Joker - The Joke's On You
The almighty Kode9 calls him the best new producer on the dubstep scene, so Joker’s impending Australian shows are very highly anticipated. 3D’s Rezo got to know the UK talent.
Liam recounts his start in music in the fondest of terms. He remembers being well turned on by what he heard. Something, though, remained missing and it was he that wanted to make up the difference. That’s when the producing bug bit him. Despite admitting a familiar thread through his music, he acknowledges it is mostly because his beats are influenced by so much of the same stuff.
So how did you get your break-
I suppose my first real release on Earwax is when people heard my sound for the first time, but also some people saying they only heard me first when my release on Plastician’s label came out; and then they went back and found the Earwax record. But yeah, I just like making beats that I wanna hear so don’t really care if it comes out or not; cool if it does though and people be feelin’ my beats!
And dubstep and grime – what do those words mean to you-
That’s the scene that I play in although I wouldn’t call my beats grime or dubstep. I just do what I do, you know- I play some gigs with guys that are just dubstep or just grime but the raves I really like are where everyone is just playing whatever, just fresh beats that you don’t know what it is; a bit of grime, dubstep, hip hop or whatever.
You’re real young, plenty of time in front of you – what do you want to achieve that you haven’t already-
Don’t know man – yeah I’m young so don’t have any real goals. I just want to do my beats and be good at them. I haven’t achieved much you know; I just started my label and wrote a few riddims … people are saying they are good so there is heaps more to do I suppose. I just want to have fun and write some mad beats.
What have you been up to in the studio- Plans for an artist album-
I’m always doing new stuff, thinking about an album but if I say I’m going to do one soon I will probably change my mind. I’m always trying to work with other producers on new riddims as my ideas work well with similar producers to come up with something even newer.
Tell us about your label. What’s the philosophy there-
Just to put out fresh beats that I like. First two releases are my tunes and one of them is Play Doe, a split with my man Rustie. Third release be out soon.
What are some of your influences and inspirations-
I won’t go through it all but some of the stuff I listen to and influences my sound is stuff like Yuzo Koshiro’s old stuff, The Neptunes, Timbaland and a lot of ’80s soul, funk, jazz, retro and dance.
Finally, what can we expect from you on the tour-
To be honest I’m not sure myself. I’m going to try my best to showcase my sound and stuff like it but this whole tour has come out of nowhere so I’m just going to try some new stuff. That’s cool because when some interesting stuff happens. I don’t know much about Oz, I know Harmonic 313 lives there now and I know about the Void rave, which sounds sick so I can’t wait. It takes a long time to get there though!
WHO: Joker
WHAT: Plays Void at Phoenix Bar
WHEN: Friday 5 December
MORE: voidsound.com