Listen: 2ŁØT and Aloe Blacc Unite for “Immortal,” Announce Collaboration at Somewhere Festival in Wichita
Photo credit: Mike Lurie
2ŁØT have joined forces with Aloe Blacc to create “Immortal,” the genre-bending electro-jam outfit’s latest single and first since their 2024 debut album Entropy. For the first dispatch from their next era, the Wichita, Kan.-based quintet found a powerful new perspective in their EJM (electronic jam music) fusion by embracing the ancient philosophical adage “memento mori”—Latin for “Remember you must die.”
For 2ŁØT, this revelation isn’t a cause for fear, but a reserve of courage and determination to live boldly and with intention. That vital message is communicated as much by the track’s soul-searching lyrics as its haunitingly propulsive and inspiring electro-acoustic arrangement of fiery guitar, arena-grade percussion and heart-pounding synth and bass surges. “‘Immortal’ is about unlocking the part of you that’s waiting to be set free,” said 2ŁØT vocalist Rudy Love Jr. “It’s a reminder that fear is the biggest barrier between you and your true calling. If you knew your time was short, what would you change?”
“From a lyrical standpoint, it’s one of the strongest songs I’ve been a part of writing,” iconic rapper and singer-songwriter Blacc reflected. “This line—‘when I tumble over, the broken pieces fit together better in the end’—reminds me of the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pieces are mended with gold. The broken parts of us, when they’re healed, become the strongest parts of us.”
“Immortal,” debuted with a powerful live performance and interview on Los Angeles’ KTLA, continues 2ŁØT’s ascent after their groundbreaking debut album Entropy, which featured contributions from Spirit Fingers’ Greg Spero and The String Cheese Incident’s Michael Kang, as well as a coveted remix from the legendary acid house and trance producer Paul Oakenfold. Where that record drew inspiration from the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics–applied broadly, the finding that all systems trend towards disorder–”Immortal” maintains the group’s philosophical journey with a call to live with confidently in spite of that chaos.
2ŁØT and Aloe Blacc will perform “Immortal” in their collaborative set at the imminent Somewhere Festival & Conference, set to return to Downtown Wichita, Kansas on June 13 and 14. With its sophomore staging, the mission-oriented not-for-profit event presented by Movement Musik and Midtopia makes a new name for itself with an expanded program reflecting its setting’s rapid development as a home for music, artists and trailblazers.
Leading Somewhere Festival’s bill of titanic acts are progressive house icon Deadmau5, chart-climbing Dallas rap pathbreaker BigXThaPlug, alt-pop sensation Suki Waterhouse and legendary shapeshifting producer and multi-hyphenate electronic powerhouse Flying Lotus. Diverse perspectives abound in the undercard, too, with innovators like Kim Gordon, Shannon & the Clams, Die Spitz, Cassian, Tinlicker, Jerro, La Luz, Tommy Newport, Elise Trouw and more filling out the 47-act bill. The myriad artists involved fearlessly cross boundaries independently and disrupt genre entirely as a collective, blurring hip-hop, techno, rock, pop, alternative and more into an intangible musical alloy.
Beyond the tremendous lineup, Somewhere Festival is innovative in the scope of its programming. Onstage and off, the event will incorporate AI-driven, cutting-edge production elements and interactive installations that push beyond the proscenium to create an immersive music experience. As a not-for-profit event, Somewhere Festival’s mission-oriented approach is clear in its partnerships with community organizations like The Phoenix, 1 Million Strong, Learning Lab Wichita, Empower North End, Create Campaign, The Neighboring Movement and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). That vision of music as a vehicle for inspiration and social change is shared by 2ŁØT and Somewhere Festival.
“Somewhere Festival is more than a festival—it’s a movement,” Love Jr. detailed. “It’s about giving artists the space to create, but also the tools to build sustainable careers, the knowledge to make an impact, and the community to support them along the way.”
“Immortal” is available on all streaming services now. For tickets and more information on Somewhere Festival, visit somewhere-fest.com.
