About this artist
Edinburgh’s Joe Powers produces a vibrant, highly inventive brand of experimental grime under the name Proc Fiskal. His tracks typically clock in at around 160 beats per minute — much faster than most grime, and closer to drum’n’bass or footwork, yet not quite as locked into repetitive, danceable rhythms as those genres. He leavens his knotty productions with cartoonish sound effects and other ear-catching sounds, mixing a sense of playfulness with slightly sinister undertones. After signing to Hyperdub in 2017, he released his debut full-length, Insula, in 2018.
Powers first began posting Proc Fiskal tracks to SoundCloud in 2016, offering an energetic, colorful take on the London-born grime sound. His work quickly came to the attention of Kode9, who signed Fiskal to Hyperdub in 2017. Debut EP The Highland Mob, featuring the explosive lead track “Skulka,” arrived in May, to positive press. The following year, Om Unit’s Cosmic Bridge label released Fiskal’s Hello Boss EP, which incorporated influences such as ragga-jungle, dub, and Bollywood soundtracks. The producer’s first full-length, Insula, was released by Hyperdub the following June. With this release, Powers continued to refine his complex, hyperkinetic sound, incorporating sampled snippets from daily scenes and conversations, as well as melodies influenced by Japanese video game music. The EP Shleekit Doss, sharing its title with a club night Powers used to run in Edinburgh, followed in 2019. ~ Paul Simpson