Hermit’s Grove

Wax Machine is the brainchild of Brazilian-born, Italian and British-raised musician Lau Ro. After emigrating to Europe at eight years of age, Ro hasn’t returned due to the expensive airfare, and so he travels through the medium of sound. This album delves into that Brazilian heritage, drawing on the work of Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso and Gal Costa, along with streaks of 1960s tropicália, progressive psychedelia and, strangely enough, Italian library music.

All the compositions on this self-produced album are original, except for ‘Canto de Iemanjá’ (Iemanjá being an orixá of the Candomblé religion), composed by Vinícius de Moraes and Baden Powell for their 1966 album Os Afro Sambas, which remains a revered classic in the Brazilian repertoire. The production here is perhaps the least psychedelic thing about the album, leaning on guitar and percussion-led groove and soft vocals. Another notable rendition for those curious is from Mônica Salmaso and Paulo Bellinati. The last track of the album, ‘Gaian Dream’, nicely sums up the chilled, quirky sound of the project as a whole, the seven minutes allow the guitars, drums, voices and flutes to explore the psychedelic landscape without hurry and in a dreamlike state.