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.
Content To Play Villain
Dälek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost sense of belonging
Beliefs breached by knowing
Knot lodged in throat couldn't cope with this moment
Phrase falls like omen
Violence condoned
Prone to rip the same flesh your holding
Doldrums of life seem redundant
in adverse abundance
Some lack substance to verbalize existence
Some slit wrists well good riddance
Indifferent to men who act children in face of adversity
Death's the one certainty
So called eternity fed intravenously
As relief from misery
Manufactured by men who attempt to play deity
What you see in me?
Seething reality
Bathed in brutality
The one to prove your facts to be fallacy
As my lungs expand, so do galaxies
Gained experience through tragedy
Transcend average travesty to speak an ancient wisdom
Hidden content burnt at stake by religion
i don't give a fuck what you're feelin'
Toss frail frames off of buildings
Content to play villain.
In dälek's song "Content To Play Villain," the lyrics touch upon the themes of isolation, disillusionment, and violence. The singer begins by describing a lost sense of belonging and how their beliefs have been shattered by knowledge, leaving them in a state of conundrum. They discuss how some people lack substance to verbalize their existence and resort to violence or suicide as a means of coping with their struggles. The singer is indifferent towards those who act like children in the face of adversity and seems to have little faith in humanity.
The singer's perspective shifts in the chorus where they declare themselves to be content to play the villain. They seem to have embraced their outsider status and have no concern for the feelings of others. They express a desire to cause harm and even murder, as evidenced by the line "Toss frail frames off of buildings." The singer appears to have reached a point of no return and is resigned to living a life of violence and brutality.
Overall, "Content To Play Villain" is a gritty and thought-provoking exploration of the darker aspects of human nature. It conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair, while also touching upon the allure of embracing one's inner darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost sense of belonging
Feeling disconnected and lost.
Beliefs breached by knowing
Discovering that deeply held beliefs are not true.
Knot lodged in throat couldn't cope with this moment
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to deal with a difficult situation.
Phrase falls like omen
A warning that something bad is going to happen.
Violence condoned
Acceptance and approval of violent behavior.
Prone to rip the same flesh your holding
Capable of inflicting harm upon those closest to you.
Doldrums of life seem redundant
Feeling stuck in a monotonous and uneventful existence.
Yet tend to sow seeds of conundrum in adverse abundance
Creating confusion and difficulty even in situations that should be simple.
Some lack substance to verbalize existence
Unable to articulate their thoughts and feelings about life.
Some slit wrists well good riddance
Some people harm themselves to escape the pain of living.
Indifferent to men who act children in face of adversity
Not sympathetic to those who behave immaturely in difficult situations.
Death's the one certainty
The only thing that is guaranteed in life is death.
So called eternity fed intravenously
Belief in an afterlife is used as a temporary escape from the pain of living.
As relief from misery
Religion is used as a coping mechanism for suffering.
Manufactured by men who attempt to play deity
Religion is a creation of human beings, who attempt to take on the role of a god.
What you see in me?
Asking what other people think about the artist.
Seething reality
Feeling angry and frustrated with the way things are.
Bathed in brutality
Surrounded by violence and cruelty.
The one to prove your facts to be fallacy
Challenging commonly accepted truths and beliefs.
As my lungs expand, so do galaxies
As the artist grows and evolves, their scope and understanding of the universe grows too.
Gained experience through tragedy
Learning from difficult and painful experiences.
Transcend average travesty to speak an ancient wisdom
Rising above common troubles and speaking a deep and profound truth.
Hidden content burnt at stake by religion
Religion suppresses and destroys knowledge and wisdom that goes against its teachings.
i don't give a fuck what you're feelin'
Not caring about other people's opinions or feelings.
Toss frail frames off of buildings
Violent and destructive behavior towards vulnerable people.
Content to play villain
Happy to be seen as the bad guy and engage in destructive behavior.
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.