Dälek (pronounced 'Die-a-leck') is an American experimental hip hop duo from Newark, NJ. The group comprises MC Dälek (vocals & Co-Producer) and the Oktopus (Production). They have often toured with artists from radically different genres, such as Godflesh, Isis, Prince Paul, The Melvins, Tool, De La Soul, RJD2, and Lovage.
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 duo's music to the Chicago Sun-Times: