Krust

After many singles and EPs (for Full Cycle and V Recordings) as well as a high-profile gig with Roni Size on the Mercury Award-winning New Forms, recording producer Krust goes the way of "intelligent" drum'n'bass (for better and for worse) on his debut album, Coded Language. Though both his sense for production and ear for great ideas are still intact, the record suffers from a sense of how self-serious the jungle community has become; the title track features rapper and performance artist Saul Williams solemnly praising the importance of the jungle community, never a good sign for the continuing development of a musical style that has seemed frozen in its tracks since 1996. Krust also enlists a female vocalist named Morgan to contribute vocals on several tracks. He even hired a string quartet for the muted classical flair of "One Moment." Coded Language is a very good drum'n'bass album, but it's a shame that Krust didn't focus on his production skills as much as he did on trying to branch out into jungle-fusion. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide