Three years ago, Adrian Quesada dropped Boleros Psicodélicos, an extraordinary album that captured the specific moment in time – the late ‘60s and early ‘70s – when Latin American balladry became fixated with psychedelia and baroque pop. Joined by a gallery of like-minded vocalists, the GRAMMY-winning and Oscar-nominated Texas producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist recreated the harpsichord flourishes, distorted guitar lines and heart-attack-in-a-song pathos of those slightly unhinged but glorious romantic confections.

Boleros Psicodélicos was embraced by vinyl enthusiasts and received wide critical acclaim. Quesada performed the album live on stage at select shows including the PBS “Austin City Limits” TV show. As he toured with his other project, the soul band Black Pumas, Quesada was asked frequently if he was working on a sequel.

“I was surprised at how many people knew about it,” he says from his studio in Austin. “In record stores and radio stations, people all over the world were asking me if I was doing a volume two. I think it was one of those cult albums that reached more people than I thought it would.”

Now, Boleros Psicodélicos II continues Quesada’s crusade to honor and preserve one of Latin music’s most sumptuous subgenres. Like its predecessor, it combines covers of classic baladas with brand new songs that recreate the original aesthetic to perfection. It also boasts a cadre of Latin Alternative stars on vocals. At the same time, this second installment amps up the intensity with a more expansive sound and fortifies the concept with the co-producer Los Angeles-based Alex Goose, renowned for his work with Aaron Frazer and Childish Gambino.

“I definitely needed another perspective, because I didn’t want to make the same album twice,” Quesada explains. “I met Alex through a friend when I was in L.A. last year. I gave him one of the tracks to see what he could do with it, and the following day sat behind him in the studio and watched him work. It was like handing the project to a hip-hop producer. He kept the essence of it, but made some really bold decisions. I still wanted the album to feel timeless, but I didn’t want to pretend like it was recorded in the ‘70s anymore. I wanted it to play just as loud next to a Bad Bunny record.”

From the mournful strains of opening cut “Ojos Secos,” featuring the indie pop sensibility of Los Angeles singer/songwriter Cuco, to the visceral grit of “No Juego,” with stellar vocals by LA diva Angélica García, the new songs preserve the retro charm of the first album, but with an extra touch of immediacy.

Other performers include Chilean singer/songwriter Gepe on the solemn, organ heavy “Te Vas y Yo Te Dejo” – a 1973 nugget by obscure singer Joséles - as well as virtuoso Cuban singer Daymé Arocena, Colombian gypsy-jazz combo Monsieur Periné, and Chihuahua’s lo-fi troubadour Ed Maverick. Quesada left space for an instrumental – the eerie, cinematic “El Diamante.”

“The first Boleros Psicodélicos was done remotely during the pandemic, and no one was in the studio with me,” Quesada reflects. “I had written more songs in that same style, and wanted to give myself the opportunity to expand. I assembled this album like a puzzle, adding extra pieces whenever I found artists who were into it, and available to record with me.”

Puerto Rican songstress and former Calle 13 member iLe, who sang the epic “Mentiras con Cariño” on the first album, returns with “Bravo” – a melodramatic bolero made famous by Olga Guillot and Celia Cruz.

“A lot of these boleros talk about love and heartbreak, but they don’t always feature a strong female protagonist,” he says. “’Bravo’ has the strongest woman possible, and some really intense lyrics. I love what iLe does with them. She delivers them so beautifully, even when the words talk about watching your ex burn in hell.”

One of the album’s most adventurous tracks is “Primos,” a trippy instrumental recorded with the Swiss/Ecuadorian duo Hermanos Gutiérrez. Quesada is also touring with them this spring including a show at the legendary Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

“We have a deep connection which feels like family so the song is called ‘Primos’ (cousins),” he says. They came to South by Southwest and we spent a day in the studio recording some ideas. We did this one from scratch, just jamming on the floor together.”

Now that he’s just been nominated for an Academy Award for the song “Like A Bird” - off the A24 prison drama Sing Sing – Quesada is more in demand than ever. He still plans to perform a handful of concerts to present the Boleros Psicodélicos songs in a live setting.

“I could write a hundred songs in this same vein,” Quesada says with a smile. “It’s just where I’ve been, both sonically and mentally. It’s my favorite place to be.”