Eek-A-Mouse

Ripton Hylton became known as Eek-A-Mouse in 1979, shortly before releasing his first hit single, "Once a Virgin." Although Eek-A-Mouse's early work displayed a clear debt to roots reggae, he's since incorporated the aesthetics of dub into his core sound. An early pioneer of the dancehall sound, Eek has always...

By Tom Murphy

January 7, 2010

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Ripton Hylton became known as Eek-A-Mouse in 1979, shortly before releasing his first hit single, "Once a Virgin." Although Eek-A-Mouse's early work displayed a clear debt to roots reggae, he's since incorporated the aesthetics of dub into his core sound. An early pioneer of the dancehall sound, Eek has always marked his version of reggae with humor rather than the overtly political themes favored by many of his peers and precursors. That's not to say that it's lacking in content, however. Even a cursory listen to his artistic output reveals a man given to writing songs around a playfully creative use of sound and rhythm. Just the same, the heart of Eek-A-Mouse performances are good times and good vibes.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

Follow:

Twitter: @simianthinker