Hip-hop duo dälek have dropped a powerful new track titled “The Essence,” offering a glimpse into their sound as they prepare to hit the road for a string of European dates later this month. Currently immersed in recording the follow-up to their 2022 album Precipice, the release of this track sets the tone for what fans can expect from the next chapter in their sonic journey.

Speaking about the new single dälek said, “’The Essence’ is a window to where me and Mike are at right now. We quite literally took it back to the essence on this joint. Straight up me on the MPC 3000 and Mike on processed guitar, playing off of each other as we created the track.” 

They emphasized the centrality of lyrics and flow in shaping the song’s structure, with a stripped-down approach that holds their signature “wall of sound.”

“There are layers to the meaning but I also wanted to be crystal clear on what I was spitting,” they added, highlighting a focus on clarity through their lyrics. One verse in particular captures their defiant spirit: “We had civilizations interconnected throughout history/Our art and architecture composed with sacred symmetry/I’m seeing these past lives vividly/Refuse to let them kill our joy wit bigotry.”

The duo’s upcoming tour includes stops across Germany, the Baltics and Central Europe, with performances scheduled in Berlin, Vilnius, Tallinn, Helsinki and more. Full details and tickets can be found at Ipecac.com.

Though they have worked on minimal projects such as collaborations with other artists and creating a reimagined version of one of their tracks, this single can serve as some hope for fans that an album could be in the works after a three year break since their last one.