Deltron 3030 is an American hip hop trio composed of producer Dan the Automator (as the Cantankerous Captain Aptos), rapper Del the Funky Homosapien (as Deltron Zero/Deltron Osiris), and DJ Kid Koala (as Skiznod the Boy Wonder). They also collaborate with a variety of other musicians under many futuristic pseudonyms.
Deltron 3030 | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | 75 Ark, Bulk |
| Members | Dan the Automator Del the Funky Homosapien Kid Koala |
History
editDeltron 3030
editThe group's debut album Deltron 3030, released on May 23, 2000, is a concept album set in the year 3030 that tells of the dualistic conflict of fatalism that takes place between the moral concepts of "righteousness" and "malevolence." The story tells a prophetic tale of a warrior's thirst for battle as Del's alter ego, who goes by the name "Deltron-Zero," along with his comrade who happens to be a time-traveling cyborg wizard named "the Automator," face-off against megalithic corporations that megalomaniacally rule over our thermodynamic universe. The lyrics were written in less than two weeks and are characterized by extravagant allusions to futuristic outer-space themes in the tradition of Afrofuturist works by Sun Ra and George Clinton. Many samples originated with the contemporary French classical composer William Sheller.
Event 2
editDeltron 3030's second album, titled Event 2, was released in September 2013.[1]
Production began as far back as 2004,[2] and in November 2006 Del told IGN that four songs were already written and that "the album's lyrical theme has been basically mapped out."[3] Dan the Automator stated that the recording of the new album would probably be completed by December 2006, and that it would be released in 2007.[4] Due to a series of delays, group members issued a number of statements predicting imminent completion in 2008,[4][5] 2010,[6] 2011,[7][8][9] and 2012.[10]
On June 11, 2012, Deltron 3030 performed at the Luminato festival in Toronto, Ontario, a show that Kid Koala dubbed the Deltron Event 2 World Premiere.[11] The group played with a full horn, strings, and rhythm section conducted by Dan the Automator, premiered ten songs from Event 2, and revealed the visual style of the new album. In accordance with Del's statement that "3030 actually was one event, but these events can span centuries."[3] The first single from the album was "City Rising From the Ashes," a song influenced by the story of Osiris.[citation needed] On September 23, 2013, Event 2 was put on Pitchfork's Advance Streaming service in its entirety, one week before its official release.[12]
In October 2016, an expanded edition of Event 2 was released, featuring instrumentals from the album. Alongside this new addition, a live album featuring Deltron 3030, many of their collaborators from the Event 2 album, and the 3030 Orchestra, simply entitled Live, was released.[13]
Upcoming third album
editOn an episode of Red Bull Radio Peak Time in 2018, Dan The Automator confirmed he was working on a new Deltron 3030 album, stating "there's a couple songs that exist." He also hinted that Dr. Octagon would have a cameo on the album.[14]
Discography
edit| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [15] |
US R&B [16] |
US Indie [17] |
US Rap [18] | ||
| 2000 | Deltron 3030
|
194 | 90 | 18 | — |
| 2013 | Event 2
|
41 | 13 | 3 | 6 |
| 2016 | Live
|
— | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||
References
edit- ^ Haering, Bradley (October 12, 2008). "For your ears only: The funky homosapien returns, but worth it?". The Daily Aztek. Archived from the original on December 10, 2008.
- ^ "Automator Enjoys 'Omakase,' Remixes Beck". Billboard. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- ^ a b Jim Durig and Will Fry (November 28, 2006). "Del Q&A". IGN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
- ^ a b "Dan the Automator Remixes the Blue Angels". 10 Zen Monkeys. October 12, 2006. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ Even more drama than SoapNet [dead link]
- ^ R. Manda (August 11, 2010). "The Melancholy Native: My Interview With: Del The Funky Homosapien". Triassicsquints.blogspot.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ Del the Funky Homosapien on the things lacking in hip-hop today, Gorillaz and cassette tapes Archived July 18, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Del the Funky Homosapien. "Del the Funky Homosapien". Rasputin Music. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ ANDY DOWNING (June 15, 2011). "Del the Funky Homosapien evolves past negative influences". Host.madison.com. Retrieved January 19, 2012.
- ^ Del the Funky Homosapien - 1/18/2012 Update (Life, Deltron II, New Projects, Pet Peeves, Etc.). January 18, 2012 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Kid Koala » Blog Archive » Luminato Festival". kidkoala.com. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ^ "New Albums & Music Reviews | Pitchfork". pitchfork.com. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ^ "Deltron 3030 Release Live Album ft. Zack de la Rocha, Mike Patton". Pitchfork. October 15, 2016. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ "Dan The Automator Confirms New Deltron 3030 Album On Its Way". HipHopDX. April 14, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ "Deltron 3030 - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ^ "Deltron 3030 - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ^ "Deltron 3030 - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
- ^ "Deltron 3030 - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2016. Retrieved May 13, 2016.
