Headlining the Ottawa Bluesfest's smallest outdoor stage, the recently reformed Deltron 3030 faced rather stiff competition Tuesday night as Snoop Dogg pulled thousands to the festival's Main Stage while El-P and Killer Mike rocked the nearby Ritual Nightclub. But those who made their way to the Electro Stage witnessed nothing less than a triumphant return from this underground hip-hop supergroup.
Twelve years after releasing their debut, Kid Koala, Dan the Automator and Del the Funky Homosapien revived the dormant Deltron 3030 with the help of a three-piece band, a trio of back-up singers, a horn quartet and seven members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
Decked out in tails, Dan the Automator took the role as conductor and emcee, navigating the packed stage through a 17-song set that included tracks from their eternally delayed sophomore release, as well as their self-titled 2000 debut. Often battling the pure volume emitting from the strings and brass, Del looked taxed and trodden delivering his trademark cement-packed flow while Kid Koala's still-dazzling turntable skills fell too far into the mix.
But closing with their wildly received rendition of Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood" (which originally featured all three members), the indisputable power, ingenuity and lunacy of Deltron 3030, in the end, prevailed.
Twelve years after releasing their debut, Kid Koala, Dan the Automator and Del the Funky Homosapien revived the dormant Deltron 3030 with the help of a three-piece band, a trio of back-up singers, a horn quartet and seven members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
Decked out in tails, Dan the Automator took the role as conductor and emcee, navigating the packed stage through a 17-song set that included tracks from their eternally delayed sophomore release, as well as their self-titled 2000 debut. Often battling the pure volume emitting from the strings and brass, Del looked taxed and trodden delivering his trademark cement-packed flow while Kid Koala's still-dazzling turntable skills fell too far into the mix.
But closing with their wildly received rendition of Gorillaz's "Clint Eastwood" (which originally featured all three members), the indisputable power, ingenuity and lunacy of Deltron 3030, in the end, prevailed.