Daedelus

Nattily dressed beatmaker Daedelus has been a staple of the electronic-music scene in Los Angeles since the early 2000s, inspiring waves of artists with a forward-thinking style that veers between experimental dance music, hip-hop and jazz. Daedelus—who takes their name from a skilled architect of Greek mythology—was born Alfred Weisberg-Roberts in October 1977. Hailing from Santa Monica, California, they were raised on classical music and jazz and studied double bass in university. A chance encounter with London pirate radio at age 15 pushed them toward electronic production, and after debuting as a DJ in 1999 at the L.A.-based internet radio station Dublab, Daedelus broke new ground for whimsical alt-rap and sample-based psychedelia with albums like 2003’s The Weather (a collaboration with rappers BUSDRIVER and Radioinactive) and 2005’s MF DOOM-featuring Exquisite Corpse. These releases—along with ventures into beatific bossa nova, jigsaw jazz-funk and more—helped set the template for L.A.’s legendary Low End Theory club night, where the coattails-clad producer was a fixture until the event’s close in 2018. Daedelus’ prolific output features numerous collaborations (including with their wife Laura Darlington), and later efforts like 2022’s Simmers Over show an artist who’s always brimming with ideas.