Toronto bassist and composer Alex Lakusta brings a rare fluidity to instrumental music—where jazz, rock, and electronic sensibilities converge in ways that feel both familiar and freshly imagined. Before releasing his 2022 debut Transmit Slow, Lakusta spent years collaborating and touring across a wide range of projects at home and abroad, carving out a place within Canada’s creative circles. His ability to move seamlessly between genres and styles has earned him a reputation for playing that is as unrelenting as it is intuitive—a hallmark that now defines his work as a composer and bandleader.

His sophomore album, Island Ghosts, marks a new chapter—one of expansion, reflection, and deepening intent. Written for a six-piece ensemble, the record unfolds as what Lakusta calls “an abstract love story without words”: a collection of pieces that move like memory—warm, fleeting, and vividly alive. The music pulses with heart and clarity, tracing his personal evolution while paying tribute to the people, places, and moments that continue to anchor and inspire his sound.

“Barrier-bending” - Dan McClenaghan, All About Jazz (USA)

“Funktatious and groove-elating” - Paul Corby, Radio Regent (CA)

“Something for those who crave electrified sonics” - Victor Aaron, Somethingelse! Reviews (USA)

“Lakusta releases a musical cloud of idiosyncratic fusion that slowly floats by and fascinates” - Bernard Lefevre, Jazz Halo (BE)

"Transmit Slow is a masterclass in what a rhythm section can achieve artistically when solely focused on grooving as hard as possible" - Yoshi Maclear Wall, WholeNote Magazine (CA)