Full Cycle: Full Cycle Live

For drum n bass heads, Full Cycle is a vital institution. Home to the movements’ stalwarts, Roni Size, Krust, Die and Suv, Full Cycle is responsible for an important part of the genre’s development and staying power. This live set is a real treat for junglist fans. It serves as a retrospective of Full Cycle flavors from 1993. Recorded live at a Sunday session at Bristol’s Level club, the set maintains a breakneck pace and intense energy level, and comes complete with crowd noises, cheers and whistles. The inclusion of Dynamite MC takes the set to another level. His rapid-fire rhymes provide a relief from the relentless beats, and he does an excellent job of keeping the crowd fired up, reminiscent of the way old-school MCs rocked hip-hop parties. He chimes in with the climax of certain tracks to capitalize on the visceral energy. The sweat is all but foggin’ up your speakers. With no apparent track listing, this is the aural equivalent of a crossword puzzle for junglist train spotters who will no doubt take pleasure in naming all those tunes. The mix is well programmed, switching up rhythms and styles, from kinetic snares and bouncing drums to thunderous, distorted basslines. Drum n bass’ relatively short history has produced a wealth of material, and none more relevant than that from the Full Cycle camp. The combination of some classic tracks with a taste of a Bristol night out will make this hard to pass up for d n’b heads.

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