Astral Daze: Psychedelic South African Rock

Welcome to Astral Daze, a blog dedicated to Psychedelic South African Rock music. Here you’ll find news, reviews and interviews with some of the best Psychedelic South African Rock bands around. So come on in and explore the musical world of Astral Daze!

The Psychedelic Movement in South Africa

The South African rock band, Astral Daze, were at the forefront of the psychedelic movement in South Africa. The band’s sound was influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Cream, and the Grateful Dead. Astral Daze was one of the first bands to bring psychedelic rock to South Africa.

The influence of Western Psychedelic culture

In the late 1960s, young people in South Africa were coming of age in a country that was very different from the one their parents had known. The country was rapidly changing, and South Africans were starting to question the laws and traditions that had long been in place.

One way that young people in South Africa expressed their dissatisfaction with the status quo was through music. Psychedelic rock, which had originated in the United States and Britain, became popular among young people in South Africa. This type of music often contained themes of social change and political protest, which resonated with many young South Africans.

Psychedelic rock bands such asFreedom’s Children,Hedgehogs,andTheapache Rejectsbecame popular in South Africa during the late 1960s and early 1970s. These bands mixed Western psychedelic influences with indigenous African sounds to create a unique form of music.

The popularity of psychedelic rock in South Africa coincided with the rise of the anti-apartheid movement. Many young people who were opposed to apartheid found inspiration in the messages of social change that were contained in psychedelic rock songs. In some cases, such as with Freedom’s Children’s song “I’ll Be Free”, these messages were explicitly political. In other cases, they were more subtle statements about the need for change in South African society.

The Psychedelic movement in South Africa ultimately had a limited impact on the country’s apartheid regime. However, it did inspire a generation of young people to question the injustices that were taking place around them and to dream of a better future for their country.

The influence of African music

The South African rock music scene of the late 1960s was heavily influenced by African music, which had been introduced to the Western world by artists such as Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim. These artists were inspired by the sounds of their homeland and used traditional African instruments and rhythms in their music. This influence can be heard in the work of South African rock bands such as the Freedom’s Children, who blended African sounds with psychedelic rock.

The Birth of South African Psychedelic Rock

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is often associated with a mix of musical genres such as garage rock, blues rock, and soul. The term “psychedelic” is derived from the Greek word ψυχή (psyche, “soul” or “mind”) and δήλος (delos, “manifest”), referring to the mind-altering effects of the psychedelic experience.

The first South African psychedelic rock band

The first South African psychedelic rock band was called The Golden Dawn, and they formed in Johannesburg in 1966. The band’s music was heavily influenced by Western psychedelic rock bands like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, as well as by Indian classical music. The Golden Dawn’s debut album, Power of the Sun, was released in 1968 and is considered to be one of the first psychedelic rock albums ever released.

The first South African psychedelic rock album

In 1968, a group of young South African musicians got together to record the country’s first psychedelic rock album. Influenced by the British and American psychedelic scenes, they created a sound that was uniquely their own. The album, titled Astral Daze, was released in 1970 and quickly became a cult classic. It’s been reissued several times over the years, and is now considered one of the most important documents of South Africa’s musical history.

The Golden Age of South African Psychedelic Rock

The 1960s and early 1970s were a golden age for South African psychedelic rock. A number of bands emerged from the country that blended elements of rock, jazz, and African music to create a unique and progressive sound. This period saw the birth of some of South Africa’s most iconic bands, including the likes of Freedom’s Children, Hawkwind, and the Electric Prunes.

The second wave of South African psychedelic rock bands

While the first wave of South African psychedelic bands was short-lived, the second wave enjoyed a much longer run. These bands were more experimental and often incorporated elements of progressive rock, hard rock, and even heavy metal. They also had a more international sound, appealing to fans of psychedelia from all over the world.

Some of the most popular second-wave psychedelic bands from South Africa include:

-Hawkwind: One of the most well-known and influential British psychedelic bands, Hawkwind was founded in 1969 by Dave Brock. The band’s early sound was heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Cream, but they later developed a more spacey and experimental style. Hawkwind had several hits in the UK, including “Silver Machine” and ” Psychedelic Warlords (Disappear in Smoke)”.

-Amon Düül II: Another highly influential German psychedelic band, Amon Düül II was formed in 1969 out of the ashes of Amon Düül (see above). The band’s sound was more mellow and psychedelic than their parent group, with extended jams and intricate instrumentation. Amon Düül II had several hits in Germany, including “Phallus Dei” and “Wolf City”.

-CAT Stevens: One of the most successful pop singer/songwriters of all time, CAT Stevens began his career as a member of 1960s British psychedelic band Kick Out The Jams. He later went solo and achieved massive success with songs like “Morning Has Broken” and “Peace Train”. Stevens converted to Islam in the 1970s and changed his name to Yusuf Islam; he remains an active philanthropist and educator.

The second wave of South African psychedelic rock albums

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a new wave of South African psychedelic rock bands emerged, drawing inspiration from their 60s and 70s predecessors. These bands would come to be known as the “second wave” of South African psychedelic rock.

One of the most notable second wave bands was The Psychedelic Furs, who released their debut album in 1998. The album, titled “Astral Daze: Psychedelic South African Rock”, was a compilation of previously unreleased tracks by South African psychedelic rock bands from the 60s and 70s. The album was met with critical acclaim and is considered to be one of the best second wave albums.

Other notable second wave bands include The Jefferson Handkerchief, who released their debut album in 2000, and Orange Peeling Sunrise, who released their debut album in 2001.

The Legacy of South African Psychedelic Rock

The influence of South African psychedelic rock on contemporary music

South African psychedelic rock is often cited as a major influence on contemporary music. The genre first gained prominence in the 1960s and 1970s, with bands like the Peace, Equinox, and Freedom’s Children achieving commercial success. These bands blended Western pop and rock with traditional African music elements, creating a unique sound that was both trance-inducing and highly danceable.

South African psychedelic rock continued to be popular in the 1980s and 1990s, with bands like Pure Illusion, Spirit of Eden, and Hangman’s Beautiful Daughters keeping the sound alive. In recent years, the influence of South African psychedelic rock can be heard in the work of contemporary artists like Tame Impala, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Khruangbin.

The influence of South African psychedelic rock on the world

Psychedelic rock from South Africa has had a huge impact on the world of music, influencing countless artists and bands over the years. The genre was pioneered in the late 1960s by groups like The Moondogs and Freedom’s Children, who blended traditional rock with African influences to create a uniquely mind-bending sound.

In the 1970s, South African psychedelic rock reached its peak with bands like Univers Mr.Rock Psychout and Tidal Wave releasing groundbreaking albums that fuse psychedelia with elements of jazz, African rhythms, and experimental sound collage. These records remain hugely influential to this day, and have inspired many subsequent generations of musicians all over the globe.