Hallucinogen Remixes is a kinetic collision between the velvet-smooth world of contemporary R&B and the jagged, uncompromising landscape of the global electronic underground.
Hallucinogen Remixes is a kinetic collision between the velvet-smooth world of contemporary R&B and the jagged, uncompromising landscape of the global electronic underground. While the original EP was celebrated for its atmospheric depth, this collection strips those songs down to their skeletal essence and rebuilds them using the high-pressure tools of footwork, grime, and funk carioca. It is an album that feels like a night out in a city that never sleeps, moving from the humid, percussive energy of a Rio de Janeiro block party to the cold, industrial weight of a London basement.
Released on Christmas Day 2015 as a surprise gift to fans, Hallucinogen Remixes serves as a radical expansion of Kelela's critically acclaimed Hallucinogen EP. Issued through Warp Records, the project highlights Kelela's deep ties to the global club underground, featuring contributions from heavyweights in the footwork, grime, and funk carioca scenes. The sonic character is significantly more aggressive and rhythmically complex than the original release, trading lush synthesizers for sharp, syncopated percussion and heavy low-end. A notable highlight is the Kahn remix of 'All the Way Down,' which features a guest verse from GAIKA, adding a layer of political and industrial grit to the track. The EP was praised by critics for its cohesive curation, with publications like Pitchfork and Resident Advisor noting how it solidified Kelela's position as a bridge between mainstream R&B and the experimental electronic fringe. It remains a definitive document of the mid-2010s deconstructed club movement.
Put this on for
navigating a rain-slicked city at 3 AMtesting the low-end limits of a basement sound systemdecompressing after a high-energy club setfinding rhythm in the chaotic pulse of an industrial workspacewalking through a crowded terminal with noise-canceling headphones
Moments worth waiting for
the moment Kahn's remix of All the Way Down drops into a heavy, dub-weighted bassline while GAIKA's verse adds a layer of grit
the frantic, syncopated footwork percussion on the Rewind remix that transforms the original's smooth glide into a jittery sprint
the way the The Message remix uses funk carioca's signature tamborzão beat to anchor Kelela's ethereal vocal runs
Sounds like
2015s production with a 2010s soul
Lyrical territory
love_lost, self_examination, identity
03Deviation
Hallucinogen Remixes · vs · Kelela
Artist
This Album
High Energy
Energy · ↑ +36% more than usual
On this album, high energy sits about 36% more prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
