Dälek

(2002) From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots / V2

The word on the street is that Dälek should billed as alternative or metal-infused hip hop, but I can't help but feel the people who do so are missing the mark. Hip hop is fundamentally a derivative art form; there is no specific sound that you can point to and say 'that is emblematic of hip hop'.

But, I'll turn around and say that Dälek is most certainly a bastion of the philosophy of hip hop. It's about digging through the collective music consciousness for new sounds to appropriate. The sometimes industrial, sometimes prog, sometimes raga-laced beats laid out by Oktopus serve as a solid foundation for MC Dälek's politically polemic verses. Enjoy.

TOP 2009 [soidemersol]

Not a year of new releases for me, but of going deep into some roots and folkloric music, specially brazilian. Anyway, here are a few things that did not pass unnoticed:

Dälek
(2009) Gutter Tacticts / V2


Alva Noto
(2009) Xerox vol. 2 / V0


B Fachada
(2009) B Fachada / 192k


Honorable mention (try our artists index for most of it):

Giuseppe Ielasi - Aix
Romulo Fróes - No Chão Sem o Chão
Wavves - S/T
V.A. - Dirt Beneath the Daydream (A Collection of Sound from Aotearoa/New Zealand)
B Fachada - Um Fim-de-semana no Pónei Dourado
Matrix Metals - Flamingo Breeze
John Frusciante - The Empyrean
Atom TM - Liedgut
Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
Samuel Úria - Nem Lhe Tocava
Tim Hecker - An Imaginary Country
Zu - Carboniferous

Made me nauseous:

Molina & Johnson - S/T
Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong
Flaming Lips - Embryonic
Devendra Banhart - What Will Be
Cocorosie - Coconuts, Plenty of Junk Food
Bob Mould - Life and Times
Zola Jesus - New Amsterdam