2009 Albums Music Review hip hop: blu dalek Gutter Tactitcs ipecac johnson and jonson oktopus Rev. Jeremiah Wright subtitle
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dälek – Gutter Tactics (Ipecac, 2009)
Between Blu releasing Johnson and Jonson recently and Gutter Tactics arriving in my mailbox, I’ve had a good amount of the boom bap to get through. Luckily though, Gutter Tactics is as strong as any other Dälek release thus far.
The Real Dälek
Beginning with a righteous screed by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, where he perhaps goes a bit over the top, the disc shapes up to be even more overtly political – or at least aware of the political nonsense that goes on around us everyday – than previous work. That doesn’t mean that every lyrical tidbit is agreeable, but at the very least dälek has obviously remained entranced by the social workings of the country since Abandoned Language.
One of the reasons that each of Dälek’s releases is so strong is because of the overall unity of each track production wise. While occasionally, listener’s can loose track of what song their listening to or even which of the duo’s discs they have in the cd player, that kind of forethought and planning serves the group well. But also, that disallows stand out tracks in the same way that other release may feature them.
Subtitle & dälek – Live Freestyle
A rarity though on “A Collection of Miserable Thoughts Laced with Wit,” is the laid back beat that crops up. There still isn’t a real melody, but an assortment of jangled instruments and swelling drones is a welcome break in the often abrasive music that Dälek features. On this particular track, dälek’s voice is set deep in the mix, as if he’s telling you something from the next room. But the relaxed and relatively quiet musical setting properly accompanies his witty thoughts.
There’s no place to find fault with Gutter Tactics. And while it’s not perfect, it’s another step forward for the group, for hip hop and hopefully visibility for an act that has of yet to be generally embraced by the rap cognoscenti.
dälek – Abandoned Language (Ipecac, 2007)
To begin with Dälek could actually be outer-space mutants comprised of metal objects. Seems’ pretty nasty. But in this world, Dälek is a rap duo that releases albums on a rock/metal label.
Beginning with the brightly colored and seemingly happy album From Filthy Tongue of God and Griots, this group has enamored and confused left-field hip-hoppers. Being matched with Patton’s Ipecac label is actually a sensible concept, much like Sage Francis or Eyedea signing to Epitaph. There is a white audience for this music and every group can take steps towards reaching out.
While the other acts mentioned have a bit more of a palatable sound, Dälek is loud and disturbing both musically and lyrically. On Abandoned Language, dälek (the emcee as opposed to Dälek the group) continues his unique criticism of American culture and the people that have constructed it.
In other critiques of this new disc, some have commented upon the fact that the group has toned down its’ trademark noise-some production. But luckily, the horns on “Starved for Truth” sound as if they have been culled from either Beefheart or Pere Ubu for inclusion on the track. This release seems related to El-P’s last slab in the sense that the commercial concept of music is present; dälek is reaching more people than before, but he seems at odds with it. Once he prods, “Sales are the mark of the illest emcee”.
Even more than all of these tirades on politics and the games we play, the idea of human communication is broached over and over again. The verse of dälek’s on “Bricks Crumble” is looped and played against itself, creating a disquieting form of interruption. He still speaks the same words, with the same meaning, but now there is the possibility of hearing something, a certain intonation perhaps, that escaped the listener before. Again, in “Tarnished,” the verse that dälek expounds is muffled and low in the mix, making music a more prominent and immediate form of communicating. In that same song though, the listener receives the thesis of most underground hip-hop screeds; “the core of man is tarnished.”
The Paste Top Albums of 2008: A Refutation
This photo was cold-jacked from Zack Arias
Allow me to say that I really enjoy reading Paste. I, however, hate year end lists more than I hate wearing tight pants in general – but specifically after a huge meal. Anyway, Paste, much like every other media outlet in the world has compiled their favorite discs from the year 2008.
Considering that the way in which human beings arbitrarily defined time, year-end lists seem ridiculous. But also, considering the fact that Psychic Ills, WAVVES and dälek amongst others have already swamped the press with soon to be released 2009 discs, I feel like any list compiled now would contain glaring empty spaces with those discs not included.
These are my points of contention with Paste and its list.
#15: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!: I’ve really tried to like the music of Nick Cave. I probably should, but I can’t. And watching him release this disc as well as Grinderman, really just aggravates me ‘cause I won’t be listening.
#12: Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping: These folks might be the biggest hoax currently being perpetrated on the indie-record buying public. You know who’s got cooler out fits? KISS, that’s who.
#06: Fleet Foxes – Self Titled: What qualifications do any of these bands have to be touted as great? All I know is that I’m pretty sick of seeing this band’s name everywhere I bloody look.
#03: Vampire Weekend – Self Titled: Seriously?
Instead of compiling some noxious list of ephemera, I just asked the folks in the Psychic Ills to give me a list, any list, of stuff (or even things) that they’ve enjoyed over the last year. This is what they got back to me with. And if you’ll notice, Santogold are glaringly absent.
Tres Warren (guitar):
La Monte Young live at the Dream House, June 20th, 2008.
Juan Atkins live at Studio B, June 21st 2008.
Jimy SeiTang (guitar):
Omar S. live at the Beach (Queens), July 16th, 2008
Elizabeth Hart (bass):
The moon on December 12th. It is the closest it has been to the Earth in 14 years!
dälek – Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 (Hydra Head, 2007)
(This originally appeared in the Summer ‘07 issue of Skyscraper)
The February release of Abandoned Language has been quickly followed by the odds and sods collection that is Deadverse Massive. Interestingly enough both releases have been distributed by labels that mostly specialize in devious strains of rock. Unfortunately, even with the exposure to a wider and different audience Dälek hasn’t seemed to find the acceptance that other underground rap acts have found. Regardless of their fortune, this collection spans a 7 year period and includes a few remixes created just for this release. The lead off “Megaton” has been placed at the head because it exemplifies the groups sound, but apparently prefigures any major release. Sadly enough, between that first track and the following instrumental “Angst” with its slightly less abrasive sound and bigger groove seem to be the highlights. Obviously, with the lyrical ability of dälek there are noteworthy tracks and lines like “speak the truth in question/jagged tongue is weapon” from “Desolate Peoples”. A female vocalist appears on a couple of remixes. Without any notation as to who she is, one can only ponder her identity as well as why the group decided to include such an exploration. This all contributes to the catalogue that dälek and Oktopus have been building for a decade, but only points to where they were going as opposed to exhibiting their previous glory.