Psychedelic music has evolved over the years. It started in the 60s, discuss amongst yourself whether you think it was the Byrds or 13th Floor Elevators who were the original pioneers. Anyhow, decades later, the hunger for dreamy psych soundscapes remains as strong as ever. Perhaps we still crave an escape from reality! Enter Idaho-based Classtronaut, offering a modern twist on psychedelia. Nightshift, taken from their EP Songs From Hospital Rooms, is full of psych vibes but firmly rooted in electro-pop, with synth-driven textures.
The track opens with a pulsing synth and drums sparking into sporadic delay splashes. Above it all sit soothing vocals, not far removed from the style of Jason Pierce of Spacemen 3 and Spiritualized. Nightshift seduces from the outset with dazzling melodies, but it’s in the chorus that the dynamics truly boom out of the speakers. As the vocals drop, a lead synth takes centre stage—a recipe that worked brilliantly for M83’s Midnight City and MGMT’s Kids. It’s at this moment, when the booming dynamics of an 80s-inspired synth chorus hit, that you realise you’ve genuinely escaped reality. This is psychedelia!
Whether you label Classtronaut as chillwave, dream pop, or psychedelic doesn’t matter. What does matter is that they’ve crafted a song brimming with heightened euphoria steeped in their own layered style. With Nightshift, Classtronaut has carved out their own place in space.
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