Dälek: Deadverse Massive Vol. 1

Anyone willing to drop 20 bills on a compilation of Dälek rarities probably already knows what it sounds like. A seemingly endless stable of cinematic, often cacophonous backdrops chock full of noise obscures hip-hop beats and rapping that careens wildly from thoughtful rumination to all-out aggression. There’s nothing new or terribly surprising that shows up on Deadverse Massive Vol. 1: Dälek Rarities 1999-2006, nor should there be. That said, some collaborations with other vocalists are at least enough to make the ears perk up a bit, particularly the incredible, surprisingly subtle “Deadverse Remix” of Velma’s “Rouge”. On the flipside, “Ruin It, Ruin Them, Ruin Yourself, Then Ruin Me”, Dälek’s collaboration with Kid606, is just as underwhelming now as it was back then. The unreleased tracks “Angst” and “Music for ASM” don’t contain any new raps from MC Dälek, but that’s OK too because producer Oktopus gets a chance to show how well his atmospheric backdrops hold up even without vocals. To be clear: Deaverse Massive Vol. 1 is more fanservice than album proper (and the opportunity to get the entire Streets All Amped 12″ in CD form might be worth the price of admission by itself), but if you’re looking for something to satiate the intense hunger brought on by this year’s excellent Abandoned Language release, this disc will undoubtedly do the trick.