Cannabis India - SWF Session 1973 (1973/2009)

As a child in Germany, Oliver PETRY began playing piano at a very young age, switching later to organ after hearing contemporary greats as Keith EMERSON. By about 1970, PETRY, drummer Rüdiger BRAUNE and bassist Dirk FLECK had formed cover band The FUTURES but by 1971, had transformed into CANNABIS INDIA, a faux-classical power trio based near Düsseldorf and part of the famous Wuppertal scene (known as a center of 'Krautrock' with acts as Holderlin garnering national attention).

CANNABIS INDIA featured all-original compositions from PETRY and after good word of mouth began spreading about their live shows, the trio secured billing with artists as EARTH AND FIRE, BEGGARS OPERA, and EILIFF. Their appearances at Berlin's IFA and the first Wuppstock Festival in 1973 were highlights. The band's long-forgotten recordings - done in May '73 at the Sudwestfunk and finally released in 2009 as 'SWF Session 1973' on Long Hair Records - are our only taste of this unit in the studio and present a raw but dynamic early form of heavy, organ-based symphonic rock in the vein of ELP's 'Tarkus' period and smaller bands as Canada's ExCUBUS [then Incubus].

Guitarist Martin KOHMSTEDT [of SOLOMON JACKDAW] joined the band but left in '74, after which CI split-up. Shortly after, Oliver PETRY founded UNIVERSE with ex-SOLOMON JACKDAW members and before this group's breakup, they recorded several cuts at the Studio Neugebauer [included as bonus cuts on SWF Session]. Later, bandmates reunited to work on the FRITZ MüLLER BAND helping to record the album 'Kommt'. Oliver PETRY became lead vocalist for EMPIRE along with Dirk FLECK on bass and released an LP in 1981. PETRY now works as a graphics & sound designer for websites and plans a future music project called The Unbrothers.

Firmly recommended to any fans of vintage organ Prog at its most immediate and sincere, CANNABIS INDIA's 'SWF Session 1973' is a must for lovers of pure old fashioned symphonic rock.