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.
Ruin It Ruin Them Ruin Yourself Then Ruin Me
Dälek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That sorry proud image in puddles leaves me crying rivers
These tender words are muted by the stench of life
Long before they could ever reach your ears.
You relate to mere echoes of what never stops but in my mind.
Entrails of truth left to scatter at the feet of humanity.
Plain sight leaves sour taste in this parched mouth.
Remain stricken with doubt
And confine me to chains with my blood.
I wonder if I will ever shed this feeling
Worn grotesque physical whose voice provokes wonderment.
Smooth violet light briefly eases the hardened sounds from belly of mechanical beast
And then itself is extinguished.
As will be my voice I suppose.
From this silence arose a wail of freedom through violence.
Am I permitted to vent thoughts recited a million times before?
Fluid drenched I eavesdrop onto Middle America
Same concerns as my youthful blood
And yet I have to sit alone.
The odd loud screech which may have startled a few from this middle poor Americana dream.
The rest only to sleep.
My speech the soundtrack to their nightmares.
Moonlight, once again
Burns my image, once again
A million times, into a million minds,
Through crust caked eyes
Who only pray to die...
Once again.
There is no remedy to my sickness.
Vivid view of nothing that was ever here.
Witness the subtle shifting of troubled souls towards a new mark in this wet sand.
Enjoy the bland mundane circumstance that led us to this staring match.
Breathe deep within my own collapse.
Ruin it, Ruin them, Ruin yourself.
The lyrics of dälek's "Ruin It Ruin Them Ruin Yourself Then Ruin Me" describe a person who is struggling with their own identity. The singer expresses their feelings of inadequacy and regret, feeling like they have become something they are ashamed of. They are unable to express their emotions fully, as they feel that the world around them is too loud and overwhelming. They feel like their frustrations and fears are only echoes that fall on deaf ears, and that the rest of the world is content to sleep through their struggles. They are plagued by doubt and uncertainty, wondering if they will ever be able to escape their current circumstances.
The singer also describes their feelings of isolation and alienation, feeling like they are separated from the world around them. They listen in on the conversations of others, recognizing their own struggles reflected in the concerns of their peers. However, they feel that they cannot connect with these individuals, that they are alone in their own struggles. They feel like their own voice is destined to be silenced, that their own experiences and emotions are inconsequential in the face of the world around them.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a person who is struggling with their own sense of identity and purpose. They feel alone and unsupported in their struggles, unable to fully express themselves to the world around them. At the same time, they recognize their own shortcomings and imperfections, feeling like they have become something they are ashamed of. The lyrics capture a sense of hopelessness and desolation, painting a bleak portrait of the world around us.
Line by Line Meaning
I tremble at the thought of what I've become
I am scared and ashamed of the person I have turned into.
That sorry proud image in puddles leaves me crying rivers
When I see my reflection in a puddle, I am filled with so much sadness that I cry a lot.
These tender words are muted by the stench of life
My kind and caring words are ignored because people are so focused on negativity and all the bad things in life.
Long before they could ever reach your ears.
My words never get the chance to be heard by the people who need to hear them.
You relate to mere echoes of what never stops but in my mind.
People can only understand a little bit of what I'm going through because the full extent of my pain only exists in my own mind.
Entrails of truth left to scatter at the feet of humanity.
I have tried to speak the truth but no one seems to care about it or listen to me.
Plain sight leaves sour taste in this parched mouth.
I am disgusted by how society operates and how people act when they know they are being watched.
Remain stricken with doubt
I am filled with constant uncertainty and doubt about myself and the world around me.
As I exchange pounds with those who remind me what I was
When I give money to certain people, it reminds me of my past and who I used to be.
And confine me to chains with my blood.
Those memories of my past make me feel trapped and unable to move forward in life.
I wonder if I will ever shed this feeling
I am not sure if I will ever be able to get rid of this constant feeling of despair and sadness.
Worn grotesque physical whose voice provokes wonderment.
My appearance is unappealing and strange, causing people to be curious about me and my story.
Smooth violet light briefly eases the hardened sounds from belly of mechanical beast
For a short time, I can forget my troubles when I hear beautiful music or see beautiful art.
And then itself is extinguished.
That sense of peace and beauty does not last long and is quickly replaced by my harsh reality.
As will be my voice I suppose.
Just like the music and art, my voice and message will eventually fade away and be forgotten.
From this silence arose a wail of freedom through violence.
Sometimes, in order to be heard and make a difference, violence and chaos are necessary.
Am I permitted to vent thoughts recited a million times before?
I wonder if I am allowed to share my thoughts and feelings, even though they have been expressed by others in the past.
Fluid drenched I eavesdrop onto Middle America
As I listen to the thoughts and concerns of people in America, I am filled with sadness and despair.
Same concerns as my youthful blood
Their concerns are the same as my own, from when I was younger.
And yet I have to sit alone.
Despite our shared experiences, I am still isolated and alone in my pain.
The odd loud screech which may have startled a few from this middle poor Americana dream.
Sometimes, I make loud noises or express myself in ways that are strange or uncomfortable, disrupting the norm and making others uncomfortable.
The rest only to sleep.
Most people do not try to change the world or make it a better place, they are content to live in their own bubble and ignore the problems around them.
My speech the soundtrack to their nightmares.
My message and my presence are scary to those who want to remain in their comfortable lives, so they see me as a threat to their peace of mind.
Moonlight, once again
The moon, a symbol of beauty and peace, is present once again.
Burns my image, once again
But even in the midst of this beauty, I feel burnt and destroyed inside.
A million times, into a million minds,
My pain and my story are not unique, but they are still important and should be heard by many people.
Through crust caked eyes
People try to ignore my message and my pain by avoiding eye contact or pretending it doesn't exist.
Who only pray to die...
Despite the beauty of the world, many people are so unhappy that they wish for death.
There is no remedy to my sickness.
I am so broken and damaged that there seems to be no way to fix me.
Vivid view of nothing that was ever here.
I am constantly reminded of all the things that used to exist but are now gone or destroyed.
Witness the subtle shifting of troubled souls towards a new mark in this wet sand.
I see people struggling to find their way and make a difference in a world that seems to be constantly changing and uncertain.
Enjoy the bland mundane circumstance that led us to this staring match.
Despite all the problems and pain in the world, people are content to just stare at each other and do nothing to address the issues.
Breathe deep within my own collapse.
In the midst of all this chaos and suffering, I am forced to breathe deeply and find a way to survive despite my own personal collapse.
Ruin it, Ruin them, Ruin yourself.
The only way to truly bring about change is to destroy everything, including yourself.
Contributed by Lincoln F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.