Tim Keiper

Drummer and percussionist Tim Keiper transcends categorization. Based in NYC, he has spent the last 20 years touring the world, playing and recording with such diverse artists as David Byrne, Imogen Heap, Matisyahu, Salif Keita, Cyro Baptista, Vieux Farka Touré, John Zorn, Dirty Projectors, Hazmat Modine, and Skeleton Key. Equally at home with a multitude of styles, Keiper has a deep knowledge of an eclectic set of music traditions. His ability to speak each musical language authentically, yet imprint the music with his own experience and sensibility, defines him as a musician.

Born in Red Bank, NJ, Keiper moved to New York City in 1999 to pursue music. It was here that his musical universe opened and he immersed himself with the Downtown music scene, while at the same time, studying the music of Brazil, West Africa, and India. This was the beginning of his ongoing pursuit to embrace a multitude of cultural and musical traditions and assimilate them into his own approach to drumming.

By the time he finished college, Keiper was playing with Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, in his 10-piece percussion ensemble, Beat the Donkey. Baptista taught him about Brazilian music as well as the endless possibilities of building instruments and recreating the sound of one’s environment.

In 2002, he took a gig as junk percussionist with art rock band Skeleton Key. It was his role to create the sounds of New York City with a setup of things foraged from the garbage: propane tanks, fire extinguishers, chains, hubcaps, saw blades, hand crank sirens, and a pogo stick – many things he still uses today. This spurred his fascination and quest to always be searching for captivating and unorthodox sounds.

In 2005, Keiper played on the debut record of Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré. After spending a year on the road, Touré invited him to Mali and the ancient city of Timbuktu, to play the Festival in the Desert. He was introduced to the doson ngoni, or hunter’s harp, as well as the calabash, one of the primary traditional drums of Mali. Keiper toured and recorded with Touré for nearly 10 years and had the opportunity to record on Ali Farka Touré’s posthumous release, Ali and Toumani.

In 2018, Keiper joined David Byrne’s newest project, American Utopia. His friend Mauro Refosco invited him to join the band with six drummers, playing barefoot, and often, in a circle. Everyone would be wireless and mobile, carrying all of their instruments with harnesses. The idea was to be a cohesive unit that sounded like a single drummer. After a successful world tour of music and bicycle riding, the show moved to Broadway in 2019. Spike Lee captured the stage show and released the film, American Utopia, in 2020.

Keiper leads his own project, Eclipticalia, influenced by the sounds of NYC, Timbuktu, and Outer Space, and there is a record due out in the near future.