VA - Psyched Out Grooves From Hungary (1969-1972) (Remastered) (2024)

The psychedelic scene that never was – the perfect subtitle to this compilation. There were barely any drugs in Hungary to begin with. In this era, alcohol, music, and imagination have served as the primary means of mind alteration among the youth. The Communist party had a firm grip on culture through monopole control over venues, the media, and the recording industry, western records were not available, clubs enforced a strict dress code of suits, shirts, and longer skirts, and the police harassed young men for not more than having long hair or wearing blue jeans. There was, however, an undercurrent of smaller semi-professional bands striving to succeed in the shadow of the very few stars privileged by the sole state owned record company.

Given their chances to release music were at best limited to a few 7“ singles at the mercy of said record company powers. Psyched Out Grooves from Hungary compiles ten of the most outstanding singles recorded by the underdogs of this period. Some of the bands featured
on here have eventually reached wider success by switching to more commercial styles, like Bergendy, Neoton, and Apostol. Most, like Echo, Meteor, Kék Csillag, Non-Stop, were temporal formations that dissolved after a few years due to personal conflicts, lack of success, or both. Others, like Scampolo or Juventus, lasted a longer time without an actual break through. Most of these bands never had a consistent, lasting ’psychedelic’ repertoire or identity at any point. These tracks were the exception, not the norm. That coherence - the illusion of a scene - comes from the curation and sequencing of Budabeats head honchos Von Yodi and Gandharva. It is the arrangement of these puzzle pieces that makes them fit together. Limited edition of 300 hand numbered copies.
Edited excerpt from the liner notes written by Gábor Vályi (Dj Shuriken)
credits
released September 23, 2024

Compiled, produced by Dj Gandharva & Von Yodi

Artwork: Levente Csordás
Lines Notes: Gábor Vályi (Dj Shuriken)
Mastered by Anders Peterson (GS Mastering & Post)
Distributed by N.E.W.S. Distribution
Label: Budabeats Records
Cat.#: BUBE-050
Release date: 2024.09.23.

Format: vinyl LP, physical release only, limited to 300 hand numbers copies

Tracklist
A1 Bergendy– Randevúm lesz délután
A2 Neoton Együttes*– Majd, ha nem leszek
A3 Kék Csillag– Ki volt ez az ember
A4 Meteor– Kívánj te is nekem szép jó éjszakát
A5 Apostol– Az esti utcán
B1 Kex (2)– Elszállt egy hajó a szélben
B2 Non-Stop (3)– Szelíd tüzek
B3 Echo (27)– Boldogságból építettem
B4 Juventus– Egy pont a térben
B5 Scampolo– Levegőben