Tipsoo has carved out a diverse, unique sound that combines elements of rock, blues, funk, ska, punk, and dance pop. They call their style ‘Punk Blues.’ What began as a project between two friends, Don Cabochon and p-oui, became a shifting collaborative effort and a recording project between different musicians that they encountered along the way.
Don Cabochon and p-oui began playing music together as undergraduates at the University of Oregon in the early 2000s. After spending large swaths of their teenage years and early twenties playing in garage bands, experimenting with different styles, and learning new instruments, the original Tipsoo jams were full of disjointed fragments and ideas… but the ideas expanded and began to take a more definite shape through time. Experience and exposure to capoeira music, gospel, the desert blues from Mali, West Indian classical tabla, country blues, ska, folk, reggae, and rock music all influence their songwriting style.
After a three-year break, they continued to develop their sound at Soundwave Studios in Oakland California where the journey that became Escape Artist, their first album, coalesced over a two-year period. Tipsoo is joined by the DJ and bass player Zigahertz on Escape Artist in the final song - Sweetheart’s Ball redux. The funky drums and percussion of Don Cabochon, p-oui’s clever slide guitar, and angular, energetic song structures create infectious grooves, memorable rhythms, and catchy riffs. P-oui and Don Cabochon share lead vocals and guitar and continue to inspire and challenge each other into new musical directions. They currently live between Portland and Eugene, Oregon.
I think it’s twisted, complex, fun, I like it! -Ricardo Durán, Rolling Stone en Español-Editor-in-Chief. Regarding Tipsoo’s first single, Fruitvale - It’s a cool tune with a great melody, solid arrangement and production, & Vibe - 99.9fm Bay FM, Australia’s Most Easterly Station.
Tipsoo is currently recording their second album, Smoke and Mirrors, which will be released in fall/winter 2025-winter 2026. “The new album is charged, and some of the songs have a cinematic element. We’re experimenting with the ideas of synesthesia and duality theory as we record. Escape Artist is about invoking a sense of place while telling a story.” - Don Cabochon.
