Dälek
Encyclopedia
dälek is an American
experimental hip hop duo from Newark, New Jersey
. The group is composed of MC dälek (vocals & co-producer
) and the Oktopus (production
). They have often toured with artists from radically different genres, such as Godflesh
, Isis
, Prince Paul, The Melvins
, Tool
, De La Soul
, RJD2
, and Lovage
.
dälek's music is dark, noisy and atmospheric, equally inspired by industrial music like Einstürzende Neubauten
, the layered noise of My Bloody Valentine and the dense sound collages of Public Enemy. Their sound is often constructed through sampling and a musical base atypical of most hip hop, making it difficult for people to classify their sound. They have been described as trip-hop, glitch-hop, and metal- shoegaze-hip-hop, as well as criticized for their broad range of sound.
MC dälek described the duo's music to the Chicago Sun-Times
:
Oktopus and MC dälek collaborated with hardcore punk
-heavy metal
band Starkweather
on their 2010 album, This Sheltering Night
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
experimental hip hop duo from Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
. The group is composed of MC dälek (vocals & co-producer
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
) and the Oktopus (production
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
). They have often toured with artists from radically different genres, such as Godflesh
Godflesh
Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham, England. Originally known as Fall of Because, they formed in 1988 by Justin K. Broadrick and G.C. Green and disbanded in 2002. Godflesh's innovative music is widely regarded as a foundational influence on industrial metal and post-metal...
, Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
, Prince Paul, The Melvins
The Melvins
The Melvins are an American band that formed in 1983. They usually perform as a trio, but in recent years have performed as a four piece with two drummers. Since 1984, singer and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been the band's constant members...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
, RJD2
RJD2
RJD2 is an American music producer, singer and musician. RJD2 was born in Eugene, Oregon, and raised in Columbus, Ohio. He currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was signed to the Definitive Jux label where he released two largely instrumental hip hop albums and has produced tracks...
, and Lovage
Lovage (band)
Lovage is a collaborative project headed by Dan the Automator, under his pseudonym "Nathaniel Merriweather" . The album is called Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By, which was created in team with Mike Patton and Jennifer Charles, who both provide vocals...
.
dälek's music is dark, noisy and atmospheric, equally inspired by industrial music like Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten
Einstürzende Neubauten is a German post-industrial band, originally from West Berlin, formed in 1980. The group currently comprises Blixa Bargeld , Alexander Hacke , N.U...
, the layered noise of My Bloody Valentine and the dense sound collages of Public Enemy. Their sound is often constructed through sampling and a musical base atypical of most hip hop, making it difficult for people to classify their sound. They have been described as trip-hop, glitch-hop, and metal- shoegaze-hip-hop, as well as criticized for their broad range of sound.
MC dälek described the duo's music to the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
:
Oktopus and MC dälek collaborated with hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
-heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Starkweather
Starkweather (band)
Starkweather is a metal band from Philadelphia, United States that formed in 1989. Starkweather helped pioneer the hardcore/heavy metal crossover sound that would later be known as "metalcore"...
on their 2010 album, This Sheltering Night
This Sheltering Night
This Sheltering Night is a studio album released by American rock band Starkweather. The album was released on May 25, 2010 through Deathwish Inc.....
.
Studio albums
- Negro Necro NekrosNegro Necro NekrosNegro Necro Nekros is the debut album by Dälek, released in 1998. It is notable for its extended instrumental codas, industrial timbres and use of a sitar.- CD Track listing :# "Swollen Tongue Bums" – 3:41# "Three Rocks Blessed" – 7:45...
(1998) - From Filthy Tongue of Gods and GriotsFrom Filthy Tongue of Gods and GriotsFrom Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots is the second album by Dälek, released in 2002. The album contains other instruments besides vocals and turntables including guitar, both electric and acoustic, drums, bass, and keyboards provided by various musical artists.Pitchfork Media ranked it as the...
(2002) - Absence (2004)
- Abandoned Language (2007)
- Gutter TacticsGutter TacticsGutter Tactics is an album by Dälek, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2009.-Track listing:All tracks written by Dälek.#"Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children's Heads Against a Rock" – 1:24#"No Question" – 4:40#"Armed with Krylon" – 5:11...
(2009) - UntitledUntitled (Dälek album)Untitled is the most recent release from American experimental hip hop duo Dälek, recorded in July 2005 and released in November 2010 on Latitudes. It consists of a single, untitled 44-minute track. It is limited to 1000 CD copies and 1000 forthcoming vinyl copies.-External links:*...
(2010)
Collaborations, EPs and compilations
- Megaton/Classic Homicide (2000) split collaboration with Techno Animal
- Ruin It (2002) in collaboration with Kid 606
- Derbe Respect, AlderDerbe Respect, AlderDerbe Respect, Alder is a collaboration album released in 2004 by Faust and Dälek.-Track listing:#Imagine What We Started#Hungry for Now#Remnants#Dead Lies#Erratic Thoughts#Bullets Need Violence#Collected Twilight#T-Electronique...
(2004) in collaboration with FaustFaust (band)Faust are a German krautrock band. Formed in 1971 in Wümme, the group was originally composed of Werner "Zappi" Diermaier, Hans Joachim Irmler, Arnulf Meifert, Jean-Hervé Péron, Rudolf Sosna and Gunther Wüsthoff, working with record producer Uwe Nettelbeck and engineer Kurt Graupner.-History:Faust... - Streets All Amped (2006)
- Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 (2007) Rarities 1999-2006
- Griots And Gods - Les Eurockeennes Festival Belfort 2010 (2010) Live collaboration with The Young GodsThe Young GodsThe Young Gods are a Swiss post-industrial band. The band's lineup has generally consisted of a vocalist, a sampler operator and a drummer. Their instrumentation often includes sampled electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and other samples. The lyrics are depicted in English, French and...
.
External links
- Dälek at Ipecac RecordingsIpecac RecordingsIpecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman and Mike Patton Ipecac Recordings is an independent record label based in California. It was founded on April 1, 1999 by Greg Werckman (ex-label manager of Alternative Tentacles,...
- Pizza joint recording session with 'They Shoot Music - Don't They' (04/09)