Log in to your account
Stats
Biography
While Alfred Darlington was a musical child through and through, picking up an astonishing number of instruments and getting trained in them for both classical and jazz styles, it wasn't until the age of 15 that he discovered the music that spoke to him personally. It was while staying at a YMCA in London, England that he turned the radio on, flipped through the channels and stumbled across the kind of rave and hardcore electronica that the UK scene was producing, and to this day, Darlington calls that discovery the “Eureka!” moment of his life. After he came back to the United States he took up Djing, inspired by the most leftfield drum and bass sounds that he could find, and took up the stage name Daedelus as a tribute to his childhood love of inventors.
By 1999 he had started dropping his own productions into his DJ sets, and one of these tracks impressed fellow DJ Carlos Nino so much that he introduced him to people involved with the Los Angeles based record label Plug Research. The label signed Darlington up and his debut album as Daedelus “Invention” was released in 2002. Ever since then, he's remained one of the most acclaimed and unusual figures in modern electronica, one who's made records with kindred spirits like MF Doom, Tunng and Boom Bip. He's also remained one of the most consistent acts of his time, at his peak releasing dive studio albums across 2003 and 2004. He remains as acclaimed as ever to this day for both his records and his DJ sets, and because we won't see the likes of him again for a very long time, he comes highly recommended.
Live reviews
LA beatsmith Daedelus, aka Alfred Darlington, is one of those rare things in electronic music: a man who is better live than on record. The Ninja Tune and Brainfeeder affiliate doesn’t just mix or mess around on a laptop; when he performs ‘live’ he uses Monome equipment, which involves sequencing and creating beats and samples live, meaning no two sets are ever the same.
Daedelus is such, such good fun to see live. Dressed as a Victorian ‘dandy’, often with enormous lamb chop sideburns, he grins and bounces over his Monome like a mad man, as he unleashes a barrage of instrumental hip hop, trap, dubstep, techno, house…pretty much anything and everything, at a rapid pace. His sets can often be super hectic and are usually bass-heavy, but they are never anything but brilliant.
I’ve seen him about six times over the past few years and each show has been unique. He’s at his best when he performs alongside his Archimedes mechanical mirror AV show, as he did at KOKO in 2013, which features a bunch of mirror panels twisting in time with the music, reflecting lights and projections. It really is a spectacle worth seeing, especially when the mix of IDM and hip hop he offers is so sublime.
cliverozario
Went to his show in Atlanta last night, and I have to say I was completely blown away. Not only was he receptive to the moods of the audience, but he brought an amazing and passionate energy to the room. I have been to a lot of shows in my life and I have to say this breaks top 10. Great energy, amazing music (I already knew that), and a truly down to earth guy. You can tell he enjoys what he does. I will be seeing him every opportunity I get. I am a fan for life :) Thanks, Mr. Darlington.
anna-mcmanus
Astonishing, the most gorgeous, dense and lushly layered set of music I have ever seen : D - he left pretty much no musical stone unturned and blended disparate weird shite together with more dexterity and aplomb than is decent. I am such a fanboy : ))))
joelene
Videos (6)
