 "Photo: Courtesy of Dälek")
Dälek are purely hip-hop, but some hip-hop purists may not think that way about the Newark, N.J., duo. Hip-hop has always been about re-imagining sounds, whether it was Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force rapping over futuristic disco, Public Enemy utilizing the Bomb Squad's genius of collage or Dr. Dre stripping P-Funk down to its drawling synths. Dälek, comprised of MC Dälek and DJ Oktopus, continue this tradition by wrangling in dissonant noise and ambient pieces, then morphing them into actual songs. Their third album, Absence, puts beats over all-consuming vortex of distortion. By contrast, last year's Abandoned Language, though substantially less harsh, experimented with darker tones.
"We're into the idea of each record being it's own thing," MC Dälek said.
These sounds are far removed from the funk of '80s New York, and some who have been in the scene for a long time may think Dälek has strayed too far. MC Dälek doesn't care much for old-school pandering, despite being old-school himself. He began DJing about 15 years ago - or 20, he can't seem to remember - before switching over to the mic not too long after. After being in groups, he decided to record solo material. In college, he met up with Oktopus, who had his own recording studio. MC Dälek would expose Oktopus to hip-hop, while Oktopus turned MC Dälek on to noisier groups such as My Bloody Valentine and Velvet Underground.
"We were both coming from the same place, albeit from different starting points," MC Dälek said.
They found their odd dynamic early on.
"The two of us were kinda at a point where neither of us wanted to be in a group ever again, and somehow, that's what made this group work," MC Dälek said.
It may seem that the group never looks back, but MC Dälek is still highly influenced by the old school. He takes an anthemic approach in "Culture for Dollars" from Absence, chanting "If my written word slurs/then my speech correct" in the chorus. He's also a vinyl fanatic, fondly remembering digging through crates to find pure gold.
"I never really have an album until it's on vinyl," he said. He laments that there "is no neighborhood record store" but now "an endless digital crate."
The duo has had massive crossover success in the underground, having toured with Meat Beat Manifesto, Isis and Destructo Swarmbots. Dälek doesn't use traditional hip-hop labels to put out records. Ipecac, run by Mike Patton, has put out Absence and Abandoned, and Hydra Head complied an collection of rarities last year. Their intelligent approach wins over many who think mainstream hip-hop is the only sort of hip-hop. Dälek even collaborated with unlikely fans Faust, a highly influential Krautrock group.
"They got their hands on a 12" we had done, and just ironically, I had mentioned them in the lyrics," MC Dälek said. He is fond of the result, saying that "it just flowed so naturally."
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