Absence (Dälek album)

Absence is the third album by alternative hip hop group dälek, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2005. The album, according to the group, was recorded during a very dark and pessimistic time period for the group, which in turn resulted in the recording's dark, bleak sound.[2]

Absence
Studio album by
ReleasedFebruary 8, 2005 (2005-02-08)
RecordedSweetwood Sound and The Mayan Ruins, December 2003–June 2004[1]
GenreAlternative hip hop, industrial hip hop, experimental hip hop, noise, ambient
Length57:07
LabelIpecac
(IPC-056)
ProducerMC Dälek, Oktopus, Still, Joshua Booth
Dälek chronology
From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots
(2002)
Absence
(2005)
Abandoned Language
(2007)

Track listing

edit

All tracks are written by MC Dälek, Oktopus and Joshua Booth

No.TitleLength
1."Distorted Prose"6:00
2."Asylum (Permanent Underclass)"5:48
3."Culture for Dollars"6:43
4."Absence"1:31
5."A Beast Caged"6:41
6."Köner"3:56
7."In Midst of Struggle"7:43
8."Eyes to Form Shadows"6:30
9."Ever Somber"4:49
10."Opiate the Masses"7:24
Total length:57:07
Japanese bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
11."3:46"3:46
12."Vague Recollections"6:01
Total length:66:54

Reception

edit
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic     [3]
Cokemachineglow83%[11]
Drowned in Sound7/10[7]
Ondarock8.5/10[10]
Pitchfork Media8.3/10[4]
Popmatters          [9]
SpinB+[12]
Sputnikmusic4.0/5[5]
Stylus MagazineB−[6]
Tiny Mix Tapes     [8]

Upon its initial release in 2005, Absence received praise from many publications. Critics praised the album for its brooding sound and thought provoking lyrics. Treble magazine included the album in its list of '10 Essential Industrial Hip Hop Albums'.[13] Drowned in Sound magazine ranked the album at #53 on their "DiS is 6: Our 66" list, published in 2006 (which covers its favorite albums from the six years since its creation).[14] Italian underground music magazine OndaRock also rated the album the 26th best of the decade.[15]

Personnel

edit
Dalek[1]
  • Dälek – lead vocals, writing, production
  • Oktopus – writing, production
  • Still – turntables, production
  • Joshua Booth – writing, mixing, production
Additional musicians[1]
  • Oddateee – additional vocals on "Culture for Dollars"
Other personnel[1]
  • Will Brooks – engineering, mixing and layout design
  • Marco Burbano – "absence" tag
  • Jesse Cannon – mixing
  • Alan Douches – mastering
  • Hsi-Chang Lin – layout design
  • Alex Lyach – photography
  • Mike Mare – photography
  • Alan Momin – engineering and mixing
  • Scott Shields – layout design

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Dälek (2005). Absence (CD). Ipecac Recordings. IPC-056.
  2. ^ Dahlen, Chris. "Dälek interview". pitchfork.com. Pitchfork. Retrieved January 29, 2005.
  3. ^ Absence at AllMusic
  4. ^ Pitchfork Media Archived December 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Robertson, Alex (April 21, 2013). "Album Review - Dälek: Absence". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
  6. ^ Stylus Magazine Archived November 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ "Album Review: Dälek - Absence / Releases / Releases // Drowned in Sound". Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  8. ^ "Music Review: Dälek - Absence".
  9. ^ "Dälek: Absence, PopMatters". 7 February 2005.
  10. ^ "Dälek - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto".
  11. ^ "Dälek: Absence :: Record Review | Cokemachineglow.com". Archived from the original on 2008-12-02. Retrieved 2008-12-02.
  12. ^ "SPIN". February 2005.
  13. ^ "10 Essential Industrial Hip Hop Albums". 16 January 2014.
  14. ^ "DiS is 6! Our 66, part 1 / In Depth // Drowned in Sound". Archived from the original on 2015-03-21. Retrieved 2015-03-01.
  15. ^ "I migliori dischi del Decennio Zero (2000-2009)". OndaRock (in Italian). Retrieved February 3, 2024.