Glyn got his 'Bigga' nickname whilst in Rocker's Hi Fi (he's 6'3") and after their demise, in 2002 saw he brought out an album as Lighting Head which he decribes as a "hybrid of Latin and reggae with some Brazilian influences" called Studio Don. Last year we got the even more successful release of BiggaBush Free that my friendly music store labelled as 'nu-funk'. Whilst I've seen the vinyl version at another store proudly at the front of the rack marked 'nu-jazz'.

Acid samba was something I'd wanted to try since I started play batucada in Birmingham in the late 1980s

Let's see what category would Glyn put it in, "What I do is not possible to categorise because they haven't invented a category for it yet. With BiggaBush it would be a case of "File Under Dub / Beats / Freestyle / Prog / Breaks". I'd disagree with both nu-funk (which I've never heard of) and particularly nu-jazz, which was almost all wretched once everyone started copying Jazzanova and overusing their Rhodes presets. Even Jazzanova stopped doing it as it became so ubiquitous."

The 12", 'Acid Fly' was taken from the album with two very imaginative remixes, Jay Rees' 'Throwdown' and DJ Fitchie (Fat Freedy's Drop) on 'Deep Eastwood'. The original versions really kick-start the album together with 'Outernation Anthem'. I wondered which was his favourite track? "I like 'Acid Fly' a lot. It's a new style, breakbeat acid! I started working on the basic idea of 'Outernational Anthem' in about 1990 when I first got some digital gear, then wrote the bassline about 12 years later! My favourite track though is 'IOTK' which stands for Ingelosi Oe Tande Kewi. It's Zulu."

There's news that a Remix EP is due out soon. "Yeah. Nostalgia 77 does a lovely mournful jazzy lick on 'IOTK', Tweak does 'Outernational Anthem' in an electro-boogie stylee & BiggaBush jungles off 'This River', Amen-fashion." He told me that the original of 'This River', with Sofiah Thom on vocals, gave him goosebumps.

Listening to 'Michaelangelo', I can't help feeling it is Gotanesque, "We did it in 1994 when Gotan were but a twinkle in somebody's eyes, me and my mate Pickle whom I've known since we were both knee high to a grasshopper. He provided the sounds, from Indian film music, maybe some Argentinean connection and something from Eastern Europe too.

"We had an amazing session in the Rockers old studio, PK on the desk, me tweaking the 808 and the 303. As we were working late, we did a rough mix and decided to come in and finish it the next day. But we didn't have any blank disks to save it to so we just left all the gear on. Of course we arrive the next day to find there's been a power cut and it's all lost forever! So I had to reassemble it from my well-worn cassette version, replacing all the samples -- including the voice."

The last track is called 'Self Judgement' and features G. Rina -- which originally appeared on her album A Girl From A Circus. So why the reappearance on 'BiggaBush Free'? "I remixed one of G. Rina's tracks for her label Angel's Egg from Tokyo and I liked her stuff a lot so I asked if I could write a new backing for 'Self Judgement'."

He also remixed Suba's 'Samba Do Gringo Paulista', which came out on a 12" with Zero dB remix versions. How did that come about, I asked him, "I was in contact with the guys from Crammed who also run Ziriguiboom and they invited me to remix two Suba tracks, which was a great honour for me. Acid samba was something I'd wanted to try since I started play batucada in Birmingham in the late 1980s."

And just as Suba was beginning to get recognised he died in a tragic house fire.

'Biggabush' has been a very busy DJ since Vibe with a trip to Japan and a visit to 'Electric Fantastic presentsÖ. Future Dub' on 21st May, "Japan was great, really nice people, good gigs, fantastic record shops, met some cool musicians and producers and I'm going to be releasing some 7"s in co-operation with Naoki from Disc Shop Zero who also runs Angel's Egg and collaborating with crazy Tokyo MCs Rub-A-Dub Market.

"Plus I've been to Germany and am going to Portugal next month to play and produce. Future Dub is another category I've never heard of and am not in! But it's for my mate Johnny and he's working hard to get something going on in Portsmouth. I also hope to be playing The Big Chill in some shape or form to be decided this year."

So with all the success, how does a Northamptonshire lad, who lived in Birmingham for 20 years, find himself as one of the top three musician residents of Dorset? (Madonna and Billy Bragg being the other two)? "I think they found out that I'd already been living here since 1997 and rushed to buy the nearest mansions they could lay their hands on. We lunch a lot. No really. Actually my good mate Cara used to play with Billy so I have met him a couple of times. He's playing at the Tolpuddle Festival, which I am doing a drum workshop at and with a bunch of wildly drumming youngsters. I am going to lead the procession!"

Glyn as pied-drummer of Tolpuddle might sound scary but he is the only Bush you can trust on the world stage today! Bigga-up the Bush. There's lots more to come this year.

Links:
BiggaBush
http://www.stereodeluxe.com/ - also check Megablast, EMO, Bobby Hughes Combination
Rockers Hi Fi [Re:Jazz have just included a cover verision of Rockers Hi Fi's 'Push Push' on their new album]
Lighting Head @ Back To The Basics
Acid Fly 12"
Nostalgia 77
G.Rina
Bobby Hughes Combination
Disc Shop Zero
Big Chill 2004 line up
Billy Bragg
Madonna's Dorset Life
Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum Trust
Up Bustle & Out - City Breakers featuring Nitin Sawhney and Andy Sheppard
Routes Music look like an interesting label out of San Francisco. City Breakers Remix Volumes 1 & 2 due out in May