RIPE w/ Mobley 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.”
music
78
Views
10/04/2020 Last update