Formed in Mumbai by American guitarist /composer D. Wood and Indian bassist/composer Storms, here we have one of the more unusual styles of jazz fusion I have come across. The Indica Project combines the classical and folk traditions of India together with sounds emanating from New York, Africa, Latin America and beyond with the result being something which is World music, but not quite, jazz, but not quite, and so much more. D. Wood and Storms are both great players themselves, but generally they can be found mostly behind the main melody as they bring in different players to add their skills to different tracks, yet there is always a completeness about this and a feeling of the work being a whole as opposed to a fractured project.
Released last year, this is a project I can fully imagine being signed to Moonjune Records in the future as in many ways this would fit in with the many Indonesian bands Leonardo has promoted. I have always been fascinated by India, and regret having only been there twice, as there is a very special feeling about that country, and as well as loving the food (one of the great things about going to India is being able to eat Indian meals at all times) I have always been fascinated by the music. I know very little about it, but the percussion is incredible, and here it is being mixed with Western influences and more traditional styles to create something which is fascinating. Exciting and vibrant, with some standout bass, this is a wonderful release which came out in April 2022 although I only became aware of it earlier this year. Well worth discovering by those who enjoy World Music and true fusion.
Rating: 8/10
