Oktopus

dälek
MC dälek (front) and Oktopus (back) performing at the Leoncavallo cultural center in Milan in 2008
Background information
Origin	Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres	Experimental hip hop, industrial hip hop, alternative hip hop, shoegazing
Years active	1998–2011 (hiatus), 2015-present
Labels	Ipecac Profound Lore
Associated acts	Iconaclass, Fill Jackson Heights, Destructo Swarmbots
Website	deadverse.com
Members	MC dälek rEK Mike Manteca
Past members	Still Oktopus

dälek (pronounced 'Die-a-leck') is an American experimental hip hop group from Newark, New Jersey. The group is composed of MC dälek (vocals and co-producer), Mike Manteca (electronics and co-producer), and DJ rEk.

The group originated in the New Jersey DIY scene of the mid-1990s, based around a studio lineup of Dälek (Will Brooks), Oktopus (Alap Momin) and Joshua Booth.

The group recorded and played live with several DJs, including DJ rEk on from 1998 to 2002, from 2002 and 2005 with still (Hsi-Chang Lin), and from 2006 to 2009 with Motiv. With this core, the group released four full-length LPs on Ipecac Recordings, and a string of EPs, singles and remixes on various independent labels.

Booth left the group to complete his doctorate in 2009, and Oktopus had relocated to Berlin by 2010. Dälek released a single LP, Untitled, with Brooks and Momin as the sole members, in 2011. From 2011 to 2015 the group was on permanent hiatus.

In 2015, Brooks reunited with DJ rEk and Dälek collaborator Mike Manteca (Destructo Swarmbots). In 2016 the group released a full-length LP Asphalt for Eden on Profound Lore Records.

Dälek have often shared the stage with artists covering a wide range of genres, such as Godflesh, Isis, Prince Paul, The Melvins, Tool,De La Soul, RJD2, The Young Gods, Meat Beat Manifesto, Jesu, The Pharcyde, Grandmaster Flash, KRS-One, Dub Trio, Charles Hayward, Zu, Blackie, Gaslamp Killer, Earth, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Bug, Mastodon and Lovage. Oktopus and MC dälek collaborated with experimental metal/hardcore punk band Starkweather on their 2010 album This Sheltering Night.