The warehouse. Traditionally, these bland buildings are used for the storage of various goods and resources before they are sent to recipients around the world. Warehouses have several connotations associated with them, including but not limited to people that lift things, industrial goings-on, zombie infestation, and a perfect place to lure someone you intend to murder. Alternatively, these buildings can be used to store people who feel the desire to make loud noises and jump around for a while. The latter happens to be my favourite kind of warehouse, and until the sonic experience created by Silkken Laumann, Cabaal, and Matt Tamblyn at Gabba Hey last Saturday, I had not had a chance to experience a good, sweaty warehouse party in quite some time. Arriving at the warehouse put a smile on my face and a spring in my step, which was soon to progress to full-blown madness and flailing.

The space was tight, the Kichesippi was flowing, and people were slowly filing in as Matt Tamblyn warmed up the place. I came in towards the end of his set, but what I heard came from the mind of an innovative DJ who knows just how to set the mood. Any of you that have been following my column for a decent amount of time will know that I have a large fondness for the ambient electronic weirdness that is Cabaal. That night he took to a brand new live setup with the intention of being far more active in his live performance than his previous equipment would allow. The audience was then treated to a heavy dose of Cabaal’s void-inspired vibes, but this time with a hefty increase in the amount of house beats, in order to keep people in the dancing mood. In this case, Cabaal successfully combined fun and creepy, and isn’t that what everyone wants to find in a warehouse?

After Matt Tamblyn and Cabaal gave the crowd ample time for the drink, Ottawa’s very own Silkken Laumann took to the stage. My adrenaline reserves were simply aching for their brand of psychedelic dance-pop. My legs started doing this weird back-and-forth motion that they do when I am fired up at concerts. More and more people were stuffed into the warehouse, and I found myself squished towards the front of the pack. Within just a few moments of pulsing drums, syncopated base, funk-driven guitar, spacey synthesizers and effect-muddied vocals, I was fully tapped into Silkken Laumann. The warehouse exploded with the energy of many leaping humans who could not resist the relentless urge to dance. The band refused to let up through their entire set, determined to make this crowd move for as long as they could.

Silkken Laumann’s recently released debut album, Not Forever Enough, encapsulates the energy of their live show in fine detail. Not Forever Enough works perfectly for the audiophile who wants to access all the subtleties of sound, as well as the club enthusiast who just wants a fun beat and catchy hooks that will force you to your feet. The album has a fantastic flow to it as well, moving from upbeat to psychedelic to powerful to pensive. Silkken Laumann has managed to include diversity while carving out a signature tone. This is a band worth keeping an eye on. I have nothing but good things to say about both their studio efforts and their live performance, and I hope to hear much more in the future.

Silkken Laumann is offering Not Forever Enough for FREE DOWNLOAD. In other words, you cannot find a good reason not to listen to it, so grab it and give it a shot immediately. Cabaal also has all of his music available for FREE DOWNLOAD. Get on it people.

Much Love,

~Dave