Dalek : Deadverse Massive Vol 1:Dalek Raritie

Length: 77:27

Though the left-field hip-hop group Dalek (composed of DJ Oktopus and MC dalek ) released a full-length album in February of 2007 -- the spectacular Abandoned Language -- less than six months later they came out with another set. Not that this material is new: almost all of it had been issued before, mostly on 12', though there are a few never-before-heard songs, too ( 'Music for Asm' and 'Angst' ), along with a fair share of remixes, all of which are interesting enough to give new perspective to the songs, and are worth hearing. It's as much about the production here as it is the rapping, which means that there are plenty of instrumental bits throughout the album, either between verses or comprising the entire track, giving the compilation a very ambient, atmospheric feel, more suited to background than foreground listening (though there are a few cuts -- 'In This City,' 'Maintain,' 'Vague Recollection,' for example -- that merit careful listening). Rarities is clearly not the album for a Dalek neophyte to begin with (rarities never are), but it's an interesting collection for a fan, especially one who doesn't want to track all the individual singles down, and helps to add to the intrigue of this impressive group. ~ Marisa Brown, All Music Guide

MC Dalek and beat master Oktopus unfurl a collection of dreamlike instrumentals, 10-ton remixes, and scarce gems from the last seven years. This is no odds 'n' sods collection but rather an addendum to a body of work that already rests comfortably atop underground hip-hop's proverbial heap. Over the ominous grind of metallic friction and industrial-strength beats, MC Dalek flows like silk on glass, foregoing all the usual hip-hop lyrical conventions for something darker, more textural, and infinitely memorable. 'While many MCs are hacking up congestion labeled as 'hip-hop', Newark's mic fiend Dalek and producer Oktopus are the genre's Robitussin: viscous, bracing, wary, and woozy' - Urb. 'Too brutal to be hip-hop, too beat-oriented to be labeled rap-metal, and they use enough layered white noise to earn comparisons to My Bloody Valentine...' - Drowned In Sound.