Photo by Justin French

In the opening moments of “Contact”, Kelela sets not only the scene but the vibe you’ll be experiencing from every second thereout. “We’re taking a ride, 405 through the west side / We’re party to party, it’s late but we’re wide awake / The bass in my body, I’m sinking it’s so wide / Time is surreal, now I’m floating in outer space.” As the latest preview from the R&B dance futurist’s forthcoming second studio album, RAVEN, the physical emotions her breath induces over a high-speed trance-built beat is as every bit as critical an element as the motion itself, moving fast and freely through the sauna heat its skin-on-skin friction produces.

Kelela’s RAVEN will be released February 10th on Warp Records.