Review: Various Artists - Shapes 25 (Tru-Thoughts Recordings)

"Tru-Thoughts has become one to the most respected independent labels in the world since being set up as a volatile hotbed of British soul, funk and multi-hued musical hybrids in 1999 by Brighton club-runners Robert Luis and Paul Jonas".

So said the well respected journo Kris Needs almost 10 years ago to the day and what has happened in those intervening years?  Only more idiosyncratic soul-driven quality, including Will Holland/Quantic (with "the mighty" Alice Russell on 'Look Around The Corner' and 'Furthest Moment'), Bobobo ('Terrapin'), Hidden Orchestra ('Spoken'), New Orleans' Hot 8 Brass Band (with their version of 'Sexual Healing') and Zed Bias (with the equally mighty Omar) with 'Dancing'.

There's loads more on this 30 track album and loads more that could have been included, as per my recent chat with Robert Luis at the WeOutHere Festival (more Lightning Head - see review HERE or BiggaBush's 'Different Style'- see review HERE - although the Magic Drum Orchestra are represented), Hot 8 Brass Band's cover of 'Ghost Town' (Jerry Dammers also being at WOH singing the praises of his Coventry connections with the Rhythm Doctor and  Madtone's EP 'LP Livicate' featuring Jasmine Tutum - see review HERE).

Back to 'Shapes 25', there's lots more to look out for including one of our favourites from last year Palm Skin Productions' 'Trickle Up' (see review HERE) and Nostalgia 77's 'Cheney Lane' (remember interviewing Ben Lamdin when the 12" of this came out).

What has changed over the past 10 years, you're not going to get these 30 tracks on vinyl all in one place but perhaps that's a good thing too as this is a "very special label".

P.S. by strange coincidence, Kris Needs was in Bournemouth last year to see David Kitt - see review HERE.

Artist: Various Artists
Title: Shapes 25
Release date: 13th September, 2024
Label : Tru-Thoughts Recordings
Catalog Number : TRUDD 537
Format: Digital / Bandcamp

PS. Also, check the Robert Luis Worldwide FM Takeover HERE

Review: Lightning Head (aka BiggaBush) - Me & Me Princess (Jay Darkside Remix) (Tru-Thoughts Recordings)

Fans of Lightning Head (aka Glyn 'Bigga' Bush) will recall his 'Me & Me Princess' as a Studio Don template of dancehall/dub/funk-up espousing his love to his 'Princess'.

It's been a favourite in his DJ sets ever since so it is a great time to have a 2023 remastered version (vocal and instrumental) that's got a bit more updated studio gear, a bit more bounce and new dubness in it - he's such a joker!

And fans of his monthly 1BTN show, Bigga's Big Dig, will have heard him play on last months' show a slimmed down 'Version 2' that's on here as a vocal and instrumental (that piano, Latin shuffle is a bit of a grower).

The other three tracks of this set, being by Tru-Thoughts' Jay Darkside as a drum and bass remix, remix instrumental and a dub. Bigga likes a d'n'b [see links to 'The River' below] and there's a collab in the making if Jay could get hold of the Ragga Twins.  The dub is another mating success but being greedy, could there have been room for an illegal dub version?

And was it any coincidence that 'Me & Me Princess' gets released today, on 'Dorset Day' (Glyn's adopted county - thanks for letting us know Dorset Phil) and that also today marks the start of BBC Radio 4's series called 'Princess'?  It must mean something?

Love you the best Bigga!

Other BiggaBush info can be had HERE with last years' interview and the review of 'A Different Style EP' (see HERE) that includes the Hectic Extended version of 'This River'.

Artist: Lightning Head (aka BiggaBush)

Title: Me & Me Princess (Jay Darkside Remix)

Release date: 1st June, 2023

Label : Tru-Thoughts

Catalog Number : TRUDD 537

Format: Digital / Bandcamp / JunoDownload

Review: Palm Skin Productions - Trickle Up EP (Tru-Thoughts Recordings)

Wow! Hard to believe that we've had two tracks of the year in March already, and this EP has at least one of them!

And if Bill Brewster (Last Night A DJ Saved My Life, Grimsby Town FC) says, 'Trickle Up' is a "monster tune", we're not going to argue with him or this mate, Harry the Haddock (who's been big in the news this week).

The title being the antidote to bull shit A-level economic theory that it comes from is brilliant from the stuttery intro to the acid soaked shuffle right up to the end (check the cover artwork for the heritage to this track).  The press quote that comes with this release is, “Trickle Up' is a celebration, a paying forward, a reminder that we can help each other elevate. The trickle of small actions by everyday people, building to a torrent of change.”

Not content with that, the EP comes with another homage with 'Back To Detroit' with the deep throb house and spoken word style that we know and lov.e

If it wasn't for those two tracks I'm sure I'd be raving away (no pun, etc) about the dreamy 'Stealing The Sunset' with a 'rockstar' bassline and/or 'Du(m)b Witness' which is so good you might think Adrian Sherwood had his fingers on the knobs with Biggabush orchestrating the proceedings; du(m)b it is not!

If you remember Palm Skin Productions (aka Simo Richmond) from his Mo'Wax days or even The Bays (I saw them once with Roots Manuva!), these are four big tunes on a big EP and it's ready to take on the 2023 dancefloors.

Artist: Palm Skin Productions

Title: Trickle Up EP

Release date: 2nd March, 2023

Label : Tru-Thoughts

Catalog Number : TRUDD509 Digital / Bandcamp

Interview: Glyn 'BiggaBush' Bush (Rockers Hi-Fi, Lightning Head, The black Albumen)

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!