Flying Vipers – Cuttings LP (Music ADD)

Flying Vipers are an outstanding reggae/dub quartet emanating from Waltham, Massachusets. The group consists of John Beaudette (bass, guitar, synth), Marc Beaudette (drums, percussion, bird), Zack Brines (organ, piano, clavinet, wurli), and Jay Chamnpany (percussion, controller). The group released an impressive amount of recordings in a short period, such as The Green Tape EP, The Copper Tape EP, a single Alone For A Long Time, a 7” record with legendary Johnny Clarke, then a compact disc including two EPs called The First Two Tapes. Later on, Flying Vipers released a Nervous Breakdub medley, including their takes of Nervous Breakdown, Fix Me, I’ve Had It, and Wasted as a homage to the legendary debut 7” by Black Flag. Soon after that, they released another single titled Two Twenties Clash and Pandemic Versions EP.

Cuttings represents their latest offering to the broader auditorium but also serves as a debut full-length album of the group. Besides their initial line-up, this material includes guest appearances of Andy Bergman (sax), Rich Graiko (trumpet), Van Gordon Martin (guitar), Brian Paulding (trombone), Emily Pecoraro (bass clarinet, flute), and Nathan Sabanayagam (binghi). This material includes twelve marvelous compositions that are profoundly examining the foundations of roots reggae, reggae, and dub music. The first thing you’ll notice is an excellent modern production that perfectly goes with old school sounding orchestrations. Flying Vipers are levitating between these two elements with such ease by devotedly following the roots of the genre but also understanding the basic needs of contemporary trends in music production. The sound spans over the speakers with a recognizable echoic vibe, but the dubbing effects such as reverb, delay, and echo are not spoiling the hearability of the extraordinary musicianship provided by the entire group.

The presented instrumentations are equally hearable in the mix, with massive basslines claiming dominance over the remaining portion of the instruments. Alongside thoughtfully accentuated rhythmical maneuvers, these basslines are forcing listeners to dance to the hypnotical rhythm section that unquestionably defines the sound of the entire group. Very delicate movements over percussions are accentuating the rhythm section and offering a more complex background for the excellent drumming performance. The brass/horn/woodwind section comprised of instruments such as sax, trumpet, trombone, bass clarinet, and flute gives more depth to the overall listening experience through a series of uplifting orchestrations. These elements are making transitions through various segments within compositions, but also supporting remaining instruments with occasional melodies. The keyboard instruments such as piano, organ, clavinet, wurlitzer, synth are layering chopping guitar licks with both sharp and mellow chord progressions. Still, these marvelous movements are also liberating loads of atmospheric themes and pleasing melodies along the way. Every articulation offered by these musicians was carefully processed and layered over the controller with some classic effects like delay, echo, and reverb to accommodate a certain dub ambiance.

Judging by the complete recording, Cuttings liberates pleasant vibes to the atmosphere through various thoughtfully composed sonic articulations. Their music spans over roots reggae and modern reggae, with dub being dominantly present during the entire material. Still, you’ll be blown away by how the Flying Vipers achieved a distinctive retro sound through modern production technics. Each composition contains appealing warm sounding basslines, excellent drumming, and loads of perfectly executed accentuations provided by the remaining musicians. This album will leave a permanent mark on you and undoubtfully take a special place in your record collection if you’re profoundly into this specific genre. Cuttings is available on an orchid colored or standard black vinyl. Still, you can grasp this marvelous album on a purple cassette or stream it over streaming services. Don’t miss this one out!