Weed and Music? Enter Chill Mode with This Psychedelic Playlist

By Dan Cohn

Smoking weed and listening to music – is there anything better? (Hint: no) Like peanut butter and jelly, Alex Trebek hosting Jeopardy!, or gefilte fish with horseradish, they’re simply two things that are meant to be enjoyed together. 

But how do you choose what music to put on when you’re high? It can be a tough decision even before you hit the pipe, let alone if you’re already stoned. Fear not, my friends: we’ve got you covered.

The music contained in this playlist was hand selected to produce feelings of relaxation and happiness to elevate your mood and maybe induce an easy boogie. Allow it to lend a low-key vibe to whatever it is you’re doing while listening. 

A Hand-Selected Music Playlist For You

A lot has happened this year, and whether you know it or not, people continued to make awesome music. Many 2020 releases are featured here, including a double dose from California’s forbearers of funk, Orgone. Their album Connection is retro, reverb-drenched and walks the line between psychedelic and classic RnB. The playlist opens with “The Way”, simultaneously in-your-face yet laid back, channeling Funkadelic. You’ll also hear “Jawbone,” a driving, tribal but overall chill jaunt that feels like an action-packed dream sequence.

Other highlights from this year include “See Through” by Beck, from his album Hyperspace. It finds him lending his signature sound to a modern hip hop context, employing tasteful auto-tune and short vocal phrasing, crunchy and atmospheric synth pads and just enough drum machine bloops. 

Chicano Batman’s “Color my life,” from the album Invisible People, cranks up the weirdness with detuned harmonies, reverse guitar solos, and a chunky groove that somehow culminates into a light and airy feel. 

“Summer Madness,” originally by Kool & the Gang, gets the Khruangbin treatment for the Late Night Tales series. Their signature meandering psych-guitar and a steady, soothing bass line helps this jam to drift you off on the cloud it creates. 

Finally, you’ll be energized by a burst of electro-funk by way of Lettuce’s “Remember The Children” from their excellent album, Resonate. Flamingosis’ classy remix thumps in all the right ways, with equal parts funk, soul and electronic swag.

The rest of the playlist is still fresh, but not new. Letherette and The Glimmer Twins are pulled from an awesome compilation called Future Sounds of Jazz (Volume 12, in this case), which we highly recommend checking out. Some classic electronica, down tempo hip hop, psychedelic rock and a righteous jam by Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains round out this amalgamation of chillness.

We recommend taking the time to stop what you’re doing and give your full attention to the music, preferably in headphones (good ones). But the playlist will also create a great background if you must keep cleaning the house (everyone is stuck at home, what else are you doing?). In all seriousness, with everything going on in the world today, take an hour out of your day to chill and get lost in some psychedelic grooves.

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