Dälek
Abandoned Language
****
Every
now and again comes a record that cuts through the mainstream
dross and reminds me why I love hip-hop. Ladies and gentlemen,
meet Dälek.
Abandoned Language is Dälek’s third full-length album,
following 2005’s underground cult favourite Absence, a furious,
explosive slab of pseudo-industrial white noise influenced by
artists as diverse as My Bloody Valentine, German noise veterans
Einsteurzende Neubaten and Wu-Tang Clan.
Wisely, New Jersey MC Dälek and producer The Oktopus choose
not to rehash the previous album’s rage, opting for a more
restrained and melodic sound. That’s not to say this album
is a toned down affair, as Dälek’s lyrical themes remain
as dark as ever, tackling the stark realities of racism, religion
and poverty.
Boldly, Abandoned Language kicks off with an epic ten-minute anti-racist
diatribe, its title track. ‘Perhaps the racists ain’t
blatant, but what’s really changed?’ asks Dälek
over a subdued, relentless bass-line and metronomic beat, as layers
of subtle noise gradually submerge his MCing. It’s an intoxicating
combination.
Although Abandoned Language is a more tuneful affair than any
of Dälek’s previous work, The Oktopus’s production
is complex and his sound is unlike anyone else in hip-hop, ideal
for those looking for something a little more leftfield. ‘Lynch’,
for example, is a five-minute instrumental of scraping noise,
providing perfectly timed respite from Dälek’s dystopian
lyrics and preventing the album from becoming too claustrophobic.
‘Tarnished’ and ‘Bricks Crumble’ are real
highlights, the former dealing with corporate watering-down of
black culture over a hypnotic melody and the latter boasting an
intriguing, robotic vocal. Closing track ‘(Subversive Script)’
almost boils over, with Dälek asking the listener ‘What
you fear…?’ as a paranoid racket swells behind him
for its six minute duration, before the track, and the album,
suddenly stops dead. It’s an explosive ending to a riveting
album.
The beauty of Abandoned Language is that although hip-hop heads
into the likes of Cannibal Ox and El-P will be in familiar territory,
it’s still an accessible, if challenging, listen for casual
fans. But it’s not perfect - Dälek’s flow is
a little one-paced and his subject matter can get repetitive,
but The Oktopus’s beats are jaw-droppingly accomplished
and worth a purchase.
Abandoned Language is Dälek’s finest album and although
there are new albums on the way from the aforementioned El-P and
(hopefully) Cannibal Ox, there won’t be many stronger rap
albums in 2007. Good stuff indeed.
by Tom Blackburn
