Vipertime 6th February 2025

"That was Vipertime. I wouldn't mind hanging out somewhere where that was going on" - Iggy Pop

Born in the snake pit of Leeds house parties, aggro-jazz four-piece Vipertime have built a ferocious reputation with incendiary appearances at venues and festivals across the UK. Their lineup of saxophone, bass, and twin drum sets is pushed to its sonic limits, delivering music that embodies the sweaty, unrelenting energy of the dance floor.

Blending influences from 70s Ethio-jazz, the 60s proto-punk of The Stooges, Alice and John Coltrane, Fela Kuti, The Pop Group, and Lee Perry, Vipertime’s sound is a heady brew of joy and rebellion. Originally a free-improvising group, they evolved into songwriting and recording, releasing 2019’s Shakedown, 2020’s Limbs/All Our Heroes Are Dead, and 2023’s critically acclaimed Arise. Their work has been championed by the likes of Iggy Pop, Gilles Peterson, and Colin Curtis, receiving airplay on BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3, BBC Introducing, and Worldwide FM.

Where Shakedown captured their raw live energy, Arise saw the band embrace the studio's creative possibilities. During the global pandemic, they honed their craft as composers before recording at Leeds’ Eiger Studios with veteran producer and engineer Will Jackson. The result is a distinctive sound that explores the intersections of modal jazz, post-punk, dub, and afrobeat—both uniquely Vipertime and reflective of the thriving UK scene.

"Technically outstanding and phenomenally imaginative." - Louder Than War
"Dance floor ready." - Jamie Cullum
"They have that deep, angry sound that you find in Gato Barbieri and Steve Grossman." - Colin Curtis