What Exactly is Psych Rock?
By Conor Finlay
The term “Psychedelia”, in all its emerging colour and energy, was birthed in 1964, springing forth from the underground scenes of New York City. American folk-music group The Holy Modal Rounders laid claim to this first coining of a word that would become attached to some of the most exciting and innovative bands in Western history.
Seven years earlier, existing just outside the bubble of the mainstream music canon, was a burgeoning scene in Turkey that came to be known as Anatolian rock. Merging Western radio hits with traditional Turkish folk, Anatolian rock fully utilized the introduction of the electric guitar and amplification to yield an explosive form all its own, blending elements of blues, funk, jazz, and even stylistic precursors to surf and punk. Using a wider palette of musical scales and percussion than was customary in Europe and America, the nucleus of the rock band dynamic was instantly exoticized, as older and more traditional instruments were driven through distortion, often at the forefront of the melodies.
The most recognized forerunner was Erkin Koray, dubbed the “Jimi Hendrix of Turkey”, credited with being the first Rock n Roll artist in his land, and still a national hero for his involvement in many counter-culture movements. His first proper full-length LP Elektronik Turkuler was released in 1975, and is regarded as his milestone record as well as a potent introduction to the essence of Psychedelia. Some of history’s most memorable bands took inspiration or notice from his vast catalog. The Rolling Stones 1966 hit “Paint it Black” lifted the chord progression and vocal stylings from his 1962 song, “Bir Eylül Akşam”. John Lennon and Yoko Ono met with Erkin Koray in Istanbul in 1971, offering to record an album for him in London, which Erkin declined. While not the most well known, the Turkish music scene was bustling with talent. Koray was joined by Barış Manço, Bunalim, Moğollar, Özdemir Erdoğan, Beybonlar, Zafer Dilek, Selda Bağcan and many others in a thriving scene that became synonymous with the revolutionary spirit of a politicized and chaotic Turkey. Decades later, many of these records have been sought after in the DJ and electronic world for their dynamic samples. The raw and distorted zurna in Selda Bagcan’s “Yaylalar” is a perfect example of the unique tones that were explored, and their perfect marriage to modern dance music. Current psychedelic acts such as King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and Goat have experimented with the sounds of Turkey, the latter even building custom instruments to better emulate the unique microtones produced by older traditional instruments.
Most exciting, is that Psychedelic rock currently happens to be thriving in its very birthplace due to a resurrection of that era. This resurgence is propelled heavily by the Anatolian Rock Revival project and more contemporary acts such as Altın Gün, sharing the sounds with a wider audience, subsequently bringing many lost gems out of obscurity. For anyone who enjoys the myriad styles of psychedelia, whether it be the soft and whimsical, or loud and explosive, the sounds of Anatolian rock undoubtedly cater from a diverse, rich world of sonic excavation.