KERUB (CARE-ub) is the meeting of sound: ambience and driving drums; harsh vocals and medieval hymns; traditional folk melodies and hyper-modern club music. The Toronto-based, but Vancouver-born, singer, producer, and weirdo is influenced by an interaction between internet culture, their classical training, and energetic pop. They create music that sprints between ambient, ethereal pop, and unbreakable dance music imbued with the spirit of the underground. Called apocalyptic but playful, KERUB strives to create beauty with an edge, delivering anything from gentle soundscapes to hard-hitting drums that last well into the night.
KERUB’s sophomore album, APHANTASIA, was released on July 24, 2025. Self-recorded, produced and mixed, their second full-length is a sonic exploration of love, loss, and youth using the framework of Nietzschean reincarnation. Their first collaboration with Montreal and Tehran-based label KOPI Records, ‘APHANTASIA’, shows KERUB branching out into a more accessible, but still intriguing sonic aesthetic. Having started their musical journey with their debut EP, ‘GUARD’ (2028), KERUB quickly began a rapid-fire release schedule of EPs until 2023, when they independently released their debut album, ‘MIN’. A techno-organic take on Jewish mysticism by way of instrumental transgender allegories.
Name:
KERUB
Genre:
Electronic
Founded:
2020
# of Albums:
2 (also 4 EPs)
Latest Album:
APHANTASIA
Latest Single:
Calm
Latest Video:
Favourite musician growing up:
It may be surprising to people who know my sound, but Shania Twain…I wore the CD of ‘UP’ (2002) OUT.
Favourite musician now:
AG Cook – the continued evolution of his sound really is just amazing. If I could steal anyone’s career, it would be his.
Guilty pleasure song:
I worry about sounding pretentious, but I don’t think I believe in feeling guilty about pleasure, but I have been listening to a lot of the anime openings I grew up listening to. Specifically ‘Days’ by FLOW.
Live show ritual:
Go through line-by-line the song ‘Goodbye Horses’ by Q-Lazarus in my head, then have a minor dissociative moment where I channel the spirit of KERUB.
Favourite local musician:
R. Flex – you better check the flex.
EP or LP?
LP. I love an EP, but I want to hear you say something.
Early bird or night owl?
Yes. But don’t book me for a set that starts at 2:00 AM, please.
Road or studio?
Studio. But I love being driven around.
Any shows or albums coming up?
My sophomore album APHANTASIA is out now on KOPI Records, working on some more releases, so stay tuned
Where can we follow you?
Bandcamp | Instagram | TikTok | Bluesky
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Rapid Fire Local Questions:
What is your favourite local restaurant?
Koh Lipe
What is your favourite street in your city and why?
Jewish Folk Choir Lane. I’ve never walked it, I’ve never spent any time intimately inside of it, but I love the name.
What is your favourite park in your city and why?
Dufferin Grove Park – it’s cute.
What is your favourite music venue in your city?
I’ve enjoyed my time at the Danforth Music Hall, and also Handlebar
What is your favourite music store in your city?
Dead Dog Records – I love a place where I can buy weird sound design records as well as C-Disco.
