Psychedelic Electronic Music: an article about psychedelic electronic music; includes definition, origin, and historic information along with review of the genre.
Psychedelic electronic music is a type of electronic music that is influenced by psychedelic culture. The music is intended to replicate in the listener the experience of psychedelic drugs. It often uses new recording techniques and effects and draws on non-Western sources such as the ragas and drones of Indian music. The genre emerged during the 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in Britain and America. During the 1970s the first major psychedelic electronic groups appeared, including Kraftwerk (Germany), Tangerine Dream (Germany), Can (Germany), Pink Floyd (England), Hawkwind (England) and Gong (France).
Psychedelic electronic music is a genre that employs hallucinogenic imagery and sonic effects, in order to induce a trance state. This trance state is said to be similar to the experience of psychedelic drugs. The genre was born out of the experimentation with early electronic sounds in the 1970s.
Psychedelic electronic music has gained popularity since the 1990s, with various artists creating their own interpretation of the genre. The genre can be broken down into subgenres such as acid house and techno as well as ambient styles such as chill-out and trip hop.
Psychedelic Electronic Music is a genre of music that is heavily influenced by psychedelic rock and electronic music. The term was first coined in the early 2000s to describe the music of artists such as The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, Super Furry Animals and Spiritualized. Although there was a lot of overlap between psychedelic electronic artists, the genre also had its own unique characteristics: record production techniques were used to create music that sounded “psychedelic”. These included backwards tape effects, panning, phasing, long delay loops and extreme reverb. Other signifiers included heavy use of vintage synthesizers and other electronic instruments like the electric guitar and drum machine.
The genre became popular in the early 2000s when bands like The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev started to get attention from critics for their albums “The Soft Bulletin” and “Deserter’s Songs”. Both bands have been credited with starting the genre. According to Pitchfork Media: “The Soft Bulletin proved that analogue synths could be used to make something new– that electronics could sound organic.”
In the late 1990s, other artists began to emerge who were influenced by psychedelic rock but used electronics instead of traditional instruments. In 1997, The Chemical Brothers released their third album “Dig Your Own
Psychedelic electronic music is essentially a combination of psychedelic rock and electronic music, containing elements of psychedelic pop, avant garde and experimental, ambient, noise, drone, psychedelic folk and jazz.
Psychedelic electronic music can be found as early as 1968 in the work of German band Popol Vuh and the album Affenstunde. Many artists that were considered “experimental” were not considered “psychedelic” until their respective albums were re-released by a label such as Sub Rosa, Soleilmoon Recordings or Ash International.
Psychedelic electronic music is a genre of music that emphasizes the use of synthetic sounds and effects to produce an altered state of consciousness in listeners. The genre is heavily based on the use of synthesizers, drum machines, vocoders, and a wide variety of other electronic instruments. It draws from many other genres such as rock, dance, ambient, and techno.
Psychedelic electronic music began with psychedelic rock in the 1960s. Musical pioneers such as Frank Zappa and John Lennon were influenced by their experimentation with psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms. The Velvet Underground’s album “White Light/ White Heat” is considered one of the first psychedelic electronic albums.
Psychedelic electronic music evolved during the 1970s with the emergence of synthesizers and other new electronic instruments. Several artists emerged during this period including Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, Cluster, and Kraftwerk.
Kraftwerk’s 1978 album “The Man-Machine” is considered one of the most influential psychedelic electronic albums ever recorded.
During the 1980s a new wave of psychedelic electronic music emerged. Psychedelic trance was created in Goa during this time period. The genre was heavily influenced by other genres such as dub
Psychedelic electronic music is a style of electronic music that emerged in the 1970s, from psychedelic rock and progressive rock, and is characterized by a style of sound that attempts to mimic the visions encountered while under the influence of psychedelics. Its terms include: psychedelia, acid house, ambient, kosmische, new age, space disco, acid techno, trance and chillout.
Psychedelic electronic music continues to be produced today with new sounds being created in addition to the old ones.
If you listen to psychedelic music while under the influence of psychedelics you will notice that it has a wonderful way of transforming your mood and making you feel more connected to the universe.
Psychedelic electronic music is a genre of music that was originally created by using the synthesizer, effects pedals, electric guitar, and other electronic instruments. The synthesizer was first used in the psychedelic music scene in the late 1960’s and 1970’s by artists such as The Electric Prunes, Frank Zappa and The Beatles.
The definition of the genre is varied, with some people saying it’s anything that sounds psychedelic, and others saying it has to be made by electronics. Psychedelic electronic music has been influenced by genres like pop/rock, classical, ambient/down tempo.
The genre came to be mostly because of the availability of new technology in the form of musical instruments. In this case it was the new synthesizers like Bob Moog’s Model B (1964) and ARP 2500 (1970). When these machines became more affordable to the public, artists starting using them to create interesting sounds that no one had heard before. Some notable artists who used these instruments: The Electric Prunes, Frank Zappa and The Beatles.