Eugene Ripper puts a new spin on some vintage Canadian folk classics with his inspired and invention renditions of Hallelujah and Four Strong Winds — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
Ripper might not yet be as well known as icons like Leonard Cohen and Ian Tyson. But the Toronto punk-folk pioneer is in good company with his gorgeous double-A side release of Cohen’s indelible Hallelujah and Tyson’s timeless Four Strong Winds. Both covers stay true to the originals while also adding subtle but quite tasteful atmospherics and accents.
“In the summer of 2024, I emerged from the studio with my take on these two Canadian folk classics featuring a mash up of analog instrumentation merged with some trippy electronic grooves, beats and digital soundscapes,” Ripper says. “This approach is not unfamiliar ground for me. Throughout my solo recording career, I’ve had a proclivity to bend, fold, and manipulate sonic structures, and I reckon this stance is projected with this new release.”
Ripper teamed with Halifax-area producers / musicians Charles Austin and Graeme Campbell, who worked on Buck 65 Juno-winning 2003 album Talking Honky Blues. Ripper says both were crucial in getting the sounds needed to do justice to such staples. “Over the years, I’ve worked with Charles and Graeme on multiple projects and it’s always a hybrid approach utilizing analog instrumentation — coming from me and Charles — coupled with Graeme’s mixing prowess and his use of Midi, beats and digital elements — stuff Graeme excels at,” Ripper says. “When it came to getting in gear for these tracks, they were my first call.”
Ripper’s alluring, almost trip-hop seasoned approach to Hallelujah shines thanks to his world-weary delivery, accompanied by backing vocalist Carmen White. Ripper plays acoustic guitar, six-string banjo, and electric bass, while Austin adds electric guitar. Campbell provides the gentle but great beats and soundscapes. It makes for a highly enjoyable and refreshing listen for over four enticing, intriguing minutes. The track puts a fresh imprint on a classic (produced by Ripper, Austin and Campbell and mixed by Campbell) that is often rigidly replicated.
“The song is well covered — to say the least!” Ripper admits. “That said, I had an angle I wanted to explore in terms of sonic texture… to give the song a conspicuous modern touch with some edge, a trippy beat and a gritty mood — to zig where most other notable versions zagged when it came to the soundscape that surround Leonard Cohen’s brilliant lyrics.”
Meanwhile, Ripper’s version of Four Strong Winds, originally performed by Ian & Sylvia on their 1963 album of the same title, but also covered by Neil Young and Bob Dylan (among countless others), is dedicated “in loving memory” to Ripper’s mother. “It was one of her all-time favorites,” Ripper says. “She told me once the song simply reminded her of Canada — the vast geography and the unique sense of emotional space, anticipation, yearning, and nostalgia it engenders… I couldn’t agree more!”
Ripper makes Four Strong Winds soar with a soothing arrangement that puts his vocal and center. The musician also adds acoustic guitar, while White again provides backing vocals. Austin’s baritone guitar accents add a unique spin to the proceedings, giving it an edgier, grin-inducing feel. Toss in the beats and soundscapes by Campbell (who mixed the song and produced it alongside Ripper and Austin), and you have another fresh coat of sonic paint on a masterpiece. “Again, as with Hallelujah, in terms of the sonic presentation, the goal was to create a twist on what has come before by building contemporary sonic face and groove around the core of what makes the song so engaging — in this case the accessible direct emotive vocal melody,” Ripper says.
Ripper first gained notoriety as guitarist with first-wave Canadian surf punkabilly rock group Stark Naked & The Fleshtones. He continues to forge new paths in his solo career, melding roots, rock, punk and folk. Listen to Hallelujah and Four Strong Winds above, hear more from Eugene Ripper and check out his tour dates below, and let it rip on his website, Facebook and Instagram.
Eugene Ripper Tour Dates
Oct. 25 | Calgary | Ironwood Stage
Oct. 31 | Burghausen | Mathilda
Nov. 01 | Munich | Kooks
Nov. 02 | Freiburg | Rock Club Eimer
Nov. 06 | Salzburg | Whiskey Museum
Nov. 08 | Klagentfurt | Das Wohnzimmer
Nov. 09 | Feldbach | Glam
Nov. 13 | Nürnberg | KV
Nov. 14 | Dresden | Der 100
Nov. 15 | Leipzig | Stoned
Nov. 16 | Karlsruhe | Scruffy’s
Nov. 21 | Berlin | KollectivBar
Nov. 22 | Hamburg | Indra
Nov. 23 | Wuppertal | Louisa
Nov. 26 | Amsterdam | Nieuwe Anita
Nov. 28 | Cologne | Lo Fi
Nov. 30 | Luxembourg | Slice
Dec. 07 | Toronto | Sellers & Newell
Dec. 14 | Vancouver | The Penthouse
