With their fourth album, Dälek still complied with their formula. Once again, this record from the Newark band was made of walls of sound, tenebrous ambiances, giant bass sounds, virulent lyrics, rapped admonitions, and long instrumental passages. As usual, also, there were a few scratches, here and there. DJ Still had departed, but another turntablist replaced him : Rob Swift, from the X-ecutioners.
Some doubts had remained, after listening to From Filthy Tongue of Gods & Griots (2002), Dälek's previous album. It had been a bit too uneven, and it relied too much on easy tricks like noises, walls of sound and crescendos, to make an impact. Despite some true gems, for example "Spiritual Healing" and "Classical Homicide", it didn't get all the benefits from the very personal kind of dystopic rap invented by the Newark duo. Two years later, though, the next album, Absence, would confirm for good that Dälek was a great hip-hop group.
Dälek is not a newcomer. The group has sent us its impressive rap discharges for nearly 10 years. But as 2007 seems to be a busy year with the releases of the excellent Abandoned Language and the Deadverse Massive Vol 1 compilation, it was time for us to disclose this interview we recorded with the MC in March.
