Take some indie rock and add some R&B to it, under a cocoon of confidence – does it sound interesting yet? Brisbane-based one-man project Psychedelic Revolution is bringing that energy in this release “You & I”. At the outset, the listener is greeted by a heavy bass complemented by a slow paced drum beat. His style of delivery is quite different from what is prevalent in the indie-rock genres. The mumbling secretive baritone is coupled with verses that fixate on a few notes, but his range is showcased with the occasional falsetto and tasteful high notes. The lead guitar with its grungy tone adds a lot of edge in the otherwise mellow sounding verses. What sticks to you is the beat, hypnotic to the bone and makes you think of Jack White or John Bonham in ‘When The Levee Breaks’. It is slow-burn done right, an effect also accentuated by the layering of the vocals. The song makes you feel spoken to, as the artist tells you decisively about where he is coming from and what it means for the relationship. Its like he is setting the record straight, if there ever was a doubt.
Psychedelic Revolution is the solo project of Brisbane based Chris Zhang, who has in the past worked with a Grammy-winning producer and blends complementary elements from different styles. FNE had a chance to sit down with him and have a chat about his music and release. Here’s what happened.
FNE: Could you tell us more about the creative process behind the song-writing?
PR: Very good question! I had this file named ‘Sleep Well?’ (As a reference to ‘How do you sleep at night’) that I had only written the intro for with drums and the dissonant guitar. I was discovering new music and loved ‘Here’ by Alessia Cara. I noticed the production was very similar to ‘Hell is around the Corner’ by Tricky in terms of the rolling piano and strings. Trip hop has always been something I enjoyed so I simply added a few funky guitar riffs to it to make it sound unique. The lyrics/flow are all improvised and that comes from my mentor/fellow singer songwriters advice to ‘Flow like a rapper and sing like an opera singer.’ I found it hard to describe your sound because it seems to incorporate a lot of influences and delivering them in a slow-burn fashion. How would you describe your sound here?
Like you observed, the drums are indeed very similar to ‘When the Levee Breaks.’ Like you also observed, It does also draw a lot upon R&B and psychedelia in terms of delivery and production (besides the drums). I looked at all the other tags people gave me like ‘Art Pop’ and say, “hey, that works too.” If I wanted to strip all the tags away I’d just say it’s ‘groove with some bluesy (soulful) melodies.’
FNE: Carrying on on that note, who would you cite as your influences?
PR: So many but I’ll try and categorize them for fun.
Prince and Gorillaz. I love artists who can genre blend or do many different ones. For trip hop I love Morcheeba. For soul, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles and a lot of those artists who recorded at Muscle Shoals like Aretha. For funk, Sly & the Family Stone and Rick James. For rock, Pink Floyd, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Soundgarden, Beatles, SIlverchair. For hip hop, all of the ‘golden era’ guys like A Tribe Called Quest and the relatively newer ones still striving for that sound like Jurassic 5. For metal, Pantera and Down. For electronic, I love Daft Punk/Infected Mushroom. Before I get called out for naming a bunch of artists that most people know I’ll throw in Elysian Fields and Moon Hooch.
FNE: What inspired you to write this song? What is the story sought to be conveyed through the music?
PR: Originally inspired by Lennon. But when I got around to finishing it, the first line became a line directed at an imaginary foe. I’ve I just don’t think I have enemies or musical rivalries. Subconsciously, it became more about the struggle of chasing dreams then ‘burying someone with honesty.’ Sometimes ‘everything falls down’ and sometimes it seems ‘so near.’
FNE: What would you describe as the best way to enjoy your music?
PR: Another very good question! One can dance to most of it. Or, drink a beer to it. Or, coffee. I used to get a few comments related to ‘taking shrooms’ and ‘very trippy’ I would reply, “Thanks Steve Jobs.” If people want to take drugs to it, I can’t really stop them.
FNE: How do you think your sound finds relevance in the current pop culture landscape? What do you think is the most unique quality that your music has to offer?
PR: This ones tricky.
I think there will always be people who love music/other musicians looking to find sounds that appear more ‘real.’ It is also what the Stones did when listening to the radio. Music that doesn’t sound so manufactured. I was so happy when Hozier came on the radio and I felt the same way with Black Pumas and The Weeknd. On the superficial side, I’m a bass baritone with range. There aren’t too many of me lying around these days. It was a pleasure talking to you! Keep on asking great questions!