Japanese Psychedelic Rock: The Best of the Blogosphere

A comprehensive guide to the best Japanese Psychedelic Rock blogs on the internet. This list is updated regularly with the latest and greatest from the scene.

The Best of the Blogosphere

Psychedelic rock, also known as psych rock, is a subgenre of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. The genre is distinguished by a prominent use of psychedelic and often hallucinogenic drugs, such as LSD, in the song lyrics, the sound of the music, and the visual aspects of the bands and live performances.

Introducing the best of the blogosphere

In this regular feature, we introduce the best of the blogosphere.

This week, we shine the spotlight on Japanese psychedelic rock.

Psychedelic rock, also known as acid rock, is a subgenre of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs.

Psychedelic music is intended to replicate and enhance the experience of psychedelia, a “visionary state” that includes hallucinations, synesthesia, altered states of awareness, and spiritual experiences. Psychedelic rock emerged during the mid-1960s among folk rock bands in Britain and the United States.

The top 10 Japanese psychedelic rock albums of all time

It’s no secret that Japan has produced some of the finest psychedelic rock of the past few decades. Here, in no particular order, are ten of the best Japanese psychedelic rock albums of all time.

1. Suemic – “S/T” (2011)

2. Bo Ningen – “III” (2014)

3. Kikagaku Moyo – “Forest of Lost Children” (2015)

4. acidman – “ibara no kuni” (2007)

5. BUMP OF CHICKEN – “Journey” (2016)

6. Kaze no Hana – “Kaze no Hana” (2010)

7. L’Arc~en~Ciel – “Butterfly” (1999) 8. The Pillows – “Happy Bivouac” (1997)
9. Mono – “Hymn to the Immortal Wind” (2009) 10. Radwimps – “Human Bloom” (2016)

The top 5 Japanese psychedelic rock songs of all time

1. “Roundabout” by Yes
2. “Starship Trooper” by Yes
3. “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson
4. “Atom Heart Mother” by Pink Floyd
5. “Watching Over You” by Syd Barrett

The History of Japanese Psychedelic Rock

Japanese Psychedelic Rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s. It combines elements of Western psychedelic rock with traditional Japanese music. The first Japanese psychedelic rock band was thetempters, who formed in 1966.

The origins of Japanese psychedelic rock

Psychedelic rock, also called psyrock, garage rock, or acid rock, is a style of popular music that emerged in the mid-1960s. It is typified by electric guitars played with feedback and distortion, extended solos, and aggressive rhythms. The style often incorporates elements of improvisation andning.

The origins of Japanese psychedelic rock can be traced back to the early 1960s when Japanese bands started experimenting with Western rock music. Osamu Kitajima, the guitarist for the Ventures, is credited as being one of the first Japanese musicians to experiment with psychedelic sounds. He would go on to influence many subsequent Japanese psychedelic bands with his innovative guitar work.

The first wave of Japanese psychedelia reached its peak in the late 1960s and early 1970s with bands such as Acid Mothers Temple, Les Rallizes Dénudés, and Speed, Glue & Shinki. These bands combined Western psychedelic sounds with traditional Japanese instrumentation and song structures to create a unique and distinctly Japanese form of psychedelia.

The second wave of Japanese psychedelia began in the late 1970s and reached its height in the 1980s with bands such as Ghost, High Rise, and White Heaven. These bands blended Western psych sounds with more experimental approaches to songwriting and instrumentation. This period also saw the rise of numerous solo artists who explored new sonic territory with their use of synthesizers, effects pedals, and tape loops.

Japanese psychedelic rock has continued to evolve in the 21st century with new bands such as Kikagaku Moyo, Mono Necrosis Syndrome, and Acid Mothers Guru Guru emerging from the underground scene. These groups are keeping the spirit of Japanese psychedelia alive by pushing boundaries and expanding the possibilities of what this music can sound like.

The golden age of Japanese psychedelic rock

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Japanese rock music underwent a dramatic transformation. Borrowing heavily from Western psychedelic and progressive rock, Japanese musicians began to create their own distinctive take on the genre, incorporating traditional Japanese instrumentation and influences from other indigenous musical styles. The result was a vibrant and uniquely Japanese form of psychedelic rock that would go on to exert a considerable influence on Western underground music scenes in the 1980s and 1990s.

The golden age of Japanese psychedelic rock is generally considered to be between 1968 and 1974. This was a period of great turmoil and change in Japan, marked by student protests, the rise of the New Left movement, and the country’s entry into the Vietnam War. Against this backdrop, a small but dedicated group of musicians set about creating some of the most groundbreaking and mind-bending music ever made.

Among the most important early innovators in Japanese psychedelia were bands like Les Rallizes Dénudés, Foodbrain, and High Rise. Les Rallizes Dénudés was perhaps the most influential of these groups, helping to pioneer a particularly dark and brooding strain of psychedelia that would come to be known as “dark savant” or “doom rock.” Foodbrain, meanwhile, was one of the first Japanese bands to experiment with incorporating traditional Japanese instruments into their music; their sound would later be taken up by bands like Ghost and acid folk outfit Across Tundras. High Rise, for their part, injected a heavy dose of garage punk energy into the mix, helping to create a sound that was both raw and unrelenting.

Other notable groups from this era include Far Out , Maher Shalal Hash Baz , Kousokuya , Mandrake Memorial , Psychedelic Violin Tribe , Ché-SHIZU , White Heaven , Acid Mothers Temple , and Mainliner . These bands all helped to push the boundaries of what could be accomplished within the confines of psychedelia, creating music that was at once experimental, explosive, and profoundly beautiful.

The legacy of Japanese psychedelic rock has continued to exert an influence on musicians around the world in recent years. In particular, many modern “psychgaze” or “shoegaze” bands have been heavily influenced by the sound of early pioneers like High Rise and Les Rallizes Dénudés. If you’re a fan of My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, or any other band working in this vein, then you owe a debt of gratitude to the groundbreaking work done by these Japanese psychedelic visionaries.

The modern era of Japanese psychedelic rock

The history of Japanese psychedelic rock is often said to have begun in 1967, with the release of the album “The Psychedelic Soul of Kaneko Misako” by singer-songwriter Kaneko Misako. However, it wasn’t until the early 1970s that the genre began to gain popularity, with a number of bands and artists emerging onto the scene. Among these were Les Rallizes Dénudés, Taj Mahal Travellers, Ghost, and Acid Mothers Temple.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Japanese psychedelic rock bands were heavily influenced by Western acts such as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Frank Zappa. They began incorporating elements of traditional Japanese music into their sound, creating a unique and distinctive style that set them apart from their Western counterparts.

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Japanese psychedelic rock, with a new generation of bands and artists carrying on the tradition. Some of the most notable acts include Kikagaku Moyo, White Heaven, and Sekienkei.

The Future of Japanese Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired, or influenced, by psychedelia, a subculture of people who use psychedelic drugs. The music is intended to replicate and enhance the experience of the use of these drugs. Psychedelic rock was popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The rise of the new generation

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in Japanese psychedelic rock, with a new generation of musicians taking up the mantle from their forebears. These artists are combining elements of traditional Japanese music with Western psychedelia, creating a unique and distinctive sound.

One of the most prominent bands in this new wave of Japanese psychedlia is Acid Mothers Temple, who have been at the forefront of the scene since the late 1990s. The band was founded by guitarist Kawabata Makoto, who is also a member of the legendary avant-garde band improvising collective Mainliner. Acid Mothers Temple take their name from a famed Tantric Buddhist temple in India, and their music is an intoxicating mix of East and West, blending hypnotic drones, searing guitar work and# traditional Japanese instruments such as the shamisen and koto.

Other leading lights of the Japanese psychedelic rock scene include Acidman, Kikagaku Moyo and White Heaven. All three bands have released acclaimed albums in recent years, and they are helping to bring this fascinating style of music to a new audience. If you’re looking for something different and exciting, check out these four bands and explore the world of Japanese psychedelic rock!

The legacy of Japanese psychedelic rock

Japanese psychedelic rock, also known as psy-rock or J-psyrock, is a musical genre that began in the late 1960s as Japanese musicians began to absorb the influence of Western psychedelic culture. After taking root in the underground club scene of Tokyo and Osaka, psy-rock spread throughout Japan and quickly evolved into a uniquely Japanese form of the genre, characterized by heavy use of feedback, complex guitar work, and jamming.

While psy-rock never achieved mainstream success in Japan, it has been highly influential on Japanese popular music, particularly on subsequent generations of rock musicians. Many leading Japanese rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s, such as RC Succession and Boøwy, were heavily influenced by psy-rock, and the genre has also had a significant impact on contemporary Japanese indie rock.