With a wealth of highly regarded 12” releases behind him, Joker has become a defining figure on the dubstep/grime scene over the past five years – despite attempts to avoid being pigeonholed as a dubstep artist.

His debut album, The Vision, goes some way towards explaining the reasoning behind Joker’s thought processes, and there’s no doubt the record moves beyond such generic boundaries. Yes, large, wobbling bass tremors do reverberate strongly throughout the record, but rather than being the focal point of the production, Joker merely uses them as a strong, propelling force for some stealthy r’n’b/funk songwriting.

An ambient synth passage opens the album before Joker gets busy with the beats, bass and vocals (Silas) on the catchy Here Come The Lights – the track uplifted by thick, melodic synth pads and chunky melodies.

In fact, Here Come The Lights sets the path for the remainder of the album, bristling with pumping bass – so powerful it even takes prominence over the beats – on memorable efforts such as The Vision (Let Me Breathe), featuring Jessie Ware on vocals, and the excellent Lost, with fast-paced rapping courtesy of Buggsy & Otis Brown).

Some stylish instrumentals are also weaved into the mix; the soulful, sparkling Milky Way is a treat, and the computer-game-like Level (Interlude).

An early Prince influence might well be apparent on the dusky synths and sultry chordal movements of Electric Sea – modernised by Jay Wilcox’ mix of rap’ and plain vocals and, perhaps less-so on the soulful P-Funk of the closing The Magic Causeway.

Joker blends these styles effortlessly, and The Vision carries a perfect blend of nostalgic synth-driven soul funk and modern, rap-intensive dubstep. A canny blend and an eminently listenable record, we can be grateful that Joker has thrown his hat in the ring to bring a touch of class to a genre that is just starting to become predictable and homogenised.