Strange Days – A Collection of Psychedelia

A list compiling all things psychedelic. Psych rock, pop, neo-psych and its garage rock side.

Essential Psychedelia

Even those unfamiliar with the genre will know of these classics.

The Beatles

Revolver (1966)

Certainly has its psychy moments, tomorrow never knows and love you to especially

The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators

Love

Forever Changes (1967)

The must have Garage-psych compilation

Various Artists

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1965–1968 (1972) [Compilation]

This highly influential comp features the best cuts from 60s garage rock and early psych.

Psychedelic Rock

Psych rock from all eras

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

Boris With Michio Kurihara

Psychedelic Pop

Excludes the previously mentioned classics of Sgt. Peppers and Odessey and Oracle

Panda Bear

Person Pitch (2007)

Often described as the Pet Sounds of recent times, Person Pitch is an incredible slice of creative psych pop. repeated listens essential.

Kaleidoscope

Tangerine Dream (1967)

Incredibly whimsical, just give the last track a listen and you’ll see what I mean

Neo-Psychedelia

Spacemen 3

The Perfect Prescription (1987)

Absolutely essential, much better than anything Spiritualized have done imo

Avey Tare and Panda Bear

Spirit They’re Gone Spirit They’ve Vanished (2000)

Fuck Buttons

Tarot Sport (2009)

Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

Garage Psych

King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Heavy Psych

Psychedelic Folk

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Paper Mâché Dream Balloon (2015)

Sounds like Nick Drake if he dropped a few tabs during the Bryter Layter sessions

Animal Collective & Vashti Bunyan

More Cuts

These just have enough psych to make it onto the spectrum

Quasimoto

The Unseen (2000)

Apparently Madlib was on shrooms for most of the recording of this

Alice Coltrane featuring Pharoah Sanders

Journey in Satchidananda (1971)

Psychedelic Black Metal

So after watching Straight Outta Compton, the exceptionally entertaining biopic on notorious gangsta rap group N.W.A. I decided to revisit them and the output of their respective members. The key three figures in the group were producer/MC Dr. Dre and rappers Ice Cube and the late Eazy-E who each brought an incendiary, individual style to the group. Dre was the latest out of the three to record a solo effort, but his became the utmost celebrated, influential and commercially successful. It influenced pretty much all of hip-hop for over half a decade, its patented sound defined the west coast hip hop scene in addition to a heap of east coast stuff (just listen to The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Big Poppa’, for example). It spawned the genre known as G-funk, a subgenre characterised by a style of production using limited samples, deep bass which drew on Parliament/Funkadelic grooves and live instrumentation such as high pitched synthesizers. Every song on The Chronic is exceptionally well produced; every track features memorable beats with brilliantly selected samples. The ominous bass, news report snippets and gang chants give ‘The Day the Niggaz Took Over’ an eerie, urbane feel (recalling the L.A. riots of 1992 after the not-guilty verdict of the Rodney King case) whilst ‘Lil’ Ghetto Boy’ is incredibly smooth with synths that border on symphonic. It goes without saying that the singles of ‘Let Me Ride’ and ‘Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang’ are certified bangers. The Chronic positioned Dr. Dre at the forefront of gangsta rap and hip hop scenes in general with its controversial urban realism and futuristic beats. It fueled the fires of hullabaloo commenced by his former groups tales of violence and hood mentality, it saw the birth of G-funk and launched the career of Snoop Dogg. The Chronic is a stone cold classic; give it a spin if you’re even vaguely into hip hop.

The Olivia Tremor Control – Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1 (1999)

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Wow, this one was just dripping in colourful weirdness. At nearly 70 minutes long, it’s a psychedelic pop mammoth, influenced by late 60s guitar pop such as The Beatles, The Zombies and The Beach Boys. It’s incredibly whimsical and its synthesis of sickly sweet melodically delivered ditties and obscure sound collage/field recording samples make for a dizzying trip of a listen. The Olivia Tremor Control are members of the indie rock and psychedelic pop collective known as the Elephant 6 which notably features the seminal indie/folk act Neutral Milk Hotel. The sound featured in Black Foliage… however is more closely affiliated with other artists in the commune, especially the quirky psychedelia of Circulatory System and Of Montreal. Part of the albums downfall is also its charm; the manipulations and medley of sound in the interludes give this album a ‘trippy’ retro feel whilst also seeming futuristic and fresh. It’s an album of juxtaposition and that leads to juxtaposed feelings. Usually I can’t stand meandering and strange trails of experimentation that go nowhere but here on Black Foliage, it adds to the charm of the record, making it sound like a gem lost somewhere in the hedonism days of The Summer of Love. Funnily enough, they never did make a Volume 2.

Foxing – The Albatross (2013)

1397246510Foxing_TheAlbatross_Cover

This one was a definitely a surprise. Having disliked records by The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (irksome band name, right?) and other post-rock inflicted emo, I was expecting to hate this band/album. What I found was ten gorgeous tracks with a chamber pop vibe; the overall melodramatic and spontaneous emotive feel is reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s debut Funeral. I really enjoyed ‘Inuit’ with its dynamic delving, the subtle anthemic quality and fiddly guitars in ‘Bit By A Dead Bee Part I’. Not even the glitch influenced percussion could ruin the brilliant ‘The Medic’. Emo is a genre I’ve put a huge amount of effort listening and looking into but the majority of it has fallen short. The Albatross, however was a more immediate record, I began to enjoy it within a few tracks.

Common – Like Water For Chocolate (2000)

Common_-_Like_Water_For_Chocolate

Common’s Like Water For Chocolate is an exploration into soul and jazz by means of hip hop. The beats organic sound is due to production from the Soulquarians collective, an all-star cast of modern soul and hip hop musicians from the more alternative side of the respective genres including (but not limited to) beat making legend J Dilla, The Roots’ Questlove and D’Angelo. The sound is definitely comparable to Slum Village and The Roots; smooth, jazzy, and with a percussive flair. Jay Dee has some unreal beats of course, especially the psych alluding ‘Nag Champa’ which sounds like Hendrix playing solos backwards. The highlight however is the DJ Premier cut ‘The 6^th Sense’ which sees his signature turntable scratch imposed beats become the centre-piece of the album. Clocking it at nearly 80 minutes long, this isn’t something palatable in a single listen, it could definitely do with some of the fat trimmed. Its length means it isn’t an ideal introduction to those wanting to get into jazz rap and conscious hip hop, however it is regarded as a classic in many circles.

Atlas Sound – Logos (2009)

Atlas_Sound_-_Logos

Atlas Sound is the moniker of Bradford Cox, member of the neo-psych/dream pop group Deerhunter. There’s something with a lot of his groups music I find very pleasant and enjoyable, but rarely memorable. It’s usually a sound comprising of a haze of ambient textured guitars, breezily washing over me, making me unable to recall what exactly I liked most about it. This statement may seem a bit harsh, but their dreamy soundscapes are the main reason why so many of their cult fanbase are captivated by them. Logos is the best thing I’ve heard from them anything Deerhunter related since 2009s Microcastle. I love the pulsating bass in ‘Washington School’, the Panda Bear featuring ‘Walkabout’ and the warm, cyclical acoustic guitar strums on ‘Attic Lights’. With a few more listens, I feel I’ll be able to really dig this.

Other notable listens:

Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler / The Dream EP (2011)

Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy (2009)

Fennesz – Endless Summer (2001)

Holy Fuck – LP (2007)

Algernon Cadwallader – Parrot Flies (2011)

Boris With Michio Kurihara – Rainbow (2006)

May 18, 2016 0

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Tag

elephant six

Essential Psychedelia

The Doors (1967)

Surrealistic Pillow (1967)

Disraeli Gears (1967)

Are You Experienced (1967)

The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967)

Odessey and Oracle (1968)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

Revolver (1966)

The Psychedelic Sounds of The 13th Floor Elevators (1966)

Forever Changes (1967)

Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era 1965–1968 (1972) [Compilation]

Psychedelic Rock

Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

Safe as Milk (1967)

The Madcap Laughs (1970)

A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)

Atom Heart Mother (1970)

S.F. Sorrow (1968)

Easter Everywhere (1967)

Silver Apples (1968)

Strange Days (1967)

Waiting for the Sun (1968)

L.A. Woman (1971)

Axis: Bold as Love (1967)

Electric Ladyland (1968)

Os Mutantes (1968)

The United States of America (1968)

Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (1970)

Passover (2006)

Gris-Gris (1968)

Ash Ra Tempel (1971)

Yeti (1970)

Buffalo Springfield Again (1967)

Quicksilver Messenger Service (1968)

Workingman’s Dead (1970)

Electric Music for the Mind and Body (1967)

World Music (2012)

Commune (2014)

Radio Moscow (2007)

IV (2016)

Dead Meadow (2000)

Blue Cathedral (2004)

Steeple (2010)

Relax (2014)

Psychonaut (2011) [Compilation]

Rhythms From a Cosmic Sky (2007)

Advaitic Songs (2012)

Hookworms (2011) [EP]

Pearl Mystic (2013)

Chaudelande Volume 1 (2011)

Smile (2008)

Boris With Michio Kurihara

Rainbow (2006)

1000 Days (2015)

Golem (2015)

H-p1 (2011)

The Perfect Enemy for God (2013)

II (2011)

Jurassic Shift (1993)

I Can See for Miles / Someone’s Coming (1967) [Single]

Voyage 34: The Complete Trip (2000) [Compilation]

Psychedelic Pop

Pet Sounds (1966)

The Smile Sessions (2011)

Surf’s Up (1971)

Sunflower (1970)

Person Pitch (2007)

Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009)

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (2015)

Tomboy (2011)

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

Begin (1968)

Younger Than Yesterday (1967)

Skylarking (1986)

Tangerine Dream (1967)