Power To The Pipo is a group that was founded in 2018 and they've been blowing up festivals and clubs ever since. It's a name I've seen on various lineups and wasn't too sure at first what they would sound like. When I walked past a stage at a festival where they were playing, I could see their impact on the crowd and their infectious energy in effect. Their distinct sound is a mixture of jazz, funk, and rock, plus a healthy dose of quirkiness.
When asked about the group's name, guitarist Virgil shares:
"Pipo is a famous clown in the Netherlands and while our music is strongly and seriously rooted in jazz and funk traditions, the four of us are all quite crazy (one more than the other). Since we knew we couldn't hide the crazy in our music and on stage, we decided to embrace and celebrate our crazy, hence 'Power to the Pipo'".
Power to the Pipo is a quartet that consists of Rob van Barschot on drums, Virgil Rerimassie on guitar, Luc Pustjens on bass, and Michiel Sonnevijlle on saxophone and FX. Their first album Leipe Shit came out in 2018, and their second album SPETTERS in 2021. The video we're premiering today came from the latter one and definitely is a stand-out track. It's probably the track with the rawest energy in their repertoire, so to hear that this is currently the closing tune at their gigs makes a lot of sense. As they like to put it: "If we haven’t destroyed the venue or festival already, this song will get us there."
In recent years there seems to have been a surge of explosive jazz-rooted bands. For example, internationally there have already been groups like the Japanese Soil & Pimp Sessions, and the UK has many such as Son Of Kemet, STEAM DOWN, and others. In the Netherlands, we've got our own share that I feel are in a similar lane, such as Gallowstreet, Brass Rave Unit, and Valvetronic Brassband. They all know how to tear up a party or shake up a festival area with their hypnotic grooves, frantic solos, sitdowns, and energetic compositions that lead to uncontrolled jumping. There's something raw and primal about having the emphasis on the drums and horns.
"'Pikhouweel Luchtkasteel' is the soundtrack to finding a way out of your comfort zone, and breaking through a wall of fear, pain, and doubt. That is where the magic is." - Michiel Sonnevijlle
While most of their previous tracks were a bit more on the funk side, this new video is directing you straight into a frenzy. With more than 200 shows under their belt, this power quartet loves the stage and is currently getting ready for another wild summer. With this explosive banger in the bag, they are most definitely ready for you.
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