Astral Traveller – Psychedelic Music

Psychedelic music comes in many different forms, drifting throughout a range of genres. It can be quite hard to characterise at times, but once you hear it, you know what it is! I like my music a little trippy at times, so I thought it would be a good time to make a playlist based around songs with elements of psychedelia. As always, there’s a full playlist to be found at the end of this review.

Review by Jane Howkins

Photo by Luna Waves

Luna Waves – Blood Moon

First up is Luna Waves, a musical project created by Bedford-based multi-instrumentalist Rob Muir. Blood Moon is quite hard to characterise in terms of genre, as it includes takes elements from the pop, rock, indie and electronica scenes and mixes them all up into one trippy package. There’s so much going on here that you will need to listen to it several times over, with many different layers included in the piece. The guitars and synths swirl around in a lovely way in the background, keeping things interesting throughout.

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Eric Angelo Bessel – Kindly Rewind

Kindly Rewind is a little different to the other songs on this list, starting out with some gorgeous sound effects that slowly build up throughout the track. Eric Angelo Bessel’s track is an instrumental piece, but it’s that good that it doesn’t need any lyrics! The music is hauntingly beautiful at times, creating an evocative and nostalgic vibe that will keep you thinking long after the piece has ended. It sounds really otherworldly, captivating the listener until it comes to a glorious end. I implore you to try this, as it’s just that good!

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Kai Michel – The Famous Pipe

The Famous Pipe is one of the most unique sounding songs on this list, produced by European musician Kai Michel. It opens with the sound of birdsong, before a creeping guitar melody appears, providing the main instrumentation for this piece. A steady drum beat can be heard in the background, as Kai’s almost whispered vocals weave their way in and out of the music. It won’t be for everyone, but those that give this a chance should love it – Kai has also recently released an album titled The Angel In The Marble, which you should check out if you like this tune.

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I am the Unicorn Head – I Fell in Love with a Space Slug

We’ve actually featured Cornish psychedelic rock band I am the Unicorn Head here before, so I Fell in Love with a Space Slug makes for a very welcome return! It sounds like a traditional rock and roll song at first, although the chorus changes things up a little, creating a trippier sound. The lyrics are as eccentric as you might expect from a song with the title, but it keeps your attention piqued throughout! The production is a little raw, but that just lends the track more to a garage rock sensibility, working well with what this band istrying to portray.

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HAAS – Four Reasons of the Season

HAAS is an American musician and singer-songwriter with elements of rock, psychedelia, rock and pop found in his music, reminding me greatly of the music that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s. Four Reasons of the Seasons manages to perfectly tap into that scene, showing just how talented HAAS really is! The guitar melodies are especially lovely to behold here, as HAAS plays a selection of spidery electric guitar lines alongside the rhythm section. The backing vocals on the chorus add some gorgeous harmonies that really make you want to sing along with joy!

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Casey Urban – Grey Matter

Casey Urban brings something a little different to this list with her new release Grey Matter. The track actually has quite a soulful sound, particularly with the sultry way Casey sings the lyrics to this song. Little guitar melodies play along in the background against the percussion and bass, with some discordant backing effects also used to add a little variety. It’s got quite a haunting feel at times, drawing you in slowly to Casey’s wonderful world. If you like tracks that mix multiple genres together, you should have a listen to Grey Matter.

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The Qwarks – Brunch at the end of the world

The Qwarks is a three piece band from Brighton, bringing a modern touch to 1960s/1970s inspired rock and roll. The curiously titled Brunch at the end of the world has that classic rock and roll vibe, mixed with a raw production style that really makes the guitars and drums stand out. The vocals are also rather unique, sounding unlike anything else I’ve ever heard before. The backing vocals chime in on the chorus, adding some glorious harmonies as the guitars drift in and out of the music. It’s actually quite beautiful at times!

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The Infamists – Spectral Mistress

The Infamists is a hard rock band from Texas, delivering a blistering assault on the senses with the killer riffs that track Spectral Mistress contains. The vocals are really powerful, soaring in perfect style over the music. The guitars chug along in a heavy way on the verses, breaking off into the main lick on the chorus. It’s actually quite a catchy song at times, despite the heaviness of the track, appealing to listeners across the musical spectrum. The guitar solo towards the end ties things up nicely too.

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Bill Hetta – Weather Cannon

British artist Bill Hetta’s offering opens with a distorted guitar riff, before a frantic set of drums kick in. Weather Cannon is a piece of music that takes no prisoners, bursting apart at the seams with an intense burst of energy. The vocals finally arrive after a while – whilst they’re quite muffled in the mix, the emotion is still extremely palpable. It’s definitely one of the heavier songs on this list, but it’s by no means less worthy – that groovy guitar lick in particular lends itself well to the psychedelic genre.

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Lazy Hunter – Halcyon

Lazy Hunter is a band hailing from our very own county of Yorkshire – Sheffield, to be exact. Halcyon is possibly the best example of the psychedelic scene on this list, as it’s suitably trippy throughout. Surreal synth and guitar melodies swirl around in the background, as a slightly off-kilter drum beat plays through the track. The chorus is where the song really comes alive, adding some more positive synthlines amongst the mellow vocals. Everything slows down slightly towards the end, adding yet another cool element to Lazy Hunter’s wonderful sound.

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Smoke Spider – Electrical Show

The intriguing titled Smoke Spider has released a proper doozy of a song in the form of Electrical Show. It opens with a bubbling bassline, before the song kicks in proper. It’s another song that melds genres together, appealing to those into their rock, pop, indie or electronica – as long as it’s on the more divergent end of the spectrum. That bassline really is infectious getting inside your skin straight away! The chorus changes the pace a little, before it all drops down to that wonderful verse motif again.

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David Pearl – She’s Everyone’s Girl

She’s Everyone’s Girl is more of a folky tune, closing this list out nicely. David Pearl has quite a nice singing voice, drifting nicely along against the pretty musical scenery he’s built up here. The main instrumentation comes from a selection of electric and acoustic guitar melodies, although there is also a beautiful string section added at times, as well as the odd sprinkling of piano keys. Little guitar lines noodle along in the background here, adding more layers to this expansive folk-pop tune.

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