A diverse collective of 13 artists from across the globe has joined forces to create rehab(it)recordings, a fresh independent music label making its debut today. The lineup features musicians and visual artists from wildly different backgrounds, each bringing their own unique flavor to this eclectic music collective.
The roster reads like an international who’s who of underground talent, spanning from NOT THA ONE (Regina, Canada) and Vanessa John (Toronto, Canada) to Ira Lee (Montreal, Canada) and NTS SleepS (Vancouver, Canada). The project stretches across the Atlantic with Deacon LF (Brooklyn, USA), Polly Say Phalle (Paris, France), and 73Stan (Warwickshire, UK), among others. This global collaboration creates a fascinating melting pot of musical influences and cultural perspectives.
Many of these artists cut their teeth in hip-hop but have since wandered off the beaten path into more experimental territory. Some started as visual artists before picking up instruments, while others made the surprising jump from classical training to avant-garde experimentation. As the label puts it, they’re “a generationally diverse group of musicians and artists sharing the traditions, perspectives and experiences of our time and place together.” You can almost hear the late-night conversations that must have inspired this collaboration.
Co-founder NOT THA ONE (aka Evan Tyler) brings a particularly colorful background to the table. His musical journey began at just five years old, recording songs from TV into a Fisher Price karaoke box—a charmingly DIY start that foreshadowed his future approach. After studying at the Royal Conservatory of Music and dabbling in psychedelic rock, everything changed when he discovered Wu-Tang Clan. Despite his graduate degree from the University of Toronto, Tyler still proudly identifies with his roots, describing himself as having “that raw made it in a garage rap brain” from the often-overlooked Regina, Saskatchewan.
Tyler speaks warmly of fellow label artist Ira Lee as a mentor who “bent the rules and taught us to think outside of the self-serving predictabilities of RAP.” His current sound mixes intricate wordplay with live instrumentation and vocal experimentation—a far cry from mainstream hip-hop formulas.
The label itself seems born from late-night talks about artistic purpose and authenticity. More than just another music platform, rehab(it)recordings represents what they call “artists rehabilitating from the stress and conditioning of the common realm.” It’s a philosophy that views creative expression as a healing process—something many struggling artists will nod along to knowingly.
Beyond traditional albums, the collective emphasizes creating immersive experiences that blend music with visual art. They describe their mission as “a platform for new releases in varied genres of music; a home for the creative act for the sake of itself.” Picture them hunched over analog equipment and sketchbooks in dimly lit studios, bringing their vision to life.
To mark their launch, the label drops two debut singles today. “Gravity Isn’t Real Today,” a collaboration between NOT THA ONE and Vanessa John, fuses ’90s techno-rap vibes with contemporary production. The track dives beneath its danceable surface to explore “experiences of dissociation, alienation, addiction, lust and loss.” A music video is expected this summer, with the single previewing their forthcoming double album “The Found CDs,” slated for release later in 2025.
The second single, “msg no.5” by Vanessa John, introduces her conceptual EP “msgs from the abyss.” The track takes a refreshingly different angle on relationships, celebrating platonic connections as being just as worthy of artistic exploration as romantic ones. It’s dedicated to “those angels who pick you up from the darkest abyss”—a sentiment many of us can relate to.
The collective’s digital home, rehabitrecordings.ca, launches today alongside the singles. It will serve as their headquarters, offering listeners access to individual artist catalogs, collaborations, and updates on future releases. For those interested in following one of the label’s founding artists, NOT THA ONE can be found on Instagram and Linktree.
While music today is often dominated by algorithm-friendly formulas, rehab(it)recordings seems determined to carve out a space where artistic experimentation and genuine expression can thrive. Only time will tell if this creative rehabilitation will resonate with listeners—but it certainly makes for an intriguing debut.
