Review: The creative genius that is Joker is at it again and ever, it's weird, wonderful and completely unpredictable. This two tracker comes to us courtesy of kapsize and kicks off with the incredible sound design and rhythmic presence of 'Boat'. We hear evil reese-like leads shimmering away amidst sharp percussive stabs and subtle melodies. On the flip side we hear 'Deploy' which is a throwback to early Dub Police styles with it's gritty leads oscillating alongside intense pitch bends and emotive chord progressions. Joker has shown once again why he is rated so very highly!
Review: Bristol's Joker is without a doubt one of the most respected 140 based producers in UK dance music, constantly bringing fresh flavours to the forefront of the scene with his unique ability to sniff out a quirky melody. Here we see him team up with Newham Generals' own: Footsie for a dubstep driven tearout with beefy lead synths and super crunchy drums topped with trapstyle lyricism. We are also treated to 'Polka Dot', a shuffling gem of melodic genius, made up of experimental chord progressions and skylined synthesis.
Review: Sophomore session heaviness: Joker returns with his long-awaited second album The Mainframe, and it's clear his purple shades are still hooked on tight. Developing his distinctive brew of bass and rich synth funk, Joker's unique signature is scribbled across the whole piece of work; from the epic, orchestral dubstep drama of "Boss Mode" to the gritty, widescreen R&B of "Wise Enough" via the Swindle-style jazz of "An Intervening Episode" and the concept-style three-piece "Scene" narrative where the real tale of album unfolds. Second album cliches are ten a penny... The Mainframe sees Joker shoving his purple-gloved finger up at them all. Essential.
DJ Madd - "The Life You Chose" (Distance remix) - (4:38) 140 BPM
Stinkahbell - "Film Noir" - (5:37) 140 BPM
Sleeper & Thelem - "Arrakis" - (5:15) 140 BPM
Kryptic Minds - "The Divide" - (5:32)
Various - "This Is Dubstep 2013" (continuous DJ mix - part 1) - (1:13:24) 140 BPM
Various - "This Is Dubstep 2013" (continuous DJ mix - part 2) - (1:09:30) 140 BPM
Review: Sixth in the series, This Is Dubstep is one of the more comprehensive, on-point series the scene has given us (ie: many!) Across the 40 tracks every single shade is covered; from rave-tinged (Noisia's remix of "Smack My Bitch Up") to all-out technicolour bass (Drumsound & Bassline Smith), This Is Dubstep 2013 pays respect to all corners of the dance - including the really far-out experimentations of Mala and his Cuban project. With exclusives such as V.I.V.E.K's "Barcelona" and Killawatt's "Single Entity" thrown in for good measure, this isn't just a summary of today's dubstep; it's a slice of the future too.