DJ Krust is one of drum-and-bass's true originators, his gritty, minimalist style a fixture since his earliest tracks on the V-Recordings imprint. Contemporary drum-and-bass has splintered into two factions. One favors vaguely spiritual and humanist messages conveyed through jazz or soulful R&B-inspired sounds. The other offers cybernetic machine funk and a grim, dystopian/futurist vision of post-human hyper-reality. Krust and his Full Cycle labelmates combine the best sensibilities of both camps.
In highlighting some of Full Cycle's important back catalog and the individual styles of Krust and Roni Size, THROUGH THE EYES presents a representative cross section of the Bristol label. Disc One favors a jazzier, altogether funkier variation on two-step jungle's militaristic template with tracks propelled by furious breaks. Over-modulated sub-bass tones create queasy seesaw patterns of minimalist funk, while jazzily syncopated percussion rounds out the sonic assault. With their dramatic breakdowns and eerie, sci-fi sounds, Krust's "Freak Show" and "Kloakin Device" are definitely on the darker end of the spectrum. Disc Two, a continuous mix that incorporates most of the first CD's material with additional tracks, attests to Krust's highly regarded DJ skills.
