Asian Psychedelic Rock: A History

Asian Psychedelic Rock: A History is a blog that explores the origins and history of Asian Psychedelic Rock music.

Origins

Psychedelic rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its roots can be traced to the United States and Britain, with subsequent developments taking place in Europe, Japan, and South America. The genre is characterized by the use of extended instrumentation, sonic experimentation, and unusual studio techniques. It is also often associated with the use of mind-altering substances, particularly LSD.

Psychedelic rock in the West

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called psychoactive rock or just psyrock, is a musical genre that originated in the early 1960s with bands such as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Byrds exploring Eastern philosophy and psychedelia through their music.

In the West, psychedelic rock developed out of the British Invasion of the 1960s, when British bands began experimenting with Eastern sounds anddrugs. The first wave of psychedelic bands included the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Byrds, who all experimented with drugs such as LSD. The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) is often considered to be one of the first psychedelic rock albums.

The second wave of psychedelia came in the form of American bands such as Jefferson Airplane, who combined elements of psychedelic rock with folk music and Eastern influences. The band’s 1967 album Surrealistic Pillow is considered to be one of the most influential psychedelic albums of all time.

The third wave of psychedelia occurred in the 1970s and was led by artists such as David Bowie, Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett. These artists took psychedelic music in new directions, incorporating elements of art rock, glam rock and space rock into their sound.

Psychedelic rock in Japan

Psychedelic rock in Japan began with the debut of Ghost’s album In Stormy Nights in 1970. In contrast to the American and British scenes, Japanese psychers were strongly influenced by electronic music, exploring techniques such as tape manipulation and early synthesizer use. Acid rock band Acid Mothers Temple is one of the most well-known Japanese psychedelic rock groups, fusing elements of space rock and folk with a heavy dose of psychedelia.

Development

Psychedelic rock first developed in the Far East during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Bands such as Red Krayola and the 13th Floor Elevators were influenced by Eastern music and philosophy, as well as by the Western psychedelic scene. Asian psychedelic rock is characterised by its use of traditional instrumentation, extended improvisation, and Eastern influences.

The first wave of Japanese psychedelic rock (1966-1971)

The first wave of Japanese psychedelic rock is generally dated to 1966-1971. The style was influenced by Western psychedelia, and developed independently in Japan. Groups such as the Tokyo Rockers and the Pink House were among the early pioneers of the genre. Japan’s take on psychedlica was often more experimental and avant-garde than that of its Western counterparts.

During this period, Japanese psychedelic rock bands began to fuse elements of traditional Japanese music with Western psychedelic rock. This led to the development of a unique subgenre known as “kunstrock”, which incorporated elements of art rock and progressive rock into a distinctly Japanese sound. Kunstrock bands such as Corpus Callosum, Acid Mothers Temple, and Ghost became well-known exponents of the style in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The first wave of Japanese psychedelic rock came to an end in 1971, when many of the leading kunstrock bands disbanded or shifted musical direction. However, the genre has continued to enjoy popularity in Japan, with new generations ofpsychedelic artists emerging in subsequent decades.

The second wave of Japanese psychedelic rock (1972-1976)

By the early 1970s, Japanese psychedelia had begun to take a different form from that of the Western world. Bands such as Les Rallizes Dénudés and Inougawa Hey Judes kept the experimental, minimalist edge of the late 1960s alive, while groups such as Speed, Glue & Shinki and Flied Egg took more cues from hard rock and progressive rock. This second wave of Japanese psychedelic rock is often referred to as “Group Sounds”, a reference to The Beatles’ 1966 album Revolver, which was highly influential on the development of this musical style.

During this period, Japanese psychedelia began to develop its own distinctive sound, characterized by heavy use of feedback and reverb, extended guitar solos, and often unusual song structures. This sound was later codified by the band Earthshaker, whose 1973 debut album Kishin Heidan was a major influence on subsequent groups. Other important bands of this period include Blue Cheer offshoot Alphataurus, Rubber Soul-influenced Food Brain, and folk rockers Happy End.

The third wave of Japanese psychedelic rock (1977-present)

Asian psychedelic rock is a music genre that emerged in the 1970s and is characterized by the use of psychedelic elements in a rock music context. The first wave of Asian psychedelic rock consisted of Japanese and South Korean bands. The second wave emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s and was led by Taiwanese bands. The third wave, which is the focus of this article, began in the late 1970s and is still ongoing. It is led by Japanese bands.

The punk and new wave era

The punk and new wave eras were crucial in the development of Asian psychedelic rock. In Japan, the success of Yellow Magic Orchestra’s 1978 album BGM, which featured a blend of electronic music with traditional instrumentation, inspired a new generation of musicians to experiment with electronic sounds. This included producers Haruomi Hosono and Ryuichi Sakamoto, who would go on to form the hugely successful synth-pop group YMO, as well as pioneering electronica actlost Physical Control.

In China, meanwhile, the arrival of punk and new wave led to a resurgence in interest in traditional Chinese music. This was partly due to the work of Western bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division, who had incorporated Chinese instruments into their sound, but also because of the growth of the Chinese underground music scene in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. Among the leading lights of this scene were Cui Jian, who is often credited as being the “godfather” of Chinese rock music, and Zang Tianshuo, who blended traditional instrumentation with heavy metal sounds.

The punk and new wave eras also saw the emergence of a number of important Asian psychedelic rock bands, including Taiwan’s The Reds (who blended folk-rock with Taiwanese opera), Japan’s Acid Mothers Temple (whose spaced-out jams drew on psychedelia, krautrock and Japanese folk music), and China’s Carsick Cars (whose noisy garage rock was influenced by Western bands like Pavement and Sonic Youth).

The post-punk and alternative era

The third wave of Japanese psychedelic rock, also known as the post-punk and alternative era, is marked by a return to the experimental and avant-garde approach of the first wave, combined with the energy and attitude of punk rock. This wave began in the late 1970s with bands such as Plastics, Murahachibu, and Asakusa-keisatsu, and continued into the 1990s with groups such as Teishōkaku, Free Kitten, and Maher Shalal Hash Baz.

The music of this era was characterized by its DIY aesthetic, often featuring unconventional instrumentation and experimental arrangements. This approach was in part a reaction to the polished sound of mainstream pop music, as well as a rejection of the traditional values associated with older generations. These values included hierarchical approaches to music making, as well as a focus on technical proficiency over emotional expression.

Many of the bands from this era are still active today, and their influence can be heard in the work of younger artists.

The 21st century

The Third Wave of Japanese Psychedelic Rock, also known as “neo-psychedelia”, saw a renewed interest in psychedelic music in the early 21st century. This wave was started by a new generation of Japanese bands who were influenced by the original psychedelic rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as Western neo-psychedelic acts such as The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Flaming Lips. Newer bands in this wave include Kikagaku Moyo, Acid Mothers Temple, White Heaven, and Acidman.