The Roaring 420s – ‘Psychout’
Mixing the surf rock bounce of California with the twanging, spiralling psych of twisted youth culture could seem like a struggle too far for most bands, but The Roaring 420s handle it with succinct and sublime assurance. Their classic tune, ‘Psychout’, recently caught our attention. It marks the beginning of Berlin‘s only Psychedelic Festival, which runs from April 18th to April 19th and which Far Out is extremely pleased to be a part of.
‘Pyschout’ is exactly what it says on the tin. It messes with your conception of not only 1960s surf rock and psychedelia but also its negligence of continental borders. It effortlessly fuses Western hedonism with Eastern mysticism, splicing sitar with bouncing guitar.
It’s one of those songs that will be played at barbecues to rapturous foot-stomping, hip-swinging applause from every member of the family. From children to geriatrics its no-nonsense approach and the joy which pours from every note mean that this track not only transcends borders but age, class and anything in between.
This combination of California and Calcutta is even more vivid when you consider that this band is from sunny Dresden, Germany.
Many would think to match the cold, harsh façade of Germany with the spiritual Technicolor sounds that come spewing from this record, but as their tongue-in-cheek name will attest to, this is all purely misconception – but hey, if psych bands are for something they are for breaking down conceptions.
The Roaring 420s do that with a wholesome and hedonistic twist merging the normally culturally constipated psych purists into fun loving party machines keen to kick off the Berlin Psyche Festival with a bang when they play the C-Club on Friday April 18th, we will be there with our dancing shoes, will you?
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