Dälek

This article is about the experimental hip hop group. For other uses, see dalek (disambiguation).
dälek

Dälek at the cultural center Leoncavallo (Milan), in 2008. MC dälek at the microphone, the Oktopus in the background.
Background information
Origin Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres Alternative hip hop, shoegazing, industrial hip hop, experimental hip hop, noise, ambient
Years active 1998–2011 (hiatus), 2015-present
Labels Ipecac Profound Lore
Associated acts Iconaclass, Fill Jackson Heights, Destructo Swarmbots
Website deadverse.com
Members MC dälek
rEK
Mike Manteca
Past members Still
Oktopus

dälek (pronounced 'Die-a-leck') is an American experimental hip hop group from Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of MC dälek (vocals and co-producer), Mike Manteca (electronics and co-producer), and DJ rEk.

History

The group originated in the New Jersey DIY scene of the mid-1990s, based around a studio lineup of Dälek (Will Brooks), Oktopus (Alap Momin) and Joshua Booth.

The group recorded and played live with several DJs, including DJ rEk on from 1998 to 2002, from 2002 and 2005 with still (Hsi-Chang Lin), and from 2006 to 2009 with Motiv. With this core, the group released four full-length LPs on Ipecac Recordings, and a string of EPs, singles and remixes on various independent labels.

Booth left the group to complete his doctorate in 2009, and Oktopus had relocated to Berlin by 2010.[1] Dälek released a single LP, Untitled, with Brooks and Momin as the sole members, in 2011. From 2011 to 2015 the group was on permanent hiatus.

In 2015, Brooks reunited with DJ rEk and Dälek collaborator Mike Manteca (Destructo Swarmbots). In 2016 the group released a full-length LP Asphalt for Eden.[2]

Dälek have often shared the stage with artists covering a wide range of genres, such as Godflesh, Isis, Prince Paul, The Melvins, Tool,[1] De La Soul, RJD2, The Young Gods, Meat Beat Manifesto, Jesu, The Pharcyde, Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Dub Trio, Charles Hayward, Zu, Blackie, Gaslamp Killer, Earth, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Bug, Mastodon and Lovage. Oktopus and MC dälek collaborated with hardcore punk band Starkweather on their 2010 album This Sheltering Night.[3]

Style and influence

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, metal, shoegaze, and hip hop, as well as being criticized for their broad range of sound.[4]

MC dälek described the duo's music to the Chicago Sun-Times:[4]

“ "It's purely hip-hop, in the purest sense. If you listen to what hip-hop has historically been, it was all about digging in different crates and finding different sounds, and finding different influences to create. If Afrika Bambaataa wasn't influenced by Kraftwerk, we wouldn't have 'Planet Rock.' So, in that sense, what we do is strictly hip-hop. ”
“ If there is a difference. It's that the palette of sounds we work with is more varied than what has been called hip- hop in the last 10 years. Somehow, as hip-hop grew, it's been put into this box. I think it's funny when people are like, 'That's not hip-hop. It's this and this and this.' You can try to rationalize it as whatever you want to rationalize it as." ”

Discography

Dälek, Moers Festival 2008

Studio albums

Collaborations, EPs and compilations

References

  1. 1 2 Bartkewicz, Anthony (April 4, 2015). "The Return of Pioneering Noise-Rap Outliers Dälek: "I Missed the Noise"". Retrieved March 3, 2016.
  2. ↑ Chuter, Jack (April 1, 2016). "Interview: Dälek". Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  3. ↑ Gergesha, Nick (July 5, 2010). "Transmissions: The Starkweather Interview". Hearwax. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  4. 1 2 Jakubiak, David (March 2, 2007). "Dalek makes hip-hop without sound barriers". Chicago Sun-Times.
  5. ↑ "Thirty Ghosts Records". Thirty Ghosts Records. Retrieved 2012-08-30.
  6. ↑ "Hydrahead announces Botch, Dälek releases". Punknews.org. 2007-06-13. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  7. ↑ "Griots And Gods – Les Eurockeennes Festival Belfort 2010". Everyone Knows. The Young Gods. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
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