If you don't immediately recognise the name of Biggabush, usually, if you say, "Rockers Hi-Fi", there's a musical reflex response of, "Push-Push!" Nearly 3 decades on from that international hit, he still keeps the multi-genre dance floor busy as BiggaBush, Lightning Head, Magic Drum Orchestra and in groups The Dandelion Set (as recently featured on Imaginary Radio) and The black Albumen (who also released an album this year).
It was not long after the release of the album Biggabush Free that I interviewed Glyn for another web site so it's about time that I caught up with the big guy (he’s 6’3” you know!), old 'Acid Fly' himself.
So years before such things as social media/photoshop, the original 'Biggabush Free' artwork on the CD looked a bit 'touched', like a 30's Berlin Jazz club, were they supposed to look like that? I had met Jeannette Muchar when I played at a friend’s birthday party in Paris and she was doing these beautiful retouches on photos, so I simply asked her to do her thing and this was the result.
Equally, at that time no one could possibly have imagined what a lock-down was or what we'd be doing in one. You decided that a 16 track BiggaBush Freevisited was the way to go? (such a great title - released last year on Tru Thoughts) The reason was that Tru Thoughts were releasing my back catalogue and there were tracks on Free with contentious samples that had to be replaced. Once I started the process of rebuilding some of the songs it just became apparent that I could revisit the whole album and try some new approaches both musical- and production-wise. And that became the perfect lockdown project…
There's a reaction that this is what the original album should have sounded like? I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that actually; the original album was a product of its time and the gear I had in the early 00s. The new version gave me an opportunity to rework some tracks, add live brass, different vocalists, better beats, to replace some tracks I felt didn’t belong on there any more. The main difference was the old album was done on Cubase on a PC, the new on Ableton on a Mac.
There's some new tracks that weren't on the original release - are they new or of that time? 'Real & Regal' is a remake of my remix of 'Illegal' featuring Benjamin Zephaniah with Farda P on vocal duties. 'Black Swan Revival' was an old Rockers demo from the Overproof sessions that I tweaked up to completion.
In my old interview you were ''Acid Fly' which is such a great track and fits in with renewed enthusiasm for all things Acid House, is that going to be on the new 'remix' release? Not this time. But I was really happy with the remade version.
And you were going to tell us what "your role was in the release of Peak's 'Get Carter' on Afro Art Records (label founded by Ashley Beedle)" I may have played it to Paul Murphy back in the day... (Paul, just had a birthday mix and now having his own label, Jazz Room Records)
I think there's more to it than that but it's track 16 on Glyn's Spotify 'Bigga Bush Fave Reworks' playlist below.
So you've been in Rocker's Hi-Fi, Lightning Head, MDO, the black Albumen (a modern extravaganza of a project) and top DJ, What's next for Biggabush? At the moment I’m slowly getting my mojo back having had a LONG dry period. Working on lots of ideas, no one single concept, just getting inspiration from what my daughter (DJ re:ni - look out for 'Revenge Body' on Ilian Tape) is playing and writing and introducing me to, such as footwork. Buying too many records as usual, getting ideas from 90s trip hop, MO Wax especially, 90s d&b, modular synthesis, playing the bass guitar [AND] I’d be delighted if the black Albumen were popular anywhere to be honest…
And talking of DJing, back in 2005, you were talking of trips to Japan, Germany, Portugal, do you miss this jet-set lifestyle? I don’t actually miss the travelling which started to get on my wick after a while: EVERY flight seemed to be from Stansted Airport which is a right schlepp from where I live. I’m also reducing my carbon footprint!
By November, 2005, "there is no stopping him as the best tracks are released on 12", 'This River' (Drum Und Bass Version By BiggaBush) whilst in 2022, there's a new EP coming out next week, 'Black Swan Revival' (featuring Farda P and Jackie Walters - have we even mentioned how good her new vocals are on the classic 'This River'?) is coming out on the TruThoughts 'Best Of' 2022 compilation and then there's the 1BTN radio monthly show, Bigga’s Big Dig [first Friday on the month, next one tomorrow on 2.12.22]
Is this schedule just like BiggaBush of yore? (it is festive season thing), "I wouldn’t say I was on top of the game, I just keep going and trying different ideas!"
Apart from being a fan for many years, these "different ideas" includes a massive EP, 'A Different Style' coming out next week [so stay tuned in to YATM for more information] that includes a very extended edit of 'This River' and he's going to be featured on Music Is My Sanctuary who will be hosting with a 'A Different Style' mix soon.
Many thanks to Glyn for his time, help and patience (once again) and due to the magic of the internet, our 2005 interview is available HERE. Let's hope it won't be so long before the next one!
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