Hiphop has never been known as a bastion of whimsy (Prince Paul and a few others excepted), but Daedelus (Alfred Weisberg-Roberts) is doing his part to change that. This perversely impish producer began his recording career with Los Angeles experimental-IDM imprints Phthalo and Plug Research with 2001's Her's Is > and 2002's Invention, respectively. Since then, Daedelus has gravitated toward underground hiphop's most idiosyncratic wing.

Daedelus began his flirtation with hiphop on The Quiet Party (2002), an odd EP with remixes by High Priest and Madlib, guest raps by Busdriver and Abstract Rude, and a few instrumentals. The disc flaunts Daedelus' distinctive touch that metamorphoses gauche EZ-listening and quaintly moldy jazz samples into a new kind of hiphop aesthetic-call it court-jester surrealism.

Daedelus delved deeper into hiphop with The Weather, a collaboration with L.A. masters of clowning Busdriver and Radioinactive. You're more likely to chuckle your noggin off than shake your ass, as the duo contour their quicksilver linguistic puzzles to ride Daedelus' kooky sonic roller coasters.

On Rethinking the Weather (2003), Daedelus reconstructs the mad-circus hiphop tomfoolery of the album he cut with Bus and Radio. This disc is for people who find Luke Vibert too poker-faced. Harps, glockenspiels, corny crooners, syrupy strings, melodramatic film dialogue, steel drums, rinky-dink organs, children's records, exotica's kitsch tonal vocabulary-no instrument or combination of musical elements is verboten for Daedelus. Against steep odds, Daedelus whips up delicious soufflés out of table scraps-and generous amounts of cheese.

Of Snowdonia (2004) focuses on Daedelus' production techniques, though it does feature his weirdly stilted singing voice (on the very strange orchestral drum 'n' bass tune "Aim True" and the warped pop jingle "Was Waiting"). It's a grandiose banquet of peculiarly diverse sounds, all scrupulously crafted into tangy sampladelic hors d'oeuvres. The disc alchemizes quaint musical styles into mildly delirious compositions that possess a deceptive glaze of strangeness. It's the aural equivalent of David Lynch directing an episode of Sesame Street.

With Exquisite Corpse (2005), Daedelus further refines his ability to turn schmaltz into hiphop buttah. Still plundering the 50-cent vinyl bin, Daedelus finds ever more ingenious ways to wed hokey, hooky melodies to dope beats. For Exquisite Corpse, the Cali crate-digger taps top underground MCs like MF Doom, Cyne, TTC, and Mike Ladd to vocalize over his swoonily baroque productions. He even has the gumption to plop a lullaby onto his album, albeit one with jittery scrapyard beats. While the tracks with Doom and TTC shine, those with more conventional rappers pale in comparison. Daedelus works best with MCs whose styles are as quirky as his own productions. That said, Exquisite Corpse is an enchanting trip down wayward paths that won't disappoint his hardcore fans. DAVE SEGAL

Daedelus plays Fri May 20 with Montag, Deceptikon, and Variform at CHAC Lower Level, 1621 12th Ave, 388-0521, $7, 21+.