Photo by Olivia Ferrara
Vipertime
Born out of the snake-pit of Leeds house parties Vipertime is now in the wild, unleashing pounding drums, skittering percussion, snarling bass and impassioned saxophone moving between driving riffs and agile improvisation.
After forming in early 2018 as a free improvising group the band recorded their All Our Heroes Are Dead EP which received radio play on BBC 3, Worldwide FM and BBC Introducing. By the end of the year the band had settled on a permanent line up featuring members of Roller Trio, Mansion of Snakes, WorldService Project, KOG & The Zongo Brigade and Wandering Monster.
Debut LP Shakedown shows Vipertime in sharp focus and with lethal intent. The band has drawn on the mesmeric forms and harmonies of 1970s ethio-jazz before refracting this influence though post-punk, 60s garage, free jazz and afrobeat to create potent improvised music for the dancefloor.
During the Covid-19 lockdown Vipertime released Live At Smugglers Festival, an EP recorded the previous August. All proceeds from this record went to the charity Solidaritech.
Ben Powling - tenor saxophone
Matías Reed - bass guitar
Charlie Grimwood - drums
Luke Reddin-Williams - drums
‘Amazing. Great music’ - Quinton Scott, Strut Records
“They harness the sweatiness, chaos and the musical nous of the legendary Leeds nightlife and replicate it with undeniably gripping swagger” - Jazz Revelations