DELTRON 3030, Scala – Evening Standard, 13 Dec 2013

Making conceptual hip hop about a world far into the future, perhaps Deltron 3030 have taken 13 years to follow up their debut album because they were waiting for Earth to catch up with their vivid imaginations. Surprisingly the trio haven’t changed much. Weighty beats, Kid Koala’s hyperactive scratching and the cartoonish rapping of Del The Funky Homosapien still dominated, though the cramming of a 16-piece orchestra onto the small stage added significant richness.

It was a lively sound that might have reminded outsiders of Damon Albarn’s early Gorillaz material, which was produced by Deltron’s main man, Dan the Automator. Albarn’s was the first and last voice we heard here, on State of the Nation and eventually the bouncy Gorillaz hit Clint Eastwood.

He wasn’t here but Jamie Cullum was, adding his smooth tones to the relatively downbeat Do You Remember.

Sometimes orchestral players with pop acts are an inaudible display of power but they were marvellous here, filling the room with bold brass while Dan the Automator conducted. The rapped depictions of the world a thousand years hence were fascinatingly detailed. Hopefully we won’t have to wait until the year 3030 for them to return again.