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Big names of the industry may not grace our nightlife hugely often, but they don’t neglect us entirely. This week Joker, one of the luminaries of the dubstep scene, brought his ‘purple sound’ to the Job Centre’s basement, aka The Duchess. And though the genius producer and DJ, who would quickly sell out in other cities, drew only a medium-sized crowd, there is perhaps an argument that the atmosphere trumped that of a sellout night. Dedicated Joker junkies and dubstep die-hards brought an unprecedented buzz to the humble underground venue. And they were not disappointed.
But first, for those of you who aren’t already aware of the ‘Purple Prince’, a little introduction. 23-year-old Joker is already a legend in his hometown of Bristol and world renowned for his contributions to dubstep. What makes him stand out is his mastery of melody, inspired by the bouncy tunes of 80s arcade games, which is often lacking in the aggressive productions of many dubstep. These melodies are, of course, married with heavy bass lines, but partly counter-act the so-called ‘masculinity’ of dubstep.
Though Joker has been criticized for using poppy vocals in his new album The Vision, perhaps to appeal to a Katy B-type audience, there was a complete lack of vocals in his set on Tuesday night. Clearly Joker differentiates between club-appropriate and album-appropriate, and is aware that the core fans want to hear the kind of music they originally loved him for. That’s not to say his new album didn’t feature, but it was the instrumentals (which have been hotly demanded by fans on Facebook) only. Personally I think the vocals give his already impressive armory of sonic weapons an added dimension and I would have liked to hear some of the vocal-based album cuts in a live setting. Unsurprisingly, legendary tune ‘Purple City’ thrilled the eager crowd, and those of you who are new to Joker must give this one a listen. It is the perfect example of the ‘purple’ sub-genre Joker has helped to create, alongside peers Mensah, Gemmy and Guido.
Although Joker’s sound is typically less aggressive than that of other dubstep producers and is better known for its funky synths, his set at The Duchess wacked out some ribcage-rattling bass lines. The latter third showcased some of his remixes, and towards the end Joker finally engaged with the crowd by paying tribute to the producers who inspired him (namely Geeneus) and playing the tunes that ignited his drive to produce when he was just fifteen. Fans who have been enlightened to the Joker hype purely via The Vision may not have been fully satisfied with the show, but dubstep devotees and old-school-Joker fans would have, and did have, a great night.
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