The Halluci Nation is, from left, Ehren "Bear Witness" Thomas and Tim "2oolman" Hill.

If you had to encapsulate The Halluci Nation using only one release, you could do worse than “Path of the Heel,” the Canadian DJ duo’s 2023 EP.

In just 13 minutes, it brings together several elements that have made Tim “2oolman” Hill and Ehren “Bear Witness” Thomas one of the most interesting acts in dance music over the past decade: big, powerful beats and pedal-to-the-metal pace, Indigenous music (courtesy vocals from the Canadian group Northern Cree), an irrepressibly aggressive edge (thanks to a guest spot from Damian Abraham, gravel-throated singer for the hardcore punk band F–ked Up) and a penchant for working with a wide variety of collaborators.

This, in a nutshell, is The Halluci Nation, formerly called A Tribe Called Red. Formed in 2007 to soundtrack a monthly club night for Indigenous youth in Ottawa — which ran for nearly 10 years — the group pioneered a groundbreaking sound known as “powwow-step,” which combines contemporary powwow music with electronic styles such as dubstep, drum ‘n’ bass and dancehall.

Wrestling on record

It’s a sound that’s part dancefloor banger, part political activism, part genre-defying experiment and part indispensable cultural expression. “There are emotions expressed on this record that I’ve never heard in any other dance music,” wrote Exclaim! about “Nation II Nation,” A Tribe Called Red’s sophomore effort from 2013. “It’s exciting and fulfilling at the same time.”

The same can be said about “Path of the Heel,” which not only expands The Halluci Nation’s sound, but also comes with a built-in theme: wrestling, a common interest between Hill, Thomas and Abraham. Last year, in fact, the group toured with F–ked Up, and they brought along a live wrestling show as an opening act.

Big Something brings big sound to Bend

In an interview with The Bulletin, Hill said working with Abraham on a wrestling-themed project grew out of a desire to continue the story A Tribe Called Red started on its 2015 EP, “Suplex.”

“That’s one of our favorite projects we’ve ever done, and we wanted to expand on that idea,” he said. “And that just grew into this really big, ambitious project. We got to do something with Damian, which we’ve wanted to do for a long time. We got to connect with wrestlers all over when we toured Canada. And we got to make a drum ‘n’ bass record. So we were able to check some stuff off the bucket list.”

Post-COVID creative surge

The new EP is just the latest wave in a surge of creativity that The Halluci Nation is riding right now, Hill said. They spent the 2010s working hard — pumping out music, traveling all over, playing gigs — and were both in need of a break from the grind, even if they didn’t realize it, he said.

And then along came COVID-19.

“We were really able to take a break, relax, be with our families and recharge. And after a while, we still made music, but when we did, we had to hunker down and be focused because we only had a certain amount of time to be together,” Hill said.

“Our relationship has only grown stronger since then, and we’ve been on some sort of roll right now,” he continued. “We’re in a really nice place, and I think it’s showing up in the creative process and in the work.”

If You Go

What: The Halluci Nation, with TsuVoid and Gr33np13ce

When: 9 p.m. Friday, doors open 8 p.m.

Where: Domino Room, 51 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend

Cost: $22.50

Contact: midtownballroom.com