In 2019, a technician found himself in an unusual situation. While working on the restoration of an original Buchla Model 100 modular synthesizer, he realized that he was, in fact, getting high. The nine-hour trip was the result of trying to remove a crystalline substance from the interior of one of the modules – later testing revealed it to be LSD.
No one is quite sure how the acid got inside the synth, but at some point, a previous owner clearly dabbled in both modular synthesis and psychedelic drugs, a concrete example of how music-making and psychoactive substances have historically gone hand in hand. But are there tangible benefits to this beyond just having a good time in the studio? A growing body of research says yes.
We tend to think of psychedelic music as beginning in the 1960s, as exemplified by songs like The Beatles’ I Am the Walrus, but humans have been ingesting psychedelic drugs and listening to music for, well, ever. “Music and psychedelics have been intertwined throughout the existence of Homo sapiens, from the early shamanic rituals of the Americas and Africa to the modern use of psychedelic-assisted therapy,” says the study Psychedelia: The interplay of music and psychedelics.
Of course, listening to music while under the influence of psychedelics is not restricted to religious or therapeutic settings, as ‘60s concerts by The Grateful Dead (whose sound engineer, Owsley Stanley, was also known for his home-brewed and particularly potent LSD) and modern rave scenes will attest to.
“Music has been thought to be of great importance when taking psychedelics both within traditional settings and within more modern contexts such as raves – where masses ‘trip out’ not only from the mind-altering substances they consume but also from the techno music they are surrounded by,” say the authors of the study.
There’s no doubt that listening to music under the influence can have a powerful effect on the mind, but are there also benefits to creating music in a psychedelic state?
If you’ve noticed a renewed interest in psychedelics in recent years, particularly among the scientific community, you’re not wrong. In the year 2000, researchers at Johns Hopkins University received approval to begin testing psychedelics on human subjects. Since then, Johns Hopkins’ Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles – and that’s just the one location.
One area of study that is yielding fascinating results is the role that psychedelics can play in improving creativity. According to an article in Association for Psychological Science, studies have offered intriguing clues about the relationship between the two. “The psychedelic experience feels very creative by nature, in that it can provoke novel ideas and insights, intense emotional experiences, and hallucinations that can make the world feel brand new and full of possibilities,” the article says.
In another study, researchers found that lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) impacted creative thinking in unexpected ways, resulting in ‘pattern break’, which was reflected in things like novelty and surprise, and increased symbolic thinking.
Another study found that ingesting ayahuasca, a tea containing the powerful hallucinogen DMT, enhances divergent thinking, a thought process that can generate many unique ideas from a single starting point. This is supported by another study that showed that past psychedelic drug users exhibit better divergent thinking skills than non-users.
Psilocybin’s effects on cognition and creativity, a review study conducted in 2022, discovered that while large doses of magic mushrooms tended to impair cognitive performance and creativity, microdoses tended toward creative enhancement. “When it was a macrodose, which is a very large dose, cognitive functions and creativity were impaired,” Baeleigh VanderZwaag of the study explains.
“When it was a microdose, a dose considered to be sub-hallucinogenic, there were generally more positive effects on creative enhancement.” This suggests that microdoses could be useful when engaging in direct, creative work.
When asked if psychedelic substances like psilocybin could help with music production, Baeleigh answers, “There have been some new and emerging studies since we published our paper that are expanding to different levels of creativity.
"Creativity is actually a complex construct and I imagine music production taps into multiple aspects of it. That being said, some of the studies in our review did show improvements to some facets of creativity so it’s possible it might translate to creativity in the context of music-making.“
Musician and producer Pete Kember has been mining a psychedelic vein in his music for the entirety of his career. A founding member of trance rock band Spacemen 3, he’s since pioneered a kind of modular synthesizer psychedelia, and produced and collaborated with likeminded artists such as Panda Bear and MGMT.
For Pete, there are clear benefits to working with psychedelics when making music. “I think they can make quantum leaps possible and open the possibilities,” he says. “Look at I Am the Walrus. They can inspire a lot with sound effects too. The distortions of perception to your auditory input can be very inspiring.”
The distortions of perception to your auditory input can be very inspiring
Psychedelics have played a part in Pete’s music-making since the beginning. “Of course,” he answers when asked if working with psychedelics aided in the development of his creativity. “It was what I was looking to incorporate from very early on. I try to make music that incorporates shifts of consciousness, and that only came from the use of drugs.”
When asked his psychedelic of choice, he responds, “I don’t do it so much these days, but DMT was always my go-to for evaluating. It gives a different perspective that is useful to have. Anything that changes your perception is useful in that role.”
Though Pete relied on psychoactive substances to enhance the creative dimension of the process, he says he would never partake before taking on tasks such as mixing and mastering. “I would never use [drugs] in those situations,” he stresses. “Using them in mixdown or mastering would be too misleading. They rearrange your auditory cortex too much for those critical points in the music.”
One artist who doesn’t shy away from psychedelics – even during technical work – is Andrei Olenev. As Iterate, the electronic artist produces a heady spin on bass music, one that is deeply psychedelic by design. “All of my music, and much of my life, has been linked to psychedelics,” he explains. “Psychedelics led me to wanting to make music. All of my creative endeavors are done in a psychedelic way.”
Much as Baeleigh suggested, Andrei likes to work on music while microdosing either LSD or psilocybin. “I generally take amounts that are somewhere in between a microdose and a standard hit,” he says. “The dosage depends on what I'm hoping to get from it. A sub-threshold microdose can be great in general for focus, clarity of mind and creativity.”
There are times, however, when he prefers to up the dosage, as he feels it helps him get into the zone. “It sounds a bit cliche,” he says, “but I really feel like it helps induce a flow state. I can, for example, be at a point with a track where I have several elements in place, and I'm not really sure of the direction to go.
"Getting into a psychedelic state can make the whole thing fall into place. The idea is there, I'm tapped into it, and I'm putting it all together.”
Unlike Pete, Andrei finds mixing and mastering can benefit from psychedelic assistance. “It can be interesting with psychedelics because they amplify your senses,” he explains. “You might be more sensitive to something like harsh frequencies. I don't think it would be good to always mix on psychedelics, but much like people test their tracks in different listening environments, working on a mix while in a semi-psychedelic state can be good. Especially if the music you are making will be played at psychedelic festivals, or heard by people at home on psychedelics.”
While psychedelics may have the potential to enhance creativity, there's always the possibility that things could go in the other direction. Unsurprisingly, the amount that's ingested is a decisive factor. In the same way that your performance will be adversely affected the more alcohol you consume, the more of a drug that you take can prevent any constructive work from getting done, or even impair your abilities entirely.
Baeleigh VanderZwaag’s study found that when it comes to mushrooms, the potential lies in the amount of the dose. “Given psilocybin’s hallucinogenic nature,” the study says, “it is unsurprising that macrodoses produced primarily negative acute effects on cognitive performance and creativity.” Interestingly, it was the microdoses that appeared to yield creative benefits.
Furthermore, researchers from Essex University studying the impact of drugs and alcohol on artistic creativity found that, overall, getting high doesn’t make you more creative.
“What we hear about in the media is people who successfully enhance their creativity using drugs, but you don’t hear about the examples where someone took drugs and passed out and therefore their creativity was lower,” the University of Essex's Dr Paul Hanel told The Guardian. “It doesn’t do anything for creativity. People don’t benefit from it – it just has no effect at all.
Regardless of their effects on creativity, psychedelics should always be approached with caution. For example, psychedelic therapists recommend always tripping with someone sober to talk you down in case things take a bad turn. This might not always be possible for a studio session.
When it comes to its use in the studio, Pete Kember advises taking any interactions with drugs seriously. “Psychedelic drugs should be respected and only used after some research,” he says. “And with a support network, period.”
If someone is not experienced with psychedelics, I would definitely not take more than a microdose in the studio
He also recommends entering from the shallow end of the psychotropic pool: “Start with milder psychedelics and inform yourself as to the basic protocols of using.” He also mentions the importance of set and setting in the experience, your mindset (set) and the place where you do it (setting). If you are anxious or in a space where you aren’t completely comfortable, things can go awry – not something you want in a working musical environment.
Andrei cautions to start with small doses. “If someone is not experienced with psychedelics, I would definitely not take more than a microdose in the studio,” he says. “If you get very high, it's hard to work on music at a computer.”
He also highlights personal mindset as something to remain aware of. “For some people there could be risks, especially with large doses,” he cautions. “People with a personal or family history of mental illness should be very cautious with psychedelics, if not avoid them altogether.”
When asked if there are any dangers to working under the influence of mushrooms in the studio, Baeleigh VanderZwaag responds: “At this point, the research with psilocybin suggests that it is relatively safe for healthy populations.
"More recent research continues to suggest that psilocybin is well-tolerated, but there are certain medical conditions and psychiatric histories that are excluded in the research study. It’s always best to discuss with a healthcare provider to determine if it will be safe for any individual person.”
Finally, Pete cautions against thinking of psychedelics as something you can rely on for an instant boost of creativity. “I don’t believe that it’s instant inspiration,” he stresses. “You have to respect it deeply. It inspires different things in different people, as you might expect. It’s a vast and varied experience, and what it inspires should be too.”
Note that this article is intended for information purposes only. MusicRadar in no way condones any dangerous or illegal activity and this should not be misconstrued as such.
