The Halluci Nation / the della kit

The Halluci Nation is real. As they enter a new cycle, Bear Witness and Tim “2oolman” Hill of A Tribe Called Red are reintroducing themselves as the Halluci Nation, to reflect the evolution of their music and mission. The Halluci Nation takes its name from a phrase coined by John Trudell, to describe the vast global community of people who remember at their core what it means to be human. As a visionary artist and activist, Trudell recognized the connection between his accomplishments and what ATCR did intuitively through music and art. 

Trudell’s voice was the first heard on Tribe’s last record, We Are the Halluci Nation, and will, fittingly, be the first you hear on the Halluci Nation’s upcoming record, One More Saturday Night. The album is a love letter to the Electric Pow Wow gatherings launched at Ottawa’s Babylon nightclub in 2007. It represents an imagined denouement to the biweekly Saturday-night parties that ended abruptly in 2017, without ever getting the proper send-off. One More Saturday Night thus pays homage to the energy and momentum that elevated the Halluci Nation to this pivotal point in their career—fully mastering their own music style while also moving beyond club music; or “mixing dance music with dance music,” as Bear Witness succinctly puts it. 

“We wanted to pay homage to the Electric Pow Wow and wrap that whole decade of experience up and close the cycle, and in doing so give direct coordinates of where the future was headed. In a nutshell, that’s what this album is about,” says Bear. “We just wanted to make a party record, as well, one that people could dance to while still having the strong message we are known for.” 

As was the case with its proud legacy, the Halluci Nation’s future revolves around collaboration. From hip-hop star Yasiin Bey (a.k.a. Mos Def) to the Indigenous Australian band OKA to the Wayuu-Colombian powerhouse Lido Pimienta, the group has always sought out artists from around the world who would join the Halluci Nation family to form a like-minded community as well as an international indigenous alliance. The upcoming record will be no exception—with features as inspired and unpredictable as the music from “electro-cumbia” producer El Dusty, Anishnaabeg drum group Chippewa Travellers, Maori artist Rob Ruha, Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq, and round-dance/R&B singer Antoine, among many others.

Queer vocalist, songwriter, and producer the della kit was born into a lineage of Jewish and Italian jazz musicians in Boston, Massachusetts. She was raised as a wildflower in British Columbia, Canada, road tripping through mountains to the sounds of Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald, and Joni Mitchell. Her career has taken her all over the world, supporting R&B and hip-hop legends such as Mos Def, Miguel, and Questlove, and has led her to signing with Art Haus, alongside Serena Ryder and Adria Kain.

Over the last few years, the della kit has created a dreamy, jazz-inspired neo-soul record with producers Astrological and Mr. Carmack. Collaborating with an array of artists and musicians, including Lafa Taylor, iamtheliving, and Scarub of the Living Legends, this album captures her evocative stories of healing and self-love. Moonbeams & Frequencies is a cultivation of the soul-driven energies and boundless musical influences that are woven into the fabric of the della kit’s journey to this day.