dälek's music is dark, noisy and atmospheric, equally inspired by industrial music like Einstürzende Neubauten, the layered noise of My Bloody Valentine and the dense sound collages of Public Enemy. 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, glitch-hop, and metal-shoegaze-hip-hop, as well as criticized for their broad range of sound.
MC dälek described the group's music to the Chicago Sun-Times:
“It's purely hiphop, in the purest sense. If you listen to what hiphop has historically been, it was all about digging in different crates and finding different sounds, and finding different influences to create. If Afrika Bambaataa wasn't influenced by Kraftwerk, we wouldn't have 'Planet Rock'. So, in that sense, what we do is strictly hiphop.”
“If there is a difference, it's that the palette of sounds we work with is more varied than what has been called hiphop in the last 10 years. Somehow, as hiphop grew, it's been put into this box. I think it's funny when people are like "That's not hiphop. It's this and this and this." You can try to rationalize it as whatever you want to rationalize it as."
Studio albums:
• Negro Necro Nekros (1998)
• From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots (2002)
• Absence (2004)
• Abandoned Language (2007)
• Gutter Tactics (2009)
• Untitled (2010)
• Asphalt for Eden (2016)
• Endangered Philosophies (2017)
• Precipice (2022)
Collaborations, EPs and compilations:
• Megaton / Classic Homicide (2000) Split collaboration with Techno Animal.
• Ruin It (2002) In collaboration with Kid 606.
• Dälek vs. Velma (2002) Split collaboration with Velma.
• Derbe Respect, Alder (2004) In collaboration with Faust.
• Streets All Amped (2006)
• My Education vs. Dälek (2007) In collaboration with My Education.
• Deadverse Massive Vol. 1 (2007) Rarities 1999-2006.
• Griots and Gods - Les Eurockeennes Festival Belfort (2010) Live collaboration with The Young Gods.
A Collection Of Miserable Thoughts Laced With Wit
Dälek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At times I miss those I swore deserved fists
Reminisce of a youthful liquored bliss
Dulled pains of poverty
We sacrificed innocence dealt with daily anxiety
Hoped for future riches
Just to make something ours
Child with distant eyes smiles
As he sips from life, tastes all sour
The meek that await power have no concept of time
Now at this final hour, I consider the value of rhyme
Wasted breath or a testament to the downtrodden
The apple that Adam ate was found rotten
At the worst of time I still find my head nodding
This boom-bap tapped, subconscious snaps
That this pen's jotting, tattered tongue spits
It's not a song but a collection of miserable thoughts laced with wit
Don't give a shit if you find me mildly entertaining
Look around we got 'nuff minstrels in training
My verses pertain to that truth we all feel in gut
World's corrupt, so now what?
In "A Collection Of Miserable Thoughts Laced With Wit," dälek raps about the struggle and pain that stems from growing up poor and living in an environment that is ridden with fear and uncertainty. The opening lines describe the intensity of emotions that arise when reflecting on past experiences - memories of wanting to fight those who deserved it and longing for the simplicity of carefree youth that was fueled by alcohol.
The next lines delve deeper into the harshness of reality as the rapper describes the constant battle with poverty and anxiety. Along with the rest of his community, he held out hope for a better future but was aware of the sacrifices that needed to be made to reach that point. The imagery of a child sipping life and finding it sour is a powerful metaphor for the bleakness of their current situation.
In the final lines, the rapper questions the value of his words while acknowledging their significance to the marginalized and downtrodden. The reference to Adam's apple amplifies the sense of loss and decay that surrounds them, and ultimately, he affirms that music can serve as an outlet for expressing these "miserable thoughts laced with wit" in a way that is authentic and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
This goes too quick
Time passes too fast and I feel like I don't have enough of it
At times I miss those I swore deserved fists
Sometimes I miss fighting with people I thought deserved it
Reminisce of a youthful liquored bliss
I think back to when I was young and drank a lot of alcohol and how it made me feel
Dulled pains of poverty
The struggles of being poor have become normal for me and I'm no longer as affected by them
We sacrificed innocence dealt with daily anxiety
Growing up poor, we had to give up our innocence and deal with anxiety on a daily basis
Hoped for future riches
Despite our struggles, we still had hope that we would be rich one day
Mangled and already chopped sentence
The way I speak is not perfect and my words may be jumbled but they still belong to me
Just to make something ours
We take ownership of our language even if it's not 'proper'
Child with distant eyes smiles
Even though we live in difficult circumstances, there are moments of happiness and joy
As he sips from life, tastes all sour
The happiness is bittersweet because the reality of our situation is never far away
The meek that await power have no concept of time
People who are powerless are often not aware of how much time is passing
Now at this final hour, I consider the value of rhyme
As I get older and closer to the end of my life, I think about the importance of poetry and music
Wasted breath or a testament to the downtrodden
My words may seem pointless to some, but to others they could be a symbol of hope
The apple that Adam ate was found rotten
The things we are told are good for us may actually be harmful
At the worst of time I still find my head nodding
Even in the hardest moments, I can still find comfort in music and rhythm
This boom-bap tapped, subconscious snaps
The beat of the music is like a background rhythm to my thoughts, almost like a heartbeat
That this pen's jotting, tattered tongue spits
The words I write down are coming from a place of pain and struggle
It's not a song but a collection of miserable thoughts laced with wit
My words are not just music, but a reflection of my struggles and my ability to find humor in them
Don't give a shit if you find me mildly entertaining
I don't care if people only find me somewhat interesting
Look around we got 'nuff minstrels in training
There are plenty of other people trying to make it in music and entertainment
My verses pertain to that truth we all feel in gut
My words are honest and speak to the universal truths that we all experience
World's corrupt, so now what?
The world is not fair, so what do we do about it?
Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maria Diaz
This goes too quick
At times I miss those I swore deserved fists
Reminisce of a youthful liquored bliss
Dulled pains of poverty
We sacrificed innocence dealt with daily anxiety
Hoped for future riches
Mangled and already chopped sentence
Just to make something ours
Child with distant eyes smiles
As he sips from life, tastes all sour
The meek that await power have no concept of time
Now at this final hour, I consider the value of rhyme
Wasted breath or a testament to the downtrodden
The apple that Adam ate was found rotten
At the worst of time I still find my head nodding
This boom-bap tapped, subconscious snaps
That this pen's jotting, tattered tongue spits
It's not a song but a collection of miserable thoughts laced with wit
Don't give a shit if you find me mildly entertaining
Look around we got 'nuff minstrels in training
My verses pertain to that truth we all feel in gut
World's corrupt, so now what?
dan street
Awesome song