Joker At Juno Download

Review: Given his rapid ascent from pioneering 'purple' producer to major player, it's perhaps little surprise to find that Joker's long-awaited (and much hyped) debut album sees the Bristolian youngster mixing typically funk-laden synth-step jams with moments of soaring dubstep pop and hip-hop funk. While it's the latter that have propelled his rise, it's the former on which he built his career. It's notable, then, that the best moments on The Vision are those that draw most from his early purple work; the contemporary P-funk of "Level 6", cyber-funk of "Milky Way" and gorgeous Herbie Hancock-does-Purple grooves of closer "Magic Causeway" are amongst the best things he's done.

Review: Joker gives his recognizable and self-named sub-genre of "purple wow" a bit of a contemporary twist in this latest release on his own label, Kapsize. "Skitta" is all crunchy, snappy beats which trip over each other aggressively, underpinned by those iconic Joker synths, 80s influenced to the max. The accompanying "I Thing You Should Know" brings in the lyrical talents of East London grime outfit, the Newham Generals, who add some urban grit to the synth-drenched psychedelia of the main piece.

Review: Dropping that purple funk like only he knows how, Joker is back on Kapsize for another bout of pimped out steppers laden with synths and a strong whiff of boogie. Opening track "Zim Zimma" proudly rips out some hair metal guitar licks over dramatic piano stabs, and even chucks a jungle break into the mix towards the end of the tune. "Gully Side" is more devoutly aggressive in its demeanour, grinding on a mid-range buzz and a slimline beat of just a few key parts sharply honed for guaranteed floor-flattening. "Handz Up" has a cheeky dose of trance worked into the emotive chord progressions, while the beat even sneaks into 4/4 in places before switching back into a steppy stance. "Newham Generals" rounds off the EP with the most lairy of all the tracks, channelling all the strengths of the previous tracks into one bold and bashy beast of a track.

Review: Iconic, genre-defining business from the one like Joker, and undoubtedly amongst the purple wow pioneer's best productions to date. Originally released in 2008 on Plastician's Terrorhythm, this now sees the light of day as a digital release. If you've not heard the ubiquitous sounds of Bristol referencing anthem "Gully Brook Lane" in the past few years, then just where, exactly, have you been!? That idosyncractic synth riff has "Joker" written all over it, with rippling melody, stepping b-line and buckets of grime infused flavour. "Retro Racer" tunes into an 80s vibe, taking its name from an old arcade game and using the same memorable melody in the sonic infrastructure of the tune, with smacking beats and low end pressure underpinning it.