Joker

The Bodega, Cork Thurs 10pm €10 before midnight/ €12 021-4273756

Dubstep’s ongoing odyssey of twists and turns has taken both the sound and its practitioners down some fascinating avenues. In the case of producer Liam McLean (below), the man behind the Joker alias, his arrival on 4AD, a label long associated with a certain sound, was a sign of a great leap forward for both imprint and artist in terms of where they were going.

McLean’s first album for 4AD (The Vision) was full of widescreen sound experiments and manoeuvres, with the Bristol man, who cut his teeth as a teen with such releases as the Kapsize EP, showing the scale and scope of his talents by adding different strings to his bow. The album also demonstrated that McLean knew his way around a collaboration with Jessie Ware (on the title track) and William Cartwright (On My Mind) in the mix. His next adventures are eagerly awaited.

Can’t See That? Catch This

Pional heads to Hidden Agenda (Sat, Dublin); basskicker Oneman shows his Rinse FM chops (Sat, Belfast); and RL Grime comes out of the traps (Tues, Dublin)