neopsychedelic

Neopsychedelic, or neopsychedelia, is a term used to describe a contemporary revival and reinterpretation of psychedelic aesthetics across music, visual art, and culture. It synthesizes late 1960s psychedelic rock and artwork with modern production techniques, digital tools, and influences from indie rock, shoegaze, electronic, and ambient genres. The aim is not merely to imitate older sounds but to reframe them for contemporary listening and viewing contexts.

In music, neopsychedelic often features layered guitars with generous reverb, shimmering synth textures, rhythmic experiment, and extended or morphing song structures. Effects such as phasing, tremolo, and tape-echo are common, as are modular synths and nontraditional tunings. Lyrical themes tend to explore altered perception, consciousness, dream imagery, and transcendence, sometimes with ironic or critical undertones.

In visual arts and media, neopsychedelic visuals employ saturated colors, kaleidoscopic patterns, swirling motion, and generative or glitchy graphics that evoke altered states without copying vintage designs. Live performances may integrate immersive light shows, video projections, and multimedia interaction. Historically, the term gained traction in the late 1990s and 2000s within indie, electronic, and psychedelic-influenced scenes. Notable acts associated with the broader movement include The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT, and Animal Collective, among others. Neopsychedelia is often distinguished from original 1960s psychedelia and from earlier neo-psychedelia by its broader genre blending and contemporary production aesthetics.