SPACE ELEVATOR ALBUM RELEASE SHOW!

My ridiculous 20 person jazz-metal orchestra has a new album!
Come witness the madness in person at the Rickshaw Theatre on November 14th!
We’ll have blasting horns, crushing riffs, bouncy grooves, and plenty of weirdness!
Plus guest appearances by Leda XO from The Hallowed Catharsis, Joel Parent from Ninjaspy, and rapper/singer Missy D!

Check out a teaser here:

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!

Who The Heck Is Mike WT Allen?
Composer, Performer, Noise Maker

Discorder Magazine called me a “compositional tour-de-force” once, so that’s pretty cool!

As a composer I’ve worked with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Redshift Music, the West Vancouver Youth Band, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, and many other ensembles from professionals to amateurs to student groups. I’ve also written soundtracks for award winning films, commercials, arranged music for studio sessions, live performances, and tons of other stuff. Sometimes I’m writing weird jazz, sometimes I’m producing spatialized ambient music, sometimes I’m writing the soundtrack to a musical about marital aids (yes I’m serious)
Do you have an ensemble that needs music? I love writing for new groups, we should talk!

I’m equally all over the place as a performer, touring internationally with groups like Five Alarm Funk, headlining festival stages with Balkan Shmalkan, and I even played in a hair salon with my old jazz-punk band not once but twice! They invited us back, can you believe it??
On any given day you might catch me playing free-jazz bass saxophone, hiphop keyboards at a jam, polka covers of pop-punk songs on clarinet, creating effects laden walls of sound at a noise show, anything goes! The point is I’m always looking for new ways to explore music and sounds across a wide variety of instruments and styles.
Check out some of the bands I play in over on the music page!
Or take a look at the Upcoming Gigs page

In addition to all the playing and writing I also host some fun jam sessions around the city!
Twice a month is the groove-based Gander Jam at LanaLou’s that promotes the sense of community that music brings us, and has hosted some of Vancouver’s musical royalty over the years.
I also host the monthly experimental series Improv Karaoke at 8East which aims to bring the normally inaccessible world of avant-garde music to the masses!
Wanna jam? You should come to a jam!

And on top of alllllll that I’m also a speaker and educator, having given talks at universities, high schools, workshops, and other music events covering topics from effects pedals on horns, big band arranging, and making a living through music.

It’s a lot, trust me I know.
If you’re interested in keeping up with all the things I’m doing, consider signing up for my newsletter, I promise I won’t spam you, and I promise to tell you about cool musical things I’m doing!

MIKE WT ALLEN’S SPACE ELEVATOR

Here’s An Instagram Feed

aka “What’s Mike up to lately?”

Musical Highlights

• MD and arranger for Missy D performance at the Chan Centre 2025

• Composer for Run n Gun finalist short film Quality Time

• Gentle Push composed for the 80+ person wind orchestra West Vancouver Youth Band

• Five Alarm Funk Festival 2024 International de Louisiane in Lafayette LA

• Space Elevator’s Space Jamboree 2023, a packed Rio Theatre featuring 10 guest vocalists

• History of Gunpowder main stage Vancouver Jazz Fest 2023 performance

• Five Alarm Funk headlining the 2022 Vancouver Folk Fest

• History of Gunpowder 2022 Italy Tour

• Mixtophonics curated evening of experimental jazz

• Monthly series Improv Karaoke introducing people to the world of free improvisation

• Five Alarm Funk back to back to back sold out shows at the Commodore Ballroom 2021-2025

• Soundtrack for award winning short film Maya directed by Jacquile Kambo

• Space Elevator main stage performance at 2019 Vancouver Jazz Festival

• History Of Gunpowder 2019 Germany/Italy tour

• Space Elevator album release at the Rickshaw Theatre

• “Flashlight” for chamber ensemble, commissioned by The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

• “Sloove The Traction” performed by the Hard Rubber Orchestra

• Big EviL performance at ArtsWells where Al Simmons said we were his favourite band

• Woke Floke Gaze commissioned by Redshift Music, debuted at The Orpheum

• Big EviL main stage performance at 2017 Vancouver Jazz Festival to 3000+ people

• 2016 Capilano Courier Reader's Choice Award for Best Musician

• Soundtrack to award winning short film Help Wanted

• Best Local Avant-Garde Artist Whammy Awards nomination for Key To Abyss

• Soundtrack to the award winning short film A Gift For Amelia

• Commissioned by the Royal Military College of Canada to compose an original piece

• Space Elevator debut performance to a sold out crowd at the Fox Cabaret

• Headlining spots for VaudeVille Vagabonds at Cascadia and Atmosphere music festivals

• Ivy League Brawlers opening for and joined on stage by Angelo Moore of Fishbone

• Space Junk, a tribute to David Bowie's Blackstar featuring Bend Sinister and Cobra Ramone

• Music composed for and used in commercials/videos with clients including BC Hydro

• Guest spots recording or playing with Marianas Trench, Colin James, Los Furios, Bestie, Ben Norton, BRASS, Sadie Campbell
  

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