Psychedelia

Psychedelia as a genre usually refers to an array of disparate musical, cultural and literary influences that came together during the mid-1960s. Psychedelic subgenres include rock, folk and blues, among others, which is why there exist countless “psychedelic artists’’ who have experimented with this term on their names. Such artists often experiment with distinct time signatures, unusual instruments, drones and other less conventional approaches to music-making for the sole purpose of breaking norms. Psychedelics are chemicals that induce altered states of consciousness when ingested or inhaled. They can be employed for religious or medicinal purposes or entirely recreationally as a means to explore inner truths in new and nontraditional ways. Psychedelics tend to enhance perceptions of both external stimuli (i.e., sights, sounds and smells) and internal sensations (i.e., moods, thought patterns and emotions).

What is Psychedelia?

Psychedelia as a musical genre or subtype may be viewed as a sort of counterculture to the more conservative and authoritarian “Grocery Culture” that characterized pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. In contrast to the pop music of that era, which was concerned with marriage and children, psychedelic music was often “anti-societal, anti-establishment, anti-conventional, and anti-commercial.” It was generally experimental in nature, employing unconventional instruments and production techniques, as well as unconventional song structures and time signatures. Like much of the 1960s counterculture, psychedelic music was tied with hippie and flower-power subcultures. Psychedelia, however, was also tied with several other movements of the era, including the drug-culture-influenced “New Age” movement and the “New Psychedelia” movement.

How Psychedelia Differs From Ambient Music

Ambient music is a style of music that is intended to stimulate the mind or convey a sense of mystery, space or dreams. While there are no firm rules to define what ambient music is, common characteristics include an emphasis on atmosphere and less emphasis on melody or lyrics. A few artists have been credited with the creation of the genre, including Brian Eno, whose 1971 album “Asleep” is often regarded as the genre’s “blueprint.” However, ambient music was not universally accepted by critics and fans until the late 1970s, when it began to experience a global boom. The rise of ambient music can be partially attributed to the rise of “Gourmet Pop” (or “High Pop”) and the decline of “Grocery Pop,” the two dominant subgenres of the 1960s and 1970s. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the rise of counterculture, feminism and various civil-rights movements caused the once-dominant “Grocery Pop” subgenre - which had focused on marriage and children - to lose much of its mainstream appeal. Rather than focus on daily life, many artists began to explore themes of love, romance and exploration in their music.

Music produced under the influence of psychedelics

Many psychedelic artists focus on music that is produced under the influence of psychedelics. Examples of psychedelic music include improvised jams, sound experiments, drones, ambient music, experimental rock, experimental jazz, experimental electro-acoustic music, avant-garde music, experimental hip-hop, psychedelic folk music, etc.

Key Albums in Psychedelia

Beyond experimental music, LSD-influenced rock bands like Pink Floyd and The Who are among the most famous psychedelic bands. Although Pink Floyd is often considered one of the most famous bands in psychedelic music, many fans regard “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) as the true, canonical example of the genre. Other prominent artists include Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, The Grateful Dead, The Beatles, The Byrds, Frank Zappa, King Crimson, Black Sabbath and many others.

Fiction and Literature in Psychedelia

There are few authors who have successfully incorporated psychedelia into their work. Examples include William S. Burroughs, who explored hallucinogenic experiences in his writing. Another is the science-fiction author Phillip K. Dick, who used psychedelics such as LSD and magic mushrooms to create his narratives.

Conclusion

The rise of psychedelia and the expansion of the “Gourmet Pop” subgenre between the 1960s and the 1980s has been largely credited for inspiring many of the alternative subgenres that emerged in the 1990s, including grunge and Shoegaze. During the 1990s, many psychedelic artists began to experiment with genres such as trip hop and ambient, which paved the way for the rise of many of these subgenres in the 2000s. Some believe that, while psychedelic music is no longer as popular as it once was, it has not lost its influence altogether. Many artists, including Radiohead, Tool and Nine Inch Nails, continue to explore experimental approaches to music-making, albeit in less psychedelic ways.