Discovering Khmer Psychedelic Rock

In the 1960s and 1970s, Westerners began to take notice of the distinctive sounds emanating from Cambodia. This was a time of great political turmoil in the country, as it was caught in the crossfire of the Vietnam War. Amidst the bombs and bullets, Cambodian musicians were creating a new form of music that would come to be known as Khmer Psychedelic Rock.

Origins

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as “acid rock”, is a subgenre of rock music that draws on cultural influences and Psychedelic experiences. Psychedelic rock music is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, most notably LSD.

Pre-history: garage and surf rock in Cambodia

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, a handful of WesternSurf bands had hits in Cambodia, including Dick Dale and his Del-Tones (“Misirlou”), The Ventures (“Walk Don’t Run”), and The Shadows (“Apache”). At the same time, American G.I.s stationed in the country were playing garage rock on Armed Forces Radio Phnom Penh, which Cambodian youth tuned into avidly. Western rock music quickly became assimilated into young Cambodian culture.

The golden age of Cambodian rock: 1960s and early 1970s

In the 1960s and early 1970s, Cambodia was experiencing a “golden age” of music, with a vibrant and diverse music scene. This was a time when many young Cambodians were exposed to Western music and culture, and Cambodian rock bands began to emerge. Cambodian rock groups were influenced by a range of styles, including American surf rock, British Invasion bands, and Psychedelic Rock. Cambodian Rock is sometimes referred to as “Khmer Psychedelic Rock” or “Khmer Beat”.

The golden age of Cambodian rock came to an abrupt end in the early 1970s with the rise of the Khmer Rouge regime. The Khmer Rouge regime banned all forms of music and musical instruments, and systematically persecuted musicians. As a result, the golden age of Cambodian rock came to an abrupt end, and the music scene was effectively wiped out.

The Khmer Psychedelic Sound

The Cambodian Civil War of the 1970s was one of the bloodiest and most brutal conflicts of the 20th century. It left the country in ruins, with an estimated 2 million people killed. In the midst of this devastation, a new form of music was born: Khmer psychedelic rock. This genre is a unique blend of traditional Cambodian music and Western rock, and it’s been gaining popularity in recent years. Let’s take a closer look at the history and sound of Khmer psychedelic rock.

Characteristics of Khmer psychedelic rock

Khmer psychedelic rock is a blend of Cambodian music with elements of psychedelic rock. It arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s, during a time when Cambodian rock was influenced by Western rock music. Khmer psychedelic rock typically features electric guitars, bass guitars, drums, and keyboards. The genre sometimes incorporates horns and strings.

Khmer psychedelic rock is characterized by its use of electric guitars and elements of Western rock music. The genre often features distorted guitars, soloing, and feedback. Khmer psychedelic rock also typically incorporates Cambodian instruments and melodies.

Influences on the sound

The Khmer psychedelic sound is a unique thing, unlike anything you will have heard before. The music is a melting pot of influences from around the world, including garage and surf rock from the US, traditional Cambodian music, and even French pop.

The result is a raw and unbridled sound that is both intoxicating and dangerous. It is the sound of a country on the brink of collapse, of a people trying to make sense of their place in the world.

The lyrics are often about love and loss, about the Vietnam War, about life in the slums of Phnom Penh. They are heart-wrenching and beautiful, and they will stay with you long after the music has faded away.

The Resurgence of Cambodian Rock

Psychedelic rock made a brief appearance in Cambodia in the 1970s before the Khmer Rouge regime outlawed the genre, and executed those who continued to create it. In recent years, however, there has been a resurgence of Cambodian rock, as young people look to the genre as a way to express their identity and break from the past.

The Cambodian Civil War and the Khmer Rouge

The Cambodian Civil War (1967–1975) was a conflict that pitted the forces of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), better known as the Khmer Rouge, against the government of Cambodia and its allies, the South Vietnamese Army and the United States. The war lasted nine years, ended in a stalemate, and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians.

The Khmer Rouge, led by dictator Pol Pot, rose to power in 1975 after overthrowing the government of Cambodia. They imposed a brutal regime on the Cambodian people, forcing them to live in communes and work in labor camps. An estimated 2 million people died from starvation, disease, torture, or execution during the Khmer Rouge’s four-year rule.

The Khmer Rouge were eventually ousted from power by a Vietnamese invasion in 1979. The Vietnamese occupation lasted until 1989, when they withdrew from Cambodia. The civil war continued for another decade until it finally ended in 1999 with a peace agreement between the government and the Khmer Rouge.

Since then, Cambodia has been slowly rebuilding its economy and society. However, given its recent history, it faces many challenges. One bright spot has been the resurgence of Cambodian rock music.

The post-war era: from obscurity to the present day

The end of the civil war in Cambodia in the early 1990s brought about a period of intense experimentation in Cambodian music. This was a time when different genres and styles were blended together to create something entirely new. One of the most influential genres to emerge from this period was Cambodian rock, which combined elements of traditional Cambodian music with Western rock and roll.

Cambodian rock enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the 1990s, but it soon faded into obscurity. In the past few years, however, there has been a resurgence of interest in this unique genre of music. Thanks to the internet and social media, Cambodian rock is once again being heard by new audiences all over the world.

Khmer psychedelic rock is a genre of music that emerged in Cambodia in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is characterized by its use of electric guitars, bass guitars, keyboards, and drums, as well as traditional Cambodian instruments such as the tro Khmer (a two-stringed fiddle) and the roneat ek (a xylophone). The lyrics are often sung in Khmer or English, and they often deal with political or social issues.

The first band to gain prominence within this genre was Ros Sereysothea & The White Elephant Orchestra, who released their debut album IN 1967. The album featured both original compositions and covers of Western pop songs, including The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” and “Yesterday”. Ros Sereysothea’s powerful vocal performance and the band’s use of traditional instruments helped to give Cambodian rock a distinctly Cambodian flavor.

Despite its popularity, Cambodian rock fell victim to the country’s political turmoil in the 1970s. Many musicians were killed during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), and Cambodia’s musical traditions were largely lost. It wasn’t until the 1990s that Cambodian rock began to make a comeback, thanks to a new generation of musicians who were inspired by the original bands from the 1960s and 1970s.