What is psychedelia now?

[Filthy Rich]

Relevant to me cos psych in the news all the time these days.
There is an article here that is both boring and unilluminating

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/blog/what-is-psych/

One of the bands featured in that article who have made the grade and been accepted at the Austin Psych Festival are called Elephant Stone and they give their concept of psychedelia and mention this song

To me that's nice enough pop but there is nothing mind-expanding or disorientating - psychedelic if you will - about it. I feel that psychedelia in 2013 should be something that has the effect on the listener that Tomorrow Never Knows did when it came out, not something that sounds a bit like Tomorrow Never Knows - although (from personal taste) I do somehow want it to tap into a lineage that is descended from that and other classics. Am I asking too much? Am I just speaking bollocks? Anyone have any thoughts?

[Filthy Rich]

Another article here that I haven't read yet but which I include for good measure cos it looks interesting http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...on-psychedelia

[Rich Hero]

Oddly enough I was thinking of starting an almost identical thread. Although I'm not sure I've reached any conclusions, yet. Psych does appear to be a convenient, hip label right now for what would previously have been unremarkable indie pop. Psychedelia is not necessary for psych and not all psychedelia is psych.

[pencilface]

Possibly not the best example, but the fist that came to mind... maybe today's psych is no longer "rock" oreintated, it's in the hands of the machines:

edit: i should have read the articles first, the second one kind of says something similar.

also, fun idea to stick a spotify playlist in the article, but why did they choose the most advert-friendly, commercial, and least psychedelic Tame Imapla tune?? I hate that one!

[medlar]

but there is nothing mind-expanding or disorientating

You find these qualities in loads of other genres of music, just let psych rest in peace

[Filthy Rich]

I reckon it's at least partly in the hands of the machines... though I think that stuff which is too gridded struggles to be psychedelic, unless it can somehow make a virtue of rigidity. Also, in the comment in the thread on the Guardian someone says Coil are the most psychedelic band ever, I think that Simon Reynolds once wrote an article about how industrial music was where psychedelia existed now. Though presumably that article was written twenty years ago.

[Filthy Rich]

"You find these qualities in loads of other genres of music, just let psych rest in peace"

How do you mean? Let it stay the same? Or are you saying it's dead, forget about it?

[hierooo]

This is interesting.

[hierooo]

"Psychedelic music (sometimes psychedelia[1]) covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and/or enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs." [wikipedia]

That pretty much sums up what psychedelia is for me.

Even this is psychedelic.

The above song is a cover of idris muhammad's 'could heaven ever be like'.

[medlar]

How do you mean? Let it stay the same? Or are you saying it's dead, forget about it?

I mean you can find those qualities elsewhere, and if that is what you are looking for then you'll find plenty.
The ambient / experimental / drone / modern classical / free end of the spectrum is ripe with this sort of stuff:

http://www.discogs.com/Birds-Of-Pass...elease/3423148

http://www.discogs.com/Deep-Listenin.../master/472515

http://www.discogs.com/Alan-Lamb-Pri...release/170796

http://www.discogs.com/Jason-Lescall...release/329838

http://www.discogs.com/Lowered-Lost-...elease/4454303

http://www.discogs.com/Joe-Mcphee-Th...elease/4488429

[Filthy Rich]

But isn't the thing I asked for pretty much the definition given by hierooo above?

"Even this is psychedelic."

I'd say that's pretty fucking psychedelic.

[Rich Hero]

But isn't the thing I asked for pretty much the definition given by hierooo above?

This is the key phrase, for me:

"replicate... ...the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs." [wikipedia]

And music of any genre is capable of doing that, personally. (But not any music, of any genre). It's where the definition of psychedelic fails, as this capability of a music is an entirely personal thing, so one person's psychedelia is not necessarily anyone else's. Given, some elements are more likely to trigger a response, but boil the music down to these component parts and your liable to miss the point. So the new psych bands that aren't psych either a) fail to connect with me, personally or b) fail to connect, psychedelically, with anyone. Or c) something else, like just using psych as a handy tag for selling records.

I'm not sure whether we're arguing or agreeing?

[Filthy Rich]

i think that you and I are in agreement and Medlar and I are agreeingi in essence but disagreeing on semantics. Maybe it was a pointless thread...
But my question - does anyone find that Elephant Stone track psychedelic?

[medlar]

This is the key phrase, for me:

something else, like just using psych as a handy tag for selling records.

Bingo!

Also a couple of points:

Does the creator have to be on psychedelic drugs to make the experience psychedelic for the listener?

Does the listener have to be on psychedelic drugs to make a saccherine pop ditty psychedelic?

The mind can be altered by all types of phenomena, I'm not sure how much "psychedelic drugs" has to do with it?

[hierooo]

For me the elephant stone song is not psychedelic and a bit to "pop" for my personal taste.