| Absence | |
| Type: | studio |
| Artist: | dälek |
| Cover: | Dälek - Absence.jpg |
| Recorded: | Sweetwood Sound and The Mayan Ruins, December 2003–June 2004 |
| Genre: | Alternative hip hop, industrial hip hop, experimental hip hop, noise, ambient |
| Length: | 57:07 |
| Label: | Ipecac (IPC-056) |
| Producer: | MC Dälek, Oktopus, Still |
| Prev Title: | From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots |
| Prev Year: | 2002 |
| Next Title: | Abandoned Language |
| Next Year: | 2007 |
Absence is the third album by alternative hip hop group dälek, released by Ipecac Recordings in 2005. The album, according to the group, was recorded during a very dark and pessimistic time period for the group, which in turn resulted in the recording's dark, bleak sound.[1]
Upon its initial release in 2005, Absence received praise from many publications. Critics praised the album for its brooding sound and thought provoking lyrics. Treble magazine included the album in its list of '10 Essential Industrial Hip Hop Albums'.[2] Drowned in Sound magazine ranked the album at #53 on their "DiS is 6: Our 66" list, published in 2006 (which covers its favorite albums from the six years since its creation).[3] Italian underground music magazine OndaRock also rated the album the 26th best of the decade.[4]