Kelela Announces HALLUCINOGEN EP, Shares Arca-Produced “A Message”

Hear that? It's the sound of the world breathing an ice-cool sigh of relief as Kelela announces that she's releasing a six-track EP on May 5, to tide us over until her debut album arrives in fall. Written over the course of two years, the HALLUCINOGEN EP is about the heady life-cycle of a relationship, according to the press release, charting every stage from "domination and empowerment" to "delirium and ecstasy."

"A Message" is the "rejection and amputation" phase, and it's a track that "spilled out" of Kelela and Arca in just 25 minutes during a three-day intensive collaboration. "Since then, it's been like a sculpture that I've come to and refined over time, adding a lyric here, refining a melody there," says Kelela. It's become a staple of her live sets, but is here finally in its breathtaking final form—including additional writing and production from Boots. Over an anxious beat cushioned in the gasps of distorted vocals, Kelela speaks clearly as ever on the sharp-edged hook: if I was your ex....girlfriend. Watch the stunning Daniel Sannwald-directed video made with i-D Magazine above, and if you're in Europe, have a glance over her freshly announced live dates too.

European tour dates:

5/14 - Brighton, United Kingdom @ Great Escape
5/15 - Lyon, France @ Nuits Sonores
5/16 - Rome, Italy @ Spring Attitude
5/18 - Helsinki, Finland @ Keedes Linja
519 - Prague, Czech Republic @ MeetFactory
5/20 - Ljubljana, Slovenia @ Kino Siska
5/22 - Paris, France @ Point FMR
5/24 - Bristol, United Kingdom @ Love Saves The Day
5/26 - London, United Kingdom @ XOYO
5/28 - Barcelona, Spain @ Primavera Sound (Vice Stage)
5/30 - Dublin, Ireland @ Forbidden Fruit
5/31 - Berlin, Germany @ Berlin Festival at Glashaus

Photo courtesy of Kelela.