Dalek - Gutter Tactics

Hailing from Newark, New Jersey, industrial hip-hop pioneers Dalek bring you Gutter Tactics. Named after the robot from Doctor Who, Dalek make dark hip-hop filled with drones and static. In my opinion, MC Dalek and producer Oktopus create hip-hop that is not necessarily for hip-hop fans, but more for fans of industrial and electronic music. This album takes the ambiance of Mogwai or Sigur Ros and hip-hopifies it to that of Public Enemy or earlier, harder hip-hop. It is a great album and deserves attention from music fans all over. 

Gutter Tactics opens with the track 'Blessed Are They Who Bash Your Children's Head Against A Rock', which is a very controversial track that contains Reverend Wright's infamous post-9/11 speech. Many ignored this speech but to me, it speaks truth about American culture. 'Armed With Krylon' is a crushing track, while 'Who Medgar Evers Was...' is a softer, more focused track. The track 'We Lost Sight' is my personal favorite and is a breath of fresh air from the rest of the album. The track contains many harmonics and lots of ambiance, recalling that of Mogwai. Synths and whispered vocals make up the majority of the track. The title track 'Gutter Tactics' combines elements from the present, as well as elements from past albums. The last song on the album, entitled 'Atypical Stereotype', is one of Dalek's longer songs and focuses mostly on ambiance and static.

Gutter Tactic's overall production leans more towards that of industrial music than that of hip-hop. This album is not for everyone, but for those who like industrial and doom in their beats, they will feel right at home. Vocals are pushed to the bottom, heard underneath an earthquake of distortion and ambiance, ultimately creating a unique sound. Dalek have created a masterpiece, in my personal opinion, and it will definitely appeal to fans of experimental music of all sorts.

Check out the track 'We Lost Sight' off of Dalek's Gutter Tactics: