PSYCHEDELIC ROCK

Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture. This culture was based on the use of hallucinogenic drugs, which alter perception. Psychedelic rock is intended to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs, in particular LSD.

Psychedelic rock originated in the mid-1960s in San Francisco Bay and spread to the UK, the USA and all over Europe. The peak years of psychedelic rock were between 1967 (Summer of Love musical event) and 1969 (Woodstock Rock Festival). It became the favourite music of the hippie movement. This genre of rock was influenced by folk, jazz, blues and Indian classical music.

There are two main variants of psychedelic rock: the American acid rock, more aggressive, harder and heavier, and the British psychedelic pop, less aggressive and minimalist. The sounds of psychedelic rock aim at reproducing the effects of LSD, i.e. detaching the user from reality. This type of music is characterized by electronic sound effects, extended solos, improvisation and intense volume.

The typical instruments of psychedelic rock are: the electric guitar, the keyboard, the electric organ, the synthesizer, the mellotron (an electro-mechanical musical instrument), musical instruments typical of Eastern and Indian music such as the sitar (a stringed instrument originating from India), the tabla (a percussion instrument originating from India) and the theremin (an electronic musical instrument).

The principal singers and groups representative of psychedelic rock are the Zombies, Love, the Doors, the Jefferson Airplane, the 13th Floor Elevators, Pink Floyd,