Dälek (pronounced "dialect") (stylized in

all lowercase Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (more formally ''minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing systems ...

) is an American

experimental hip hop Alternative hip-hop (also known as alternative rap and experimental hip-hop) is a subgenre of hip-hop music that encompasses a wide range of styles that are not typically identified as mainstream. AllMusic defines it as comprising "hip-hop group ...

group formed in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...

in 1998. The group's current lineup consists of MC dälek (vocals and producer) and Mike Manteca (aka Mike Mare) (electronics and producer).

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. Brooks had won a scholarship at college, used it to buy an MPC3000 and dropped out to become a full-time musician and formed Dälek with Momin, who encouraged him to name the group after his stage name "like Van Halen". 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 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, ex-lead singer of DUH, ex-employee of Mercury Records) and Mike Patton (Faith N ...

, and a string of EPs, singles and remixes on various

independent label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represente ...

s. Booth left the group to complete his doctorate in 2009, and Oktopus had relocated to Berlin by 2010. 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 ''Asphalt for Eden'' is the sixth studio album released by experimental hip hop group dälek, first released on April 22, 2016 through Profound Lore, a label that focuses mostly on heavy metal, but also releases experimental records. First a ...

'' on Profound Lore Records. In December 2016, Ipecac Recordings announced that they had re-signed Dälek. The group released ''Endangered Philosophies'' in August 2017. Spyros Stasis of

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, ...

described it as an 'enticing and alluring' mix of 'hip-hop, krautrock, noise and shoegaze'. Paul Simpson of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

found it 'equally abrasive and hypnotic' and 'bracing yet beautiful'. In 2019 the group release ''Respect To The Authors'', a six-track EP released on vinyl through Exile on Mainstream. The EP was re-released digitally in 2020. In 2020, during the

Covid-19 Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, the group were unable to access their Union City studio and ultimately scrapped the album they had under production. As an outlet, MC Dälek produced the ''Meditations'' series of seven download-only albums from his home. The group reconvened with Booth in 2021 and began work on ''Precipice'', a ten track album, which was released digitally and on vinyl in April 2022. The album includes a collaboration with Adam Jones, guitarist with

Tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by animals, animals use simple tools, only human bei ...

. Dälek have often shared the stage with artists covering a wide range of genres, such as

Godflesh Godflesh are an English industrial metal band from Birmingham. The group formed in 1982 under the original title O.P.D. (later Fall of Because) but did not release any complete music until 1988 when Justin Broadrick (guitar, vocals, programmi ...

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

, Prince Paul,

Melvins Melvins (sometimes the Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Primarily a trio, they have also performed as a quartet, with eith ...

De La Soul De La Soul ( ) is an American hip hop music, hip hop group formed in the village of Amityville on Long Island, New York (state), New York in 1988. They are best known for their eclectic sampling, eccentric lyrics, and contributions to the evoluti ...

RJD2 Ramble Jon Krohn (born May 27, 1976), better known by his stage name RJD2, is an American musician and record producer based in Columbus, Ohio. He is the owner of record label RJ's Electrical Connections. He has been a member of groups such as S ...

The Young Gods The Young Gods are a Swiss industrial rock band from Fribourg, formed in 1985. The original lineup of the band featured singer Franz Treichler, sampler player Cesare Pizzi and drummer Frank Bagnoud. For most of their history, the band mainta ...

Meat Beat Manifesto Meat Beat Manifesto, often shortened as Meat Beat, Manifesto or MBM, is an electronic music group originally consisting of Jack Dangers and Jonny Stephens that was formed in 1987 in Swindon, United Kingdom. The band, fronted by Dangers (the only ...

, Jesu,

The Pharcyde The Pharcyde is an American hip hop group, formed in South Los Angeles, South Central Los Angeles in 1989. The original four members of the group are Imani (rapper), Imani (Emandu Wilcox), Slimkid3 (Trevant Hardson), Bootie Brown (Romye Robinson ...

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Robert Saddler (born January 1, 1958), known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is a Barbadian-American musician and DJ. He created a DJ technique called the Quick Mix Theory. This technique serviced the break-dancer and the rapper by el ...

KRS-One Lawrence "Kris" Parker (born August 20, 1965), better known by his stage names KRS-One (; an abbreviation of "Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly Everyone") and Teacha, is an American rapper from the Bronx. He rose to prominence as part of the ...

Dub Trio Dub Trio is a dub/rock cross-over band from Brooklyn, New York City, New York. History Dub Trio consists of bassist Stu Brooks, guitarist DP Holmes, and drummer Joe Tomino. With the addition of electronic, rock, punk and heavy metal, the grou ...

, Charles Hayward,

Cult of Luna Cult of Luna is a Swedish post-metal band from Umeå founded in 1998. Their style of music is similar to contemporary bands Neurosis and Isis. Cult of Luna was signed to Earache Records in the early 2000s and released five albums, including th ...

, Zu, Blackie,

The Gaslamp Killer William Benjamin Bensussen (born November 7, 1982), better known by his stage name The Gaslamp Killer, is an American alternative hip hop producer and DJ based in Los Angeles, California. Career He grew up in San Diego, California, where he beca ...

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...

The Dillinger Escape Plan The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of Consonance and ...

, The Bug,

Mastodon A mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (''mastós''), meaning "breast", and ὀδούς (''odoús'') "tooth", is a member of the genus ''Mammut'' (German for 'mammoth'), which was endemic to North America and lived from the late Miocene to ...

, and

Lovage Lovage ( ; ''Levisticum officinale'') is a perennial plant, the sole species in the genus ''Levisticum'' in the family Apiaceae, subfamily Apioideae. It has been long cultivated in Europe and the leaves are used as a herb, the roots as a vegeta ...

. Oktopus and MC Dälek collaborated with

experimental metal Avant-garde metal (also known as avant-metal, experimental metal, art metal and experimetal) is a subgenre of heavy metal music loosely defined by use of experimentation and innovative, avant-garde elements, including non-standard and unconventi ...

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

band Starkweather on their 2010 album '' This Sheltering Night''.

Style and influence

Dälek's music is dark, noisy and atmospheric, equally inspired by industrial music like

Einstürzende Neubauten (, 'Collapsing New Buildings') is a German experimental music group, formed in West Berlin in 1980. The band currently comprises founding members Blixa Bargeld (lead vocals, guitar, keyboard) and N.U. Unruh (custom-made instruments, percussion, ...

, the layered noise of My Bloody Valentine and the dense sound collages of

Public Enemy Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...

. 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 Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...

glitch hop Glitch is a genre of experimental electronic music that emerged in the 1990s, which is distinguished by the deliberate use of glitches in audio media and other sonic artifacts. The sounds featured in glitch tracks usually come from audio record ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

shoegaze Shoegaze (originally called shoegazing and sometimes conflated with dream pop) is a subgenre of indie rock, indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion (music), distortion and effects, a ...

, and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

, as well as being criticized for their broad range of sound. MC dälek described the duo's music to the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'':

Members

;Current * Will "dälek" Brooks – vocals, lyrics, occasional turntables, production * Mike "Mike Mare" Manteca – instrumentation, production ;Former * Oktopus – instrumentation, production * Joshua Booth – guitars, keyboards, production * Rudy "DJ rEk" Chicata – turntables * Hsi-Chang "Still" Lin – turntables * Motiv – turntables

Discography

Albums

*''

Negro Necro Nekros ''Negro 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. It was reissued in 2024 by Ipecac Recordings. CD track listing Vinyl track lis ...

'' (1998) *''

From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots ''From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots'' is the second album by dälek, released in 2002. The instrumentation of the album includes vocals and turntables as well as guitar, both electric and acoustic, drums, bass, and keyboards provided by vario ...

'' (2002) *'' Absence'' (2005) *''

Abandoned Language ''Abandoned Language'' is an album by dälek, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2007. Track listing Personnel * MC Dälek – lead vocals, lyrics, production * Oktopus – recording, mixing, production * Joshua Booth – guitars, ...

'' (2007) *'' Gutter Tactics'' (2009) *''Untitled'' (2010) *''

'' (2016) *''Endangered Philosophies'' (2017) *''Precipice'' (2022)

Extended plays and singles

*"Dälek vs. Dälek" (2002, single) *''Streets All Amped'' (2006, EP) *''Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 Rarities 1999–2006'' (2007, compilation) *"Molten" (2016, digital single) *''Respect To The Authors'' (2019, EP) *"Decimation (Dis Nation)" (2022, single) *"The Essence" (2025, single)

Collaborations

*''Megaton/Classic Homicide'' (2000) split collaboration with

Techno Animal Techno Animal was an electronic duo formed in 1990 in London, England by British musicians Justin Broadrick (of the band Godflesh) and Kevin Martin (aka the Bug, of the band God). The duo released six LPs beginning with their 1991 debut ''Gho ...

*''Insound Tour Support Vol. 7'' (2000), collaboration with Chris Leo/

The Lapse The Lapse was an American indie band formed in late 1997. History The band was first signed to Gern Blandsten, then Southern Records. A larger deal with Matador Records fell through in 2001. The Lapse was the duo of then boyfriend/girlfriend ...

, credited as the OctaLapse *''Ruin It'' (2002) in collaboration with

Kid606 Miguel Trost De Pedro (born July 27, 1979), better known by his stage name Kid606, is an electronic musician who was raised in San Diego and later moved to San Francisco. He is most closely associated with the Glitch (music), glitch, Intelligent ...

*''Dälek vs. Velma'' (2003) split collaboration with Velma *'' Derbe Respect, Alder'' (2004) in collaboration with

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

*''Dälek vs. Zu'' (2005) - two track remix single with Zu *''Deadverse Massive'' (2007) - four track 12" in collaboration with Destructo Swarmbots and Oddateee *''My Education vs. dälek'' (2007) in collaboration with My Education *''Dälek vs. Ifwhen – Hear Less / No Good Trying'' (2008) - four song 12" with Ifwhen. *''DJ Baku vs. Dälek'' (2009) - two exclusive Dälek tracks and a remix of a Dälek song by DJ Baku, and vice versa. *''Griots And Gods – Les Eurockeennes Festival Belfort 2010'' (2010) Live collaboration with

. *''Anguish'' - self-titled LP and CD (2019) - 9 track album in collaboration with Hans Joachim Irmler of

and saxophonist

Mats Gustafsson Mats Olof Gustafsson (born 29 October 1964) is a Swedish free jazz saxophone player. Career Gustafsson came to the attention of lovers of improvised music as part of a duo with Christian Munthe (started in 1986), as member of Gunter Chris ...

and drummer Andreas Werliin of

Fire! Orchestra Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion. Fire also commonly refers to: *Conflagration, a large and destructive fire *Structure fire, a house or building on fire *Wildfire, a fire in a forest, rangeland, or o ...

References

External links

Dälek
at

Pizza joint recording session with 'They Shoot Music – Don't They' (04/09)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dalek American hip-hop duos Musical duos from New Jersey Musical groups from Newark, New Jersey Alternative hip-hop groups American shoegaze musical groups American noise musical groups American ambient music groups Musical groups established in 1998 American experimental musical groups American industrial music groups Ipecac Recordings artists Profound Lore Records artists Gern Blandsten Records artists Musical groups disestablished in 2011 Musical groups reestablished in 2015