Newark, NJ's Dälek undermine the simplistic gloss of mainstream hip hop with gritty, complex underground hip hop that at once clicks and whirs like some electronica head trip; layers on environmental ambience; and assaults the listener with aggressive, intelligent rhymes. Dälek and Oktopus met at William Patterson University in the mid-'90s and began collaborating. Soon, Dälek dropped out of school, cashed in his loans, and put his money into his home studio. The duo's first album, Negro, Necro, Nekros, was released on Gern Blandsten in 1998 to critical acclaim. The record combined elements of Faust, the rock grit of the Velvet Underground, shoegazer density, and IDM beats with insightful lyrics, and Dälek were named on Urb's Next 100 list. During their relentless tour schedule, at a college show, the duo met DJ Still and asked him to join the group. Dälek spent the next few years on the road, opening for acts like De La Soul, Prince Paul, DJ Spooky, the Rye Coalition, the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Pharcyde, and the Roots. Dälek's second album, From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots, was released on Ipecac Recordings in August of 2002. The record expanded their already broad sound and fully realized the group's position beside hip hop innovators like Antipop Consortium and Clouddead. ~ Charles Spano, All Music Guide