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.
Images Of .44 Casings
Dälek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
you must be mistaken.
This phrase came with incoherence and portrayed my ragged existence.
In fits of paranoia I feel which parts are aching.
Jagged life once more from mirrors shows vagrant
While your three-piece mind is vacant
This d?k bred in basement and asphalt pavements
Playing pick-up with .44 casings.
This d?k bred in basement and asphalt pavements
Playing pick-up with .44 casings.
Slow folds of moments trapped within clasped hands
Thoughts beyond grasp of man
Means one more night to drink 'ock
One more sec my cell's unlocked
I watched for days as his wrist fell
Enthralled with all except the smell of decayed decadence
Earth-soaked peasants reek a sweet life
Mistaken blatant use of profane gestures
Suggesting once really cared.
Verses once in pairs now seem like ancient etchings on cave walls
I breath deep.... This air is fatal.
Savor it.
Bathe your seeds in it.
Grim realities flourish into valleys
While on desolate peaks souls speak to their shells
Slow process... Eternity inhales
Frail infrastructures are ruptured by infectious nature of ideas
All played by ear
And that Shady Individ who graced the rear has long since adhered to society
...Or has he?
Shear blasphemy! I saw your lips mouth
As I wiped my brow with Turin's shroud
Turns heads mongst crowd
Before Thelonius Monk I once bowed.
It must have been a dream
Para ti
Sweet nothingness
Love never cared
The air smelt a clean nothing
Bordering speckled life below
Sweet sorrow
Pretend there lie tomorrows with no ends
Dripping ink tear from pens
As gasping voices cry out at last
Etchings of a past blurred by the movements of time
As if rhyme itself came down and said,
"Hello again, friend."
But are you?
"Yes, yes!!" in Dean phrase
you are.
The rest may not.
Evil world, cruel evil world
I hear your laugh
I just never gave a fuck.
The song "Images Of .44 Casings" by dälek explores the themes of paranoia, decay, and bleak realities through a series of disjointed thoughts and vivid imagery. The opening lines express confusion and a sense of being misunderstood, as the singer questions the clarity of their own thoughts and experiences. The use of "incoherence" to describe their existence highlights the disjointed nature of their reality, and hints at the possibility of mental illness.
The second stanza delves further into themes of despair, as the singer describes a fascination with death and decay. The line "slow process...eternity inhales" suggests a sense of stagnation or hopelessness, as though time itself is standing still. As the song progresses, the language becomes increasingly poetic and abstract, with references to Thelonius Monk and the Turin shroud adding to the dreamlike quality of the lyrics. The final lines, "evil world, cruel evil world, I hear your laugh, I just never gave a fuck" suggest a sense of defiance and rejection of societal norms, despite the singer's bleak outlook.
Line by Line Meaning
What clarity?
I'm confused, this phrase makes no sense and reflects my messy life.
you must be mistaken.
I cannot understand you, there's a disconnect between us.
In fits of paranoia I feel which parts are aching.
Amidst my anxious state, I am aware of physical discomfort.
Jagged life once more from mirrors shows vagrant
I see my fragmented and aimless existence reflected in the mirror once again.
While your three-piece mind is vacant
You have a simplistic and empty way of thinking.
This dälek bred in basement and asphalt pavements
I come from a life of being confined indoors and in urban areas.
Playing pick-up with .44 casings.
I spent time carelessly playing with dangerous objects.
Slow folds of moments trapped within clasped hands
Memories are held tightly in my grasp.
Thoughts beyond grasp of man
I have thoughts that are difficult to comprehend and outside of most people's understanding.
Means one more night to drink 'ock
Another night of heavy drinking to cope with my struggles.
One more sec my cell's unlocked
Temporary relief comes when I am not confined to physical spaces.
I watched for days as his wrist fell
I observed someone deteriorate and fail over time.
Enthralled with all except the smell of decayed decadence
I am fascinated by everything except the repulsive smell of decay and decline.
Earth-soaked peasants reek a sweet life
Poor people may have simple lives, but there is beauty within their existence.
Mistaken blatant use of profane gestures
Swearing is often used inappropriately and insincerely.
Suggesting once really cared.
There was a time when I used to care deeply about things.
Verses once in pairs now seem like ancient etchings on cave walls
My previous artistic expressions now seem outdated and irrelevant.
I breath deep.... This air is fatal.
The air I'm breathing is poisonous and slowly killing me.
Savor it.
Despite the toxicity, I take comfort in the familiarity of it all.
Bathe your seeds in it.
My offspring will inherit the same harsh realities and environment as me.
Grim realities flourish into valleys
Pessimistic views of the world take root and manifest into depressing situations.
While on desolate peaks souls speak to their shells
Amidst high and lonely places, people have inner conversations with themselves.
Slow process... Eternity inhales
Time moves at a painstakingly slow pace and seems infinite.
Frail infrastructures are ruptured by infectious nature of ideas
Ideas can spread like wildfire and break down weak societal structures easily.
All played by ear
I am improvising and going with the flow of life.
And that Shady Individ who graced the rear has long since adhered to society
The person who was once in the background has now become a conformist to societal norms.
...Or has he?
Or maybe he hasn't and is still rebelling in his own way.
Shear blasphemy! I saw your lips mouth
It's sacrilegious and offensive that I'm witnessing you say something awful.
As I wiped my brow with Turin's shroud
I am so stressed that I am wiping my face with a holy shroud from Turin.
Turns heads mongst crowd
My actions are attracting attention from people around me.
Before Thelonius Monk I once bowed.
I once paid respects to the legendary jazz musician Thelonius Monk.
It must have been a dream
It seems like an unrealistic and impossible memory.
Para ti
For you.
Sweet nothingness
There is a sweet emptiness to be found.
Love never cared
I have never felt genuine love or concern from anyone.
The air smelt a clean nothing
The air was refreshing but devoid of any significant smells or meaning.
Bordering speckled life below
There is a diverse and unique way of living amongst people that exist on the edge of society.
Sweet sorrow
There is a bittersweet sadness to life.
Pretend there lie tomorrows with no ends
Imagining a future without limitations or consequences is comforting.
Dripping ink tear from pens
Writing poetry can be emotional and cathartic.
As gasping voices cry out at last
When people are dying, their last breath can be heart-wrenching.
Etchings of a past blurred by the movements of time
Memories of the past fade away with the passage of time and lose their sharpness.
As if rhyme itself came down and said,
It feels like the concept of rhyming is speaking to me.
"Hello again, friend."
A friendly and familiar greeting from an abstract source.
But are you?
But are you really my friend?
"Yes, yes!!" in Dean phrase
Affirmative response in the style of actor James Dean.
you are.
You truly are my friend.
The rest may not.
Others may not be my friend.
Evil world, cruel evil world
The world is filled with malevolence and injustice.
I hear your laugh
The world's negativity is mocking me.
I just never gave a fuck.
I am unfazed and indifferent to the world's cruelty.
Contributed by Elijah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.