In October 2012, Tame Impala unleashed a tsunami of warm and fuzzy psychedelic bliss upon the shores of the contemporary music scene. The Australian band, fronted by Kevin Parker — who undertakes most of the band’s recording — released their second album, Lonerism, to unanimous critical acclaim. Critics praised the band’s take on psychedelic space rock, which, in their case, features dense walls, phaser-soaked guitars, lush synths, erratic drum fills and sound effects that shoot around every bit of space within the listener’s headphones. One year since Lonerism’s release, Kevin Parker will be bringing those dense walls of sound to Madison when Tame Impala plays the Orpheum Theater this Wednesday.

Tame Impala’s lush musical stylings are no accident. During recording, Parker adds layers and layers of effects until he achieves a complete inversion of his instruments’ original sound.

“If I listen back to something and it sounds too real — and it doesn’t transport me — I’ll do whatever I can to get it to take me to that place. Until I’ve totally flipped the sound upside down then it just doesn’t transport me,” he said. “I just love the idea that music can have a physical effect on someone. As soon as I discovered psychedelic music and space rock, I realized that music wasn’t just emotional or wasn’t just to make you want to dance. It actually makes you feel.”

When translating these sounds from the studio to the stage, the band utilizes a vast array of gadgets, machines and toys to achieve their trademark effects-laden sound. The band makes sure their music remains especially psychedelic in their live shows. Parker said that when they hit Madison, their sound will be hitting its stride.

“No doubt shit will have gotten even more spaced out,” he said. “We haven’t played for months. We add new things, new effects — stuff that just tries to make people feel weird.”

The band has incorporated several new jams to their live show, as well as a few new songs that can’t be found on either of their two albums. The band will utilize an oscilloscope to complement the trippy nature of their music. Parker explains the machine’s function simply: “It represents the sounds as a big green blob, and the green blob moves around as we play.”

But Tame Impala isn’t just another band taking on the conventions (or lack thereof) of psychedelic music. Beneath the surface of the group’s shimmering, fuzzed-out sounds is the exploration of a loner’s vulnerable psyche. Critics have praised Parker’s juxtaposition of bright, beaming instrumentation with lyrics concerned with being alone and finding bliss in solitude. These critics often suggest that Parker is a loner, but he argues it’s not that simple.

“To say that I’m a loner or someone who wants to be alone is kind of one-dimensional,” he said. “The second album is about someone craving human connection and trying to be a part of the world, but they’re always getting pushed out and slowly realizing that it’s their place to be alone. A lot of the songs on Lonerism are about being around people but just feeling alone.”

Tame Impala recently played four shows with The Flaming Lips, whose songs they’ll be covering for an upcoming collaboration EP with the Oklahoma band. When they’re with the Lips, it’s always weird, Parker said.

“We’ve had the opportunity to dress up in the costumes on the side of their stage a few times — on the side of the stage dancing. We get a bit crazy and take drugs and whatever and dress up as weird fucking dorky robots,” he said. “So, you know, crazy shit happens. I don’t always remember exactly what happens.”

Parker doesn’t think there will be a new Tame Impala album for a couple years. For now, he said, the band members are pursuing other projects — both solo and with other bands.

As the band plays across the United States, they’ll be thankful for their ability to drive from city to city.

“Playing in Australia can be hard because you have to fly from each city,” Parker said. “So if you’ve got a really bad hangover it makes the next day extremely bad.” But for Parker, touring is a learning experience, and he seems to be mastering it: “We’re getting better at managing our hangovers,” he said with a laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0jqPvpn3sY