Krust

Bristol-born Kirk Thompson, known as Krust, grew up in the city’s Knowle West neighbourhood and became a drum-and-bass producer and DJ. Before his solo work, Thompson was part of Bristol group Fresh 4, whose 1989 single “Wishing on a Star” reached the UK Top 10. Krust later joined Roni Size’s Reprazent project, a Bristol group whose album New Forms won the Mercury Prize. He also worked with Roni Size, DJ Die and Suv, and co-founded Full Cycle with them. The crew and label became a base for Bristol’s drum-and-bass activity.

“Warhead” became one of Krust’s best-known tracks, with a 1997 single release on V Recordings. His work also appeared through Talkin’ Loud, 31 Records and Full Cycle. In 1999, he released the album Coded Language on Talkin’ Loud, followed by the album Hidden Knowledge in 2006. Krust and Roni Size established Dope Dragon as an experimental label for artists associated with Full Cycle. Krust’s other notable tracks include “Angles” and “Soul in Motion”; his long-form work also includes “Memories,” “Brief Encounters,” “Future Unknown” and “True Stories.”

In 2010, Krust founded the Rebel Instinct imprint and teamed up with Nick Toots to form the band The Rules. Away from music, Krust studied psychology and creativity, work he later shared through his consultancy, Disruptive Patterns. He co-owns the CBD oil company Amma Life with Sophia Ali. In 2017, he collaborated with Om Unit on the track “Underground Cinema.” The album The Edge of Everything followed in 2020, his first album in 14 years. Its lead single was “Constructive Ambiguity.”

Krust released the single “The Portal / Concealing Treachery” on 31 Records in 2018. In 2025, V Recordings released “One Stop Mr Driver (Tim Reaper Remix).” His recent Bristol appearances included a performance at The Croft in September 2026. Earlier that year, he played at UNLOCKED and The Fox and Firkin. In 2025, he appeared at Lakota, fabric, EartH, Exchange and Phonox.