2ŁØT, a self-proclaimed purveyor of what it calls Electronic Jam Music, is back with a second album of ambitious sounds, deep meanings, and an impressive guest list.
For a feel for the contemplative nature of the product, look no further than the name: “2ŁØT stands for the Second Law of Thermodynamics, and we intentionally cross it out because our goal is to resist entropy,” vocalist Rudy Love Jr. tells Highway 81 Revisited.
The band calls The new record, “RE/SOLVE,” a “second hero’s journey”: “the less tidy process that begins after the initial breakthrough, when the survival story has already been told but the work of understanding who you have become is only beginning.”
Joining Love in 2ŁØT are Chase Koch, Omar Jahwar II, Sage Judd and Robert Trusko. The group has had a collaborative approach since its inception, which is manifested on “RE/SOLVE” with performances by Jon Batiste, Robert Randolph, Eric Krasno, 2026 NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Cameron McCloud of Cure for Paranoia, Elise Trouw, Frank Moka, Mariel Jacoda and The Funky Knuckles, among others.
In the past year alone, the band has worked with Steve Aoki, Paul Oakenfold, Aloe Blacc, Albert Harvey, and Michael Kang of The String Cheese Incident.
We chatted with Love — whose late father, Rudy Love Sr., was the de facto band leader of Sly & The Family Stone, as well as the leader of Rudy Love & The Love Family — to get to the bottom of the eclectic band, its compositional process and the flavor its guests bring to “RE/SOLVE.”
What is 2ŁØT’s mission statement?
Our primary goal is to activate and inspire people. To feed the communities who have fed us – we want to raise awareness around the people who are committed to doing substantive work to save and better lives. We also aim to push the boundaries of our sound and application of innovative technology to create fluid, emotional and groove-oriented improvisational music live. The hope is that our group always continues to evolve.
The band’s music is very eclectic and a multi-genre affair. Have any of your previous projects prepared you for this group? If so, which ones?
I’ve always felt that my time with Balance & The Traveling Sounds for their fusion and genre blending sound has influenced me greatly. Playing with Rudy Love & The Love Family helped with the improvisational aspect, and playing/writing songs with my father was huge because he was such a diverse artist later in his life. My time in LA songwriting has also helped.
I think “I Hurt Myself Again” is a great song. What did Elise Trouw bring to that one?
Elise brought an emotional weight and her beautifully alternative sound to “I Hurt Myself Again.” I think there’s an art to understanding complex chords and arrangements, and Elise is so brilliant in her musicianship — she knows when to exercise restraint and how to deliver something nuanced with the delicacy that needs.
What inspired the song “Lose My Mind”?
Sage [Judd] began production on that song on his own, and ended up losing the session, hours and hours in. He titled the file something alluding to one’s mental instability in crisis, and I just sort of rode that wave.
How has the band changed since the first album?
We’ve gained a bit of clarity on what our collective sound is as a band by better understanding the creative needs of each member. We’ve had a lot more time to sit, discuss, perform and rehearse together. What’s crazy is, even since the release of “RE/SOLVE,” our sound has evolved even further! Hopefully the next project will be proof of that.
I love Robert Randolph’s pedal steel in the context of a very modern sound as well. Can you tell me how that collaboration came about and what the intention was in adding his pedal steel to “I Need You To Believe”?
I’d actually argue that that song feels much more traditional, and if you feel that it sounds modern, I would attribute it to Robert’s insane ability to make his instrument sound like it’s from the future! Robert came to Wichita in 2023, and after jamming with him a few more times after that first encounter, we humbly begged him to join us on a song. We are so grateful he obliged.
Tell me about the group’s work with Paul Oakenfold and Michael Kang, who come from very different musical worlds.
Oakenfold was very precise, and knew exactly what he wanted. The situation with Kang was nearly the same, but he was more comfortable playing in the sandbox we’d created. Both collaborations were surreal for different reasons. Because of Paul, we contributed to a great dance record for 2026! And shoutout to Kang — that man can play.
What is the band lineup and instrumentation for live shows?
It varies, but most of the time it has been: Chase on guitar, Trusko on electric bass/push bass/vocals, Sage on Keys, II on live/programmed drums and I am on vocals/push/keys.
We’ve also been experimenting with DJ/hybrid sets as well.
What does 2ŁØT have planned for the rest of 2026 and this album cycle?
We will be playing a few more shows this year, but we are already working to complete our third album as well as continuing the pattern of exciting and sometimes random collaborations with brilliant music makers that exist somewhere on the wide spectrum of sound.
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