There is a heavy psychedelic electronic duo from Kelowna, BC, called The Cavernous, featuring a wall of synths, sequencers, samplers, and an electronic drum kit; their sound is a kin to HEALTH, NIN, or Mogwai’s electronic stuff, and you are invited to explore their distinct approach.
Please Hold is a concept album released via calling a telephone number. It is a hold sequence featuring our music, false dial-ups, automated operators, and other features of being on hold, yet strange and unnerving at times. The music spans from lofi beats and washed-out ambient electronica to eerie downtempo beats and progressive synth odysseys. To hear Please Hold, you can call 877-420-9159.
The Creation of Please Hold began out of the chaos of juggling adulthood and other creative projects in the winter of 2022/23, when the band decided to start sending recorded ideas back and forth, working at their own independent paces. Rob McLaren (Synth/Keys/Percussion) noticed a slow-building liminal quality that hinged on improvising slow changes over looping, which birthed the idea of making an album of uncanny, strange hold music. Rob felt a pull to a meditative state that lo-fi and ambient music offers; after creating the base structure of the track “Bubbles (not a SOAD cover),” he was reminded of a story his stepfather told him about drowning as a child and how his first breath of water and surrendering to his death felt “like falling into a big comfy bed.” Meanwhile, Jesse Barrette (drums/synths) sent dynamic, strange ideas—”Quinze” uses a very rare and odd 15/8 time signature—and the band leaned into dark, psychedelic, and progressive influences. Tracks like “Guile” are a shifting tapestry of eerie paranoia, while “Vitric” uses a dissonant collection of glass bottle samples alongside what can only be described as a synthesizer/banjo-led funeral procession; Rob wrote the music the same week his cousin and closest childhood friend’s body was found after having gone missing for a week prior.
Please Hold’s thematic connection to death becomes more clear the longer you sit with the album. The automated operator on the track “Lo-finite” breaks the fourth wall, reminding us of our finite time as human beings. Please Hold lures you into comfort and safety only to lift the veil of liminality every so often to reveal its true meditation of mortality, human consciousness, vulnerability, and the paranoia inherent in being human. Please Hold is a completely distinct musical experience that balances music, humor, and horror.
How would you describe the music that you typically create?
Personally I am known for being a bit of a chameleon. I have played everything from banjo in a traditional bluegrass band to experimental heavy metal. Currently I am in a band called “The Cavernous”. Live, we play heavy psychedelic electronica akin to NIN, Health, or maybe Mogwai’s electronic stuff. On record we focus on headphone worship akin to Boards of Canada, Tangerine Dream or Rival Consoles.
More Read
What about your music—is it rebellious, unconventional, or unusual?
We are known for releasing music in unconventional manners, in 2021 we released an experimental/ambient Christmas album, we got the chance to record the soundtrack for a short independent animation called “the reincarnation of puke pixie”.
In a world where tech/streaming billionaires use our hard earned money to fund drone warfare, it feels good to release an album solely through a telephone number. As independent creators, we forget the true power is in our hands, our creativity is paramount in not just creating the music but how we release it and promote it. Any chance we have to take our power back is a rebellion against a system that has exploited us for too long. We forget to take risks when we slavishly follow modern trends.
What is your current music project about?
We just dropped our concept album “Please Hold” to hear the album you have to call 1-877-420-9159. The album is a hold sequence featuring our music, false dial ups, automated operators, and other features of being on hold, yet strange and unnerving at times. The music spans from lofi beats, and washed out ambient electronica to eerie downtempo beats and progressive synth odyssey’s.
Does your music fit into your local scene? If so, how do you take advantage of that? If not, do you see that as an obstacle and what do you do about it?
We seem to be respected in our scene but we are still the black sheep. Culturally “electronic music” is fused to being upbeat and danceable, so we don’t fit in with typical DJ/rave culture. We play live electronica, Jesse plays a live electronic drum kit, I sing and play live synths and keyboards very little pre-programmed or sampled, we have a slow burn vibe, like any psychedelic rock band you might go see but most of those bands in our region have abandoned us, maybe cause we don’t have guitars in our band, I don’t know.
We like being a part of “melting pot” shows/events, where there aren’t just different musical genres but different styles of performance: Drag, Stand up comedy, maybe showing some local short films between acts.
What is next for you?
We are playing 9 shows all over BC in the next 3 months. This winter we are hoping to complete a new EP featuring songs we perform live, the majority of Cavernous recordings are not songs we perform live, so we are going to try and get a recorded representation of our live sound this winter.
Upcoming Cavernous shows:
1) Fantastic Firehall Fest(Oliver BC)- Saturday August 9th
2) Solid Urban Studio(Salmon Arm, BC)Saturday August 15th
3) Dunnenzies Pizza(Kelowna BC)-Saturday August 16th
4) Huggkegger(Salmo BC)- Saturday August 22 & 23rd
5) Legacy Den(Penticton BC) Saturday September 6th
6) Vibes Familia(Mayra Caynon BC): Saturday September 19th & 20th
7) The Coda (Victoria BC) Friday October 3rd
8) Strange Resonance @ Bully’s (New West): Saturday October 4th
9) All Hallows eve in Oosoyos BC Saturday-Oct 25th
What would you do if you had to work but didn’t need the money?
Obviously make music and probably film, I’d probably help the local scene with a podcast, zine and indie label.
But outside of music, I’d like to continue my work with people in need. I work as a care aide by day and really do love helping people. I just wish I could do it a little more on my own terms.
Tell us your best joke.
How much does a roof cost?
Nothing! its on the house!
If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?
I have a very addictive personality, I am a recovering drug and alcohol addict and still struggle with food and sex. I just wish I could apply the kind of discipline I have with art and music to my mental and psychological health.
What’s your least favorite personality trait you like about yourself?
I am really hard on myself and people I am close to, I also have a habit of taking people for granted. This trait seems to help myself and people around me to develop, I just wish I could accept and love myself and the people close to me while still supporting and encouraging their development.
What is the funniest thing that happened to you recently?
We went on family holiday, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, we got to see Grey whales…mating. It was truly a spectacle but was kind of funny standing around on the beach with like 50 other people while watching whales bang.
Bandcamp: https://thecavernous.bandcamp.com
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@thecavernous6344?si=jfAPcVd7axGwMoFY
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063588158575&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecavernous
