Interview | Krust

After 14 years of relative silence, jungle pioneer Kirk Thompson reprises his DJ Krust moniker. Danny Turner discusses the motivation behind his return

Regarded as one of jungle’s original pioneers, Kirk Thompson (aka DJ Krust) needed an escape from the pressures of fame following the success of his second album Hidden Knowledge (2006).

Following a period of self-analysis, the once member of Mercury Prize-winning Reprazent turned his back on music to focus on developing the creative minds consultancy Disruptive Patterns.

Thompson wouldn’t dip his toe in musical waters again until 2017, relaunching his Full Cycle label and collaborating with Bristol-based DnB producer Om Unit for the single Constructive Ambiguity.

However, it was only after being commissioned to work on a library sampler that the producer’s creativity was fully re-energised. Rebranded as ‘Krust’, Thompson’s new album The Edge of Everything takes jungle into an entirely new dimension.

What had you been up to between the release of Hidden Knowledge and your new album The Edge of Everything?

“After Hidden Knowledge it was a very stressful period in my life. I’ve been living as Krust since the age of 14, invented this guy and it served me well.

The whole idea of being a creator, artist, DJ, and then a producer, unwound naturally, so when I got to 37 it was like, OK, what now? I didn’t even know who I was to be honest. Everyone talks about having a breakdown or mid-life crisis, but for me it was more of a breakthrough. Krust was my protection – the mask I wore to hide Kirk Thompson from the world. I ran with that for 17 years but eventually the facade didn’t work anymore. One day it dawned on me that it couldn’t go on, either I change or destroy myself, and I didn’t fancy the destroying part so much [laughs].”

The story of artists building an image to cope with fame seems to be a recurring theme?

“There was no one there to help me understand who I was. In indigenous cultures you become a man at 14, but there’s no initiation in the west. I didn’t have a male figure in my life, so I was getting my cues from the role models around me and had to grow up in the spotlight. I was a father at 18 and started a cycle courier business. The year after I signed to a major and was doing Top of the Pops by 20. You spend all your time editing your life and career when you should be out having fun with your mates – it was exhausting! It’s only when that starts to break down that you realise how deep you’re in.”