Abandoned Language

by

Dälek

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If you want to give me a chill, bump Dälek while you cruise down my block (The Game and all the other so-called gangstas and watered down Master P's pose less of a fear than the inevitable, unwarranted chunk of hard stuff in my cereal box). As hard as Tyson and methodical as Hannibal Lecter, MC Dälek and producer Oktopus (minus turntablist Still, these days) is the duo Tipper Gore should have worried about, as if they had their way, they would bring down the whole GD system. On this fourth full-length, they work their perpetual motion machine to perfection, Dälek snarling his bitter list of reparations and intellectual hopelessness while marching alongside gravelly textures and weathered beats. You've heard these sorts of statements about every Dälek joint, so what's good? This time, the production is stepped up, the vocals are clear and often manipulated, live strings (check out the Black Angels-esque intro on "Lynch") and brass abound and the orchestration is carefully restrained, all contributing to the group's most dynamic album to date. At once, gorgeous and terrifying.

Before you rabid Dalek fans out there jump right to dropping me negative feedback, know that I can appreciate and respect the sound that the band is shooting for. I just don't think that they've quite perfected the formula... yet, at least. For those that are unaware, Dalek is a two-man act from New Jersey consisting of a MC(of who the band is named) and producer(Oktopus) and have been making some of the most challenging and experimental "hip-hop" on the market since they debued. Blending often heavy and abrasive industrial backdrops with straight ahead rhyming and scratching, a simplified comparison might be Chuck D of Public Enemy spitting over a bassier Nine Inch Nails track. Sounds interesting right? It is, but it does have it's share of problems too. One major knock is MC Dalek himself... he's a good MC, with the ability to bring thought-provoking and political lyrics with an always smooth delivery. Here's the thing though, that delivery seems to harness a single flow and speed when he drops his rhymes, whether it's over heavy or more mild and ambient tracks, making an entire album(and career really) worth of fairly repetitive sounding verses. Now on to the beats which are what really sets this apart from anything you've heard before. This is some pretty heavy stuff(although this album is their "lightest" sound yet), and it's done mostly without instruments(think more a freight train locking up it's brakes), resulting in some engaging yet ear shattering concoctions. Again though, by the end of the album it has a tendency to sound formulaic due to the MC's even keel delivery throughout, over tracks that often erupt for the chorus and drop back down for the verses(there's also a tendency for the music to overpower the rhymes making them hard to decipher). With a more diverse combination of beats and delivery I have no doubt that Dalek could be the future of Hip Hop, until then though, they are what they are... a niche experiment who's sound may alienate more than invite new listeners(too heavy for rap fans, too hip hop for metal fans). This ISN'T a negative review(believe it or not), Dalek is an original and progressive force in music(which is rare these days) and I can completely understand why some are so enthralled by them... the question is, will you be? Listen to the samples provided by Amazon and find out for yourself, you may be surprised by what you hear(whether it's pleasantly, only you can say?).