New CD by Eastern experimentalists Joi on Real World Records

UK – Having blazed a trail in the mid-1980s with their DJ-led mix of brittle breakbeats and flowing Eastern grooves – a trail that the so-called ‘Asian Underground’ followed in droves – this British Asian collective released two compelling, intelligent albums, 1999’s One and One Is One and 2002’s We Are Three.

Celebratory and devotional, progressive and respectful, laden with different emotions yet bound by a one-love aesthetic, they stole the hearts of critics, clubbers and exemplary music-lovers alike. Now comes the shamelessly upbeat

Without Zero. “There is dance and drama and
passion throughout this record. We’ve highlighted Asian culture. We’ve extended
our electronic roots. And this time there’s a distinct Arabic influence,” says Farook Shamsher aka Joi leader. “Asian music and Arabic music merge beautifully. They’re actually very similar, which people don’t tend to realise, and Joi is about uniting different cultures.”