In 1998, Astralwerks was proud to release the Star Rise remixcollection, a tribute album to the late, great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Opening that set was a young DJ/Producer team from London's East End called Joi. A year has gone by and after countless club and festival engagements, an opening slot on the Spiritualized UK tour and a recording deal with Peter Gabriel's Real World Records, Joi's own star has risen in the form of their debut album One And One Is One.
	Joi are Farook and Haroon Shamsher, two young Anglo-Bengalis, whose contribution to the vibrant UK Asian dance scene began in the early '90s with the pioneering Joi Bangla Sound System and followed two years later with a highly acclaimed first single "Desert Storm" on Rhythm King. They have since progressed to DJ'ing and writing and recording their own music, working within one of the most exciting sub-genres of dance music in recent years. Their unique fusion of western dance with traditional Asian musical forms has produced tracks which vary from rollercoaster breakbeat workouts to techno-trance and sublime instrumentals. It's the sound of young Anglo-Asians seeking to incorporate their cultural heritage into the contemporary electronic music scene. This year Joi have spent time in the studio working on new material and they've been doing various DAT/DJ sessions at clubs around London. These sound system sets allow Joi to mix up DATs with vinyl, and feature on-line sampling and live percussion from Bongo Paul. All the DATs played are Joi originals and the sound system format allows them to mix up established Joi tunes with tracks hot out of the studio. The Joi Sound System has torn it up at London clubs like The End, Megatripolis, The Complex, Return To The Source, Whirl-Y-Gig and the Ministry of Sound. As well as guesting at club nights they also run their own club, a monthly party at the Dog Star in South London (which has people dancing on the tables every time !), and have launched their own weekly night Mela with guests including Spring Heel Jack, Barry Ashworth and Plaid. Since May they have been running a new South Coast bi-monthly at the Concorde in Brighton, where they are joined by Athletico DJs.
	In addition to these sound system sets, Joi also put on a full live show incorporating sitar, live guitar, tablas and vocals. These sets have moved audiences at events such as Womad, Tribal Gathering and Big Chill and has taken them as far afield as Bucharest, Milan and Geneva. Joi will be bringing their live show to the States in the Spring of 1999.