Psychedelic? What?

There may be some of you who are wondering, what exactly is psychedelic music and why is this blog devoted to it? Psychedelic music was created in the 1960s, a combination of rock'n'roll, experimental and eastern influences and mind altering drugs such as cannabis and LSD. Well known psychedelic bands and artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jefferson Airplane drew heavy inspiration from the drugs, events, moods and experiences of the 1960s. The counterculture movement (known to most as 'hippies') inspired lots of bands to break out of the mould of regular rock and roll and on to new and groundbreaking areas.

There are dozens of variations on psychedelic music genres. From psychedelic rock and acid rock, to baroque pop and sunshine pop. From psychedelic stoner metal to chilled out latin grooves. The label 'psychedelic' has quite a vague definition in many senses but there is a certain style that is carried throughout all psychedelic genres yet is almost impossible to summarise.

Although psychedelic music is from the 1960s and will always be associated with that era, psychedelic music is still just as prominent today as it was at its conception. Nowadays every genre of music has its own psychedelic spin off. Rock, jazz, funk, electronica, industrial, metal, easy listening: they all have their own psychedelic sides to them and that is part of the beauty of psychedelica. Each band and genre has its own unique style and when you look at psychedelic music as a whole you begin to see the myriad ideas that encompass the music.

The iconic album cover to Jimi Hendrix's album Axis: Bold as Love in 1967. This is a perfect example of the imagery surrounding psychedelic music. The artwork is largely based on eastern religion and culture and the entire cover is very brightly coloured and extremely detailed.