©Danielle Hardy
I have a bit of a
mixed relationship with hip-hop. On one hand I can't deny that I like
some out of nostalgic reasons alone, I really dislike the whole get
rich fuck bitches side of it. Instrumentally the repetitive nature of
how samples are usually used in hip-hop often just bores me. I never
had an issue with rapping itself. When I just started getting into
heavy music Rage Against the Machine was an important band for me and
they are basically a hard rock band with a dude who raps. However a
couple years ago I started discovered that there is hip-hop out there
for me. First I discovered Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise and
Liberation Of Niggy Tardust and right after that I discovered Dälek.
What makes both these acts but especially Dälek different is that
they are essentially industrial/noise sample wise. Finally I had
found hip-hop that was entirely to my liking. I've been listening to
Dälek regularly since then and I've grown less negative about other
forms of hip-hop as a result. Now years later after getting into
Dälek I was finally able to see them live on the 25th of
June.
Support on this evening was provided by MoE a noise rock band from Norway. Stylistically they mostly reside in the The Jesus Lizard camp with some definite no wave influence. While not spectacularly innovative they played a solid show. While the nice glittery outfits of the guitarist and the bassist were nice I have to mention that whatever the drummer was wearing was really eye-catching. I don't know what it really was but very nice dude.
While you'd think
all the metalheads and punks present would normally be more into the
noise rock that MoE played it was clear from the very start of the
gig that everyone present tonight was there for Dälek. Right from
the start the crowd was into it. Personally I had to grow into it
like I always do when listening to the Dälek albums. Eventually
indeed once again just like at home the hypnotic combination of the
noisey ambient samples with the old school beats and the rapping got
to me. The nature of the act eventually evokes a feel like you are
actually at a psychedelic rock gig. Eventually however the gig came
to a close leaving me a bit dazed but especially satisfied.
