As a hip-hop group that stands in opposition to mainstream rap and reserves themselves for the underground scene, DÃ ¤lek has to work for their following by being consistently innovative and intriguing to whomever is listening. They are an unconventional alternative hip-hop or industrial rap group, providing listeners with looming, electronic drones on top of heavy beats. And for their latest release, Gutter Tactics, they are most successful when they are altering the rhythm regularly and allowing the swirling background music to roam, which keeps things interesting by moving the sound forward. And though this resembles nothing like the mainstream rap that occupies most student playlists, this duo from New Jersey is smooth, and creative and provide beats that even the whitest dancer on campus couldn't lose.
Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children's Heads Against a Rock"" introduces DÃ ¤lek appropriately, using a relaxed, yet brooding beat that sounds like the ideal backbone of a Portishead song. Instead, it is backing the Reverend Jeremiah Wright speaking negatively of several aggressive military actions in our country's history. It's a startling introduction that steadily builds in suspense until ""No Question"" takes over with another ominous flow. And when the first lines enter, hearing a human voice in all of the darkness feels reassuring, but it would be even more comforting if they weren't asking threatening questions about survival.
With the next track, ""Armed With Krylon,"" undeniable comparisons to the Roots surface, with the rhythm of the lyrics through the chorus and the pounding drums resembling some of ?uestlove and Black Thought's best work from Game Theory.
But Gutter Tactics opens up the space of the sound more than any other hip-hop group. The heavy, thumping beats are placed off in the distance so that the droning chords can provide a psychedelic, hallucinogenic atmosphere. When the deliberate lyrics are placed over this, it becomes a beautifully dark but provocative trip. The best example of this is on the eight-minute, wandering ""Who Medgar Evers Was..."" Here the atmospheric elements are given full room to roam between verses, and the swirling, oceanic effects become endearing, with the assistance of casual claps overlying the last verse of content rapping.
They manage to change things up a little with the track ""A Collection Of Miserable Thoughts Laced With Wit,"" a contemplative, mindful song that shows their inability to shape the dynamics of their vocals to the background music. Despite that, it is a needed change of pace in the flow of the album as one of the only songs on Gutter Tactics that sees DÃ ¤lek wandering from their persistent sound.
Without the slight redundancy of musical expression on Gutter Tactics, it would be an album to be reckoned with. And with a little more wandering in their sound, they would emerge as the Nine Inch Nails of rap. But instead, DÃ ¤lek fall under the heading of darkly mesmerizing and entertaining. Although not bad by any stretch of the imagination, DÃ ¤lek has unused potential ready to be utilized.
