E01: American Afro-Psychedelia

Hear the full episode here:

Love is the Message returns with series 3! In our last cluster of episodes, Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert took a deep look at the musical, social and political currents flowing through New York City from the late '60s to around 1975. This time, they're turning their attention outwards, expanding their analysis of this crucial period of time to include South America, the Caribbean, West Africa and parts of Asia.

In this opening episode of the series, Tim and Jeremy are exploring American examples of Afro-Psychedelia. They begin by defining the term, alongside its close cousin Afro-Futurism. They then discuss the psychedelic experiences of a number of Black American musicians, and interrogate the often misrepresentative history of Black America's involvement in Acid culture. Taking in great musicians like Sun Ra and Hendrix, Tim and Jeremy talk about how both Ancient Egypt and outer space recur as images of alternative and utopian possibilities, and consider the esteem with which jazz musicians of the time held Indian Classical music. We end the show by thinking about the different yet huge legacies of John and Alice Coltrane as spiritual musical innovators.

Produced and edited by Matt Huxley.

Tracklist:
Sun Ra - Space is the Place
Robert Johnson - Crossroad Blues
Sun Ra - UFO
John Coltrane - Om pt.1
Jimi Hendix - Valleys of Neptune
Alice Coltrane - Journey in Satchidananda

Books:
Elijah Wald - Escaping the Delta: Robert Johnson and the Invention of the Blues
John Szwed - Space Is the Place: The Lives and Times of Sun Ra
Val Wilmer - As Serious As Your Life: Black Music and the Free Jazz Revolution, 1957-1977