Chicago house and techno veteran Green Velvet has released a new version of his 2001 track 'La La Land,' produced alongside Italian collaborators MEDUZA, GENESI, and ESSENTIA. The rework has been circulating as an ID for months and has already drawn support from John Summit and Dom Dolla.

The Origin Story Behind the Anthem

In a recent interview with Resident Advisor, Curtis Jones—the producer behind the Green Velvet moniker—shared the harrowing experience that inspired the original track. Twenty years ago, in a friend's apartment, Jones nearly died from what he believes was a spiked drink. "I think someone put GHB in my drink," he recalled. The near-death experience, which occurred while he was also high on weed and mushrooms, prompted a spiritual reckoning. "I told him, 'If you spare my life this time, I promise I will turn my life around,'" Jones said of his prayer to God.

The result was 'La La Land,' electronic music's most famous anti-ecstasy track—a tale of pills and afterparties set to a stomping house beat. The anti-drug message paradoxically became a club anthem and remains the most famous tune in Jones's catalog of vocal-led hits.

Mainstage Support for the 2026 Update

The new version has already racked up heavy mainstage rotation ahead of its official mid-May release. The collaboration brings together Green Velvet's signature vocal style with the production prowess of the Italian collective, marking a modern update more than two decades after the original arrived eight years into Jones's career.

The 2026 version of 'La La Land' is out now via Black Book Records and Insomniac.