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Vice Blog

LONDON - HOMERTON STRANGLER IS ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING DUBSTEP

After sleeping on it for a while, it seems like things might be looking up for Dubstep. Now before you go running away from me, listen up. Skream's simple but brilliant remix of La Roux's "In For The Kill" is all that I've listened to this weekend and now Joker's "Digidesign" has finally been given a release on the consistently ace Hyperdub label.

I'm a huge fan of Joker's productions. Where so much of this kind of stuff can sound paranoid and icy he manages to splice together a combination of wistful nostalgia, massive melodrama, and twisted fun.

It's seriously synth heavy stuff, full of 80s arpeggios, slick R&B pitchbends and computer game noises all beautifully balanced. He's clearly got an amazing ear for harmony and you get heaps of big melodic payoffs, which he excutes with terrific restraint.

Tracks like "Purple City" and "Snake Eater" hint at a whole new genre altogether. Not sure what you'd call it, I quite like "Spacestep," but Prancehall coined that one so I can't take the credit.

I'd be interested to hear how this stuff goes down when played out and hopefully I'll get a chance to find out during Joker's set at Bloc when we're there next month. Joker - "Digidesign"

RODAIDH MCDONALD