Infinite Sounds UK: Burn Cycle by Gunshot

Burn Cycle

Gunshot

Single Review

Gunshot, a crew from East London, initially reigned strong in the UK Hip Hop scene between 1990 and 2000. Their initial explosion on to the scene in 1990 with Battle Creek Brawl was to see them credited as one of the founding acts of Hardcore Hip Hop in the UK (This would later come to be termed Britcore on the continent).

Their early singles were fast paced, political and unrelenting and I remember discovering Battle Creek Brawl and being blown away by just how insane it sounded and the name totally encapsulated that sound because it was like listening to multiple musical gunshots in your ears.

I will not go into the history of the crew here but, I will drop a link below where you can read a retrospective on Gunshot by Boris at Underground United which details their history more in-depth. Please check is out as it is well worth a read.

We last heard, or what we thought was the last time, from the Gunshot crew way back in 2000 with the release of the album International Rescue, although their sound had changed and was a little less hectic, the album was still Gunshot and it deserved far more exposure, at the time, than it did.

So, fast forward to 2018 and we saw the return of Gunshot, It was not the crew we all knew and saw Mercury handling vocal duties with production coming Bulldog in France. I remember, before hearing it, being sceptical that it could still hold that Gunshot torch. However, on hearing it, the powerful lyrics, the heavy production was all there. This was a new and more mature Gunshot and the single, which was extremely well received, even got a remix from Benito Loco.

However, was this a one off? Would we ever see more from Gunshot?

It’s nearly two years later and the hype is already out there for the new single Burn Cycle.

So, what can you expect from this single...

Mercury again goes solo on this one with production from OG Bulldog and cuts from DJ Woody.

You won’t be disappointed as the beat hits hard once again immediately has your adrenaline pumping furiously. Mercury doesn’t fail to deliver with lyrics either. His instantly recognisable voice crafts a deep dark vision and, if you really listen, to the lyrics then you can feel the message held within can relate to different subjects each time you listen. One day you might feel it relate to the cancer that eats up a person’s body, the next day it could be troubles that eat your mind and still further it could be the cancer that is eating up our society. For me, in this moment, Burn Cycle directly relates to the situation happening right now in the UK. I don’t want to get political here but, I do want give credit to Mercury’s writing skill’s here as the ability drop a such a lyrical masterpiece that keeps its connection fresh to you current experiences and feelings is not something many out there display.

Credit also needs to go to OG Bulldog for getting the vibe on point, Dj Woody for the dope cuts and Artwork from Benito Loco. It is also worth mentioning here that the single was engineered by the one and only Prime Cuts, what more do you want...

So, my recommendation here is simple, don’t sleep on this one. Grab it, listen and listen again cos I guarantee that you will get a different experience each time. Burn Cycle delivers maximum impact for the next decade of Hardcore Hip Hop.

Burn Cycle is released by Underground United as a White Vinyl 7” Single and Digital.