Straight out of Bristol, Joker is a 20-year-old wunderkind whose hybrid club experiments may be the next big step in the ongoing evolution of dubstep. Just don't tell him that -- like many stridently independent studio jockeys, he hates genre tags. (Joker prefers to describe his tunes, cryptically, as "purple.") And he's got a point. His sound is weirder and wilder -- dabbling in G-funk, '80s synth-soul, and classic Nintendo noise -- than what's usually dictated by the puritanical formalism of dubstep. Basically though, Joker still brings the deep, dark bass and erratic, druggy rhythms at 140 BPM. It's just that his cuts are classic, sexy, and funny, too.
And recently, Joker has even transcended simple blog stardom. Thanks to trademark tracks like "Gully Brook Lane," "Digidesign," and a tag-team effort with Ginz called "Purple City," he's won major props from Pitchfork and NME. That's not to mention a top spot -- alongside occasional collaborator, MC Nomad -- on Mary Anne Hobbs' BBC Radio 1 showcase, Generation Bass. Now, touring the U.S. with Nomad, Joker is taking over the monthly Get Low party presented by (((Shake))) this Thursday at the Vagabond. New-school dubsteppers, get ready for a fat taste of that old-school party music.
Joker and MC Nomad. With Juan Basshead, Otto Von Schirach, Doormouse, A-Train, and others. Thursday, November 19. The Vagabond, 30 NE 14th St., Miami. Doors open at 10 p.m.. tickets cost $10. Ages 21+ with ID. 305-379-0508; thevagabondmiami.com
