Groove Xcape Xerjoff 2023

Groove Xcape is the Xerjoff release that accidentally wandered into a liminal corridor of the brand’s catalogue.Too experimental to stand with the crowd‑pleasers, too polished to be filed under “weird indie” and ultimately destined to hover in that charming nowhere-space where hidden gems tend to live.

Born from Joff’s collaboration with Max Casacci (Subsonica's co‑founder who composed an entire track using only the clinks, hisses, and swirls of perfume bottles), the project had all the makings of a cross‑disciplinary triumph, yet somehow slipped under most people’s radar.

This offbeat release concept is exactly what placed it in liminality: it wasn't quite a perfume launch, not quite a multimedia art experiment, and not quite an ambient soundscape… but rather a little bit of all three. And that is precisely why it’s interesting.

On skin, Grove Xcape mirrors that liminality and, ultimately, the bottle's design makes a lot of sense. The metallic flash of ginger, cardamom, and elemi feels like stepping into a dream mid‑scene: a sharp, glimmering threshold rather than a conventional top note.
Vinchon-Spehner’s command of resinous materials becomes even more obvious as the scent drifts into frankincense, mimosa, and myrrh: suddenly the edges blur, and the whole composition takes on the disembodied quality of a lucid dream you’re not sure you’re supposed to be in.
In the last part of this trip, comes the base: labdanum, cedarwood, benzoin are grounding the liminal haze.

The result? A fragrance that’s neither here nor there. Grove Xcape wasn’t built for mass appeal or Xerjoff’s usual luxury sheen… but it was certainly built to perform. It will last on your skin for 12+ hours, with an above average projection which gets stronger when your body warms up.

If you enjoy perfumes that feel like they’re glitching reality (but they are often available at heavily discounted prices), this one is worth stepping into the hallway for. You might never come back.

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There is a weird disconnect between this fragrance and everything surrounding it, including the choice of collaborator, name, bottle, etc.

Groove Xcape (just typing that makes me feel silly, it sounds like a roller-coaster at Six Flags) is a dark, smoky, resinous-woody patchouli fragrance. It gives the impression of a dingy shop that sells energy crystals and tarot cards whose owners use a patchouli-scented incense stick to cover up the weed smell. It's actually not bad, but nothing about it makes sense.

What is Groove Xcape? Is it a groove-scape? Or Groove Escape? Max Casacci's track/EP that was released around the same time is called Urban Groove Scapes. Why is it not called that? Why does the bottle look like it contains an aquatic freshie? How does the dark resinous peppery patchouli represent the "sacredness of sound" or "explore the power of rhythm and scent, transporting the wearer to new, celestial heights"? It's as if they came up with a nice scent, and wanted to collaborate with Max Casacci, and just threw everything together without any care. The name is what throws me off the most. Imagine someone complimenting your scent and asking you what it's called, and you have to say "Groove Xcape." Really embarrassing.

Regardless, I think the scent is great and the rating for some reason is unfairly low on this site. Maybe it's people like me who were expecting something completely different, and confused by the name, bottle, or marketing.

I’d immediately like to say that this perfume is massively underappreciated. I can understand that the scent is marketed terribly, but why does it automatically get lower scores because of it?

Just an extremely quick summary of the scent: it starts out loud and ends up soft. If you dislike cardamom or just spice in general, you might get scared away by the opening. But don’t lose hope: rose is here! In the early drydown, rose makes it smooth, elegant, and very wearable to me. Eventually, a safe version of incense comes around and combines with the rose to make a beautiful and enjoyable composition. All the spices are mostly pretty much gone at this point. I find it to be a very comfortable and feel-good wear. So overall, you wouldn’t really expect this from a perfume named “Groove Xcape”.

I get great performance, easily lasting for around 8 hours or more. Scent trails are still detectable in the air after that time, even without overspraying it.

In conclusion, it may be called “Groove Xcape”, but honestly, I don’t want to escape from it. For your own sake, sit through it, don’t dismiss it too soon.

I'm surprised at the low rating here. Groove Xcape is quite good. It opens with a strong blast of pepper which subsides as it dries down and a beautiful woody-incense scent comes to the front. Both longevity and projection are pretty good.

I was ready to add Groove Xcape to my shopping list but was concerned about possible duplication or redundancy. I already have some spicy/oriental type fragrances and didn't want another bottle if they were too similar. So I tested and compared it to Pasha de Cartier Parfum and Ambre sultan Eau de Parfum. I have a couple of others Groove Xcape could be compared to but decided to start with those two.

All three, as it is, are different - there was no mistaking one for the other. On a spectrum, I'd say Groove Xcape sits between the Pasha and Ambre Sultan. Groove Xcape stood out with the incense scent the most, even though that aspect wasn't overly strong. However, all three are similar in the sense that they scratch the fall/winter spicy itch.

When it comes to incense, I prefer Derviche II. which I recently tested, over Groove Xcape. So, while Groove Xcape is quite good, I will pass on it for now due to fragrances I already own filling that particular niche and my preference of Derviche II for an incense fragrance.

Groove Xcape is a curious creation. It has all the makings of an oriental composition, but doesn't include any oud. As such, spices, resins and musty patchouli are more noticeable, resulting in a creamy-leaning perfume, rather than a dry, woody one. It's not your typical Xerjoff product - more of a crossover between Amouage and Sorcinelli.

The opening is a great blast of cardamom and pepper; somewhere between green, floral and metallic. Spiciness is soon balanced out by a piney frankincense that's more balsamic than smoky. It also has a fresh, citrusy quality. Overall, the scent leans spicy and resinous, with honey-like facets of myrrh and mimosa.

If you're familiar with Karine Vinchon-Spehner's work, you'll notice some similarities with Memoir Man. There's a herbaceous, slightly medicinal undertone with a faint hint of booze, almost as if artemisia was used. Cedar and labdanum add subtle woodiness, but instead of Sorcinelli's dusty attic, I'm reminded of a musty basement.

I'm particularly fond of the deep drydown, where benzoin's vanillic warmth complements the damp earthiness of patchouli. The result? Somewhat dirty and spicy, yet still pleasant, with some sweetness to boot. I've had my doubts; after all, oud is a quintessential part of oriental blends. That said, it works, and allows me to enjoy different nuances.

Somehow, the fragrance doesn't commit to either schtick - Amouage or Sorcinelli. We get the best of both worlds - meditative incense and long-lasting resins. Don't be discouraged by the rating and give this one a shot if you enjoy Middle Eastern perfumery.