daydreams" off Orbital Ensemble's impressive "Orbital" debut out now.

Here's the scoop...

"Orbital" is the debut full-length album by multi-instrumentalist Felipe Sena, the composer behind Toronto's Orbital Ensemble (released June 30 via We Are Busy Bodies). 

Written and produced by Sena, the album features Lazar Miric on flute and saxophones, and renowned Brazilian percussionist M. Takara on two tracks. 

These early collaborators were the first extensions of the ensemble, as the album is prologue to the live experience, setting the stage for the larger Toronto-based live Orbital Ensemble — an eight-piece Toronto-based live band, which brings the album’s neotropical psychedelic sound to life with drums, Brazilian percussion, bass, guitar, sax/flute, acoustic guitar, keys, and vibraphone.

Released under We Are Busy Bodies worldwide and Balaclava Records in South America, "Orbital" blends vintage Brazilian influences with modern psychedelic and jazz elements, drawing inspiration from artists such as Clube da Esquina, Azymuth, Meta Metá, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Khruangbin, and Badbadnotgood. Watch the video for "Daydreams" followed by a live-in-the-studio performance below.  

Get a copy of the Orbital Ensemble's "Orbital" debut from Bandcamp right here. There's a listening party for  "Orbital" at 915 Dupont on Thursday (July 3) with a DJ set from We Are Busy Bodies main man Eric Warner at 7:30 pm, album playback at 8:15 pm, Cajú label DJ set at 9:15 pm, Local Dish label DJ set 10:15 pm.   

“There’s just something about psychedelic jazz from Canada. From Badge Époque Ensemble to Cosmic Range, and the majority of the Idée Fixe catalog, the country’s got a lock on the lysergic end of the jazz spectrum. Add a new name to the register with Orbital Ensemble.” – Raven Sings The Blues

“Sena knows how to smoothly mix Latin, African, the closely related Caribbean rhythms and spacy jazz rock into a sound that we will hopefully hear from many more times in the future. More than promising, this relaxed listening trip full of pleasant surprises” – Jazzism (NL)

“Toronto’s latest jazz masters…soaked in the sweet sounds of Brazilian jazz and soul, with occasional hints of psychedelia, too.” Far Out Magazine

Credits

Composed and Engineered by Felipe Sena

Drums, bass, guitars, keys, percussion by Felipe Sena

Flutes and saxophones by Lazar Miric

Additional Rhodes on Daydreams by Lazar Miric

Percussion and bells on Maré and Portal by M. Takara

Recorded at The Root Down, Toronto

Mixed by Roberto Kramer and Felipe Sena

Mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel

Cover artwork by George Gilles

Design by Felipe Sena