Bombay Groovy - Odyssey (2019)

Hailing from the celebrated new wave of Brazilian psych, Bombay Groovy are an instrumental group essentially consisting of the transcendental sound of the Indian sitar, the intense and versatile grunt of the Hammond organ and notably syncopated drum lines. A renewed alliance between East and West within a boundless rock concept can be defined as the quest of the three young musicians from Sao Paulo, who are heavily inspired by the sounds and general aesthetics of the early 1970s. The listener can expect influences of bands such as The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Ananda Shankar, Jeff Beck, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Herbie Hancock, Soft Machine, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Graham Bond and even James Brown. However, the late '60s and early '70s references are adorned with an intensified Eastern twist. Vocal and verbal elements are replaced by a singular blend of sounds and mystic themes which gained the attention of the Brazilian music press and experimental retro rock music enthusiasts from all over the planet. 'Odyssey' is a compilation curated by the Greek label Cosmic Eye alongside the group, featuring tracks from all the band's releases, from the accentuated psych sound of the self-titled debut album (2014) to the progressive/jazz rock sonorities of its successor 'Dandy Do Dendê' (2016) and the art-funk double A single 'Saturnalia'/'Devi' (2019).