On a primal level, we react to music through movement. A head-nod, a
foot-tap, or a handclap certainly shows appreciation, but dancing
seals the eternal bond between audience and musician. Siphoning the
spirits of rock, funk, R&B, jazz, and pop through a kaleidoscope of
unpredictable and virtuosic improvisation, Boston-based seven-piece
Ripe consistently bring people to their feet. Most importantly, they
prove that "dance music" in its purest form doesn't have to come from
computers and synthesizers. It can be an unstoppable groove or an
extended moment of ecstatic release. Like those bodies moving on the
floor, it's the result of the energy, friction, and communication
between living and breathing people. An inimitable and indefinable
chemistry has separated and singled out Ripe since day one. Subverting
any and all standard genre boundaries once again, their latest
offering confidently continues that tradition. These seven musical
soulmates --Robbie Wulfsohn [vocals], Tory Geismar [guitar], Jon
Becker [guitar], Sampson Hellerman [drums], Josh Shpak [trumpet],
Calvin Barthel [trombone], and Nadav Shapira [bass]--once again incite
listeners to move on their independent full-length debut, Joy In The
Wild Unknown. "What we make is music you can dance to," affirms
Robbie. "We're drawn to the peak of a song--the emotional catharsis
when everything comes out. It's all about reaching that moment. The
revelation comes back to us when bodies shake with joy." "Every time
we play, something unique happens," adds Jon. "You'll never see the
same show twice. We want to bring that unexpected element into the pop
sphere." Ripe brings the swagger of funk filtered through a rock
anthem, a musical journey that somehow gets as stuck in your head as
your favorite pop banger. "We're gap bridgers," adds Tory. "If you've
never heard us, I like to describe our music as, 'If Maroon 5 and
Earth, Wind, & Fire had a baby.'" Formed during their Berklee College
of Music days in 2011, the boys have built a rabid fan base through
tireless gigging and a steady stream of music. Following 2013's
Produce The Juice EP, the 2015 Hey Hello EP yielded fan favorites like
"Brother Sky," "Talk To The Moon," and "Goon Squad," which clocked
over 1 million Spotify streams. Averaging over 100K monthly listeners
on Spotify, the group landed looks from the likes of WXPN, Huffington
Post, Verge Campus, Boston Globe and Hype Machine love from sites like
Ear to the Ground and Indie Obsessive. Along the way, they also hit
the stage at festivals such as SweetWater, Levitate, The Rock Boat,
High Sierra, LaureLive, Brooklyn Comes Alive, Audiotree, and Summer
Camp. The common thread would always be the translation of their
individual interplay to their audience, one that Ripe views as not
just fans, but old and new friends; an extended family that is rapidly
growing as their sound spreads and their world deepens. "The community
is so important," says Robbie. "We've got amazing fans who really show
up for us. We want to integrate the camaraderie into everything we do.
Now, the goal is to communicate our vision to a much wider
demographic." Joy In The Wild Unknown represents a creative
culmination of a six-year journey. The band tapped the talents of
producer Cory Wong of Vulfpeck behind the board. Additionally,
five-time GRAMMY® Award winner Joe Visciano [Mark Ronson, Adele,
Beck, Coldplay] mixed the music, while mastering came courtesy of
Randy Merrill [Lady Gaga, Lorde, Imagine Dragons, Taylor Swift]. Over
the course of twelve songs, it finds the elusive sweet spot between
jaw-dropping technicality and airtight songcraft as Ripe collectively
kick off a fresh, focused, and fiery next phase. "It took us a long
time to get to this album," Sampson admits. "It never felt right to do
a full-length until now. Everything finally locked into place. Just
prior, we'd been on the road for a year-and-a-half. So much was
happening, growing, and changing. It was the moment to make the
record." "Simultaneously, this was the ending of a lot of things and
the start of something new," adds Robbie. "This serves as our
transition from a band that brings the party towards a band that
brings an edge to the party." Ripe introduced this body of work with
the simmering bass line and wild wallop of the single "Little
Lighter," which quickly shuffles into funked-up guitars and a swooning
refrain--"I feel a little lighter." Meanwhile, finger-picked acoustic
guitar and a delicate beat drive "Downward" as everything climaxes on
another festival-ready chant, "This love keeps pulling me downward." A
chorus of horns fuels "Flipside" before Robbie's dynamic delivery
instantly hypnotizes. Throughout the verses, he shares "the crazy
miasma of emotional ups and downs with touring." Fittingly, the latter
spawned the title, Joy In The Wild Unknown. "Personally, I'm at the
point where every day seems a little bit surreal, because I'm doing
the thing I want to do more than anything else with my best friends,"
smiles Robbie. "Music is what defines us. It's what we get to put out
into the world. I want to share this deep excitement and happiness.
The phrase, 'Joy In The Wild Unknown,' spoke to all seven of us." Ripe
gives the same weight to happiness as is often given to sadness. Their
music signifies more than just a distraction from your troubles for a
few hours - it's an experience of connection and acceptance; a warm
welcome into their world. In the end, this Joy is shared by an
ever-growing community that'll be dancing every time Ripe roll through
town. It's an extension of the bond between these seven. "If you've
never seen us, I want you to feel like you've stumbled on a real
family upon introduction and get excited and curious about how to get
deeper into this world," Robbie leaves off. "It's been about building
this thing since day one. I hope you leave exhausted from dancing and
feel excited to be a part of something. If you feel that way after
seeing us, we've done our jobs." On a primal level, we react to music
through movement. A head-nod, a foot-tap, or a handclap certainly
shows appreciation, but dancing seals the eternal bond between
audience and musician. Siphoning the spirits of rock, funk, R&B, jazz,
and pop through a kaleidoscope of unpred... read more show less
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03/04/2020 Last update