English rapper and spoken-word artist, Kate Tempest, dropped her new single, “Unholy Elixir,” on Jan. 27. This new song is a reworking of her song “Holy Elixir,” which was featured on her third studio album, Book of Traps and Lessons.  

“This is “Unholy Elixir,” said Tempest. “After a year of touring, we discovered new things about the song, and wanted to make a version that reflected those discoveries.”

From the first few seconds, it is evident the new single is superior to her previously released version of the song. The synth and buzzing sound added to the track gives a full feeling for the song, and the shallow yet powerful beats set the tone of the song.

The newly added synth and reproduced beats give an entirely new feel to the lyrics of the song, and the animated video made for the song visually impacts the music. To watch the animation of the city set on fire, and the humans transforming into bird-like humanoids was very visually pleasing.

“We are divisions of a bigger vision,” Tempest poetically raps. “And yet we run around like hamsters, spinning the wheel, spinning the wheel, spinning the wheel.

The song ends with a creepy synth, completed by a classic beat. As the song fades out, it leaves the listener wondering when she will be releasing her next.

Last year in October Tempest released an animated music video for her song “People’s Faces.” The track highlights the singer’s political themes and discusses the pain and agony of those whom are directly facing poverty and oppression.

Tempest is set to play on Feb. 18, at the Melbourne Recital Centre, in Melbourne, AUS. There has been no information released on a possible upcoming album.

Photo credit: Stephen Hoffmeister