To tie in with the reissue of the first Lightning Head album "Studio Don" on the Tru Thoughts label (released 31 May 19), we proudly present Lightning Head Specials. A two-volume collection of versions, remixes and unreleased tracks from Glyn Bigga Bush's latin-reggae project.

From the original Studio Don promo:

(first released 2001)

The musical styles you´ll hear on "Studio Don" are BiggaBush's favourites - batucada rhythms, Latin piano lines, funk riffs, reggae offbeats - recorded using dub techniques, spacey echoes, boinging reverbs and maximum bass. And as Lightning Head, he found new ways of putting them together. No wonder, he´s well experienced. Having studied batucada while playing in samba bands and teaching himself the patterns and grooves he developed a strong feel for the peculiarities of Brasilian music. Likewise he has a strong affinity to Jamaican music - not just the obvious influences of dub you hear in his output with Rockers Hi Fi but ska, rocksteady and even ragga. He has always loved the way Jamaican musicians interpret other styles and sounds and make them their own -right back to the 60s and the way they covered soul hits, TV theme tunes, pop classics - they all had that twist. And he loves the passion and intensity of Latin music, the different percussive elements, the offbeat feel (there is very often no Beat One in Latin music).

The album is called "Studio Don". Yes, there´s a linguistic play with the legendary Studio One from Kingston, Jamaica which was a great source of inspiration for this production. In the 70s Studio One used to work like a factory - the musicians would work an 8 hour day laying down rhythm tracks. So all the recordings from that time had a similar sound and feel - they would have the same instruments, played by the same musicians, set up in the same way. And that's why you´ll find the Lightning Head instrumentation on the album is held down to a basic line-up of clavinet, Hammond organ, bass, monosynth, guitar and drums - recorded with a very "live" feel. And with a shedload of percussion. Plus of course echo machine and spring reverb.

Then there is the surprise inclusion of two cover versions - late 60s avant electronicist Jean-Jacques Perrey's evergreen "E.V.A." and Saturday Night Fever soundtrack classic "Salsation" (here called "Steelsation") - both reworked with the assistance of the El Head Steel Orchestra for extra Caribbean flavour.


With "Studio Don" Glyn "Bigga" Bush has created a great piece of music with which one can travel from Kingston, Jamaica to Havana, Cuba; the Bronx in New York to Brixton, London and the original funk sound from New Orleans to the open spaces of Dorset, England. The groove always in the heart and with that particular irie feel. El Head, keep the fire burning!

Daniel Haaksman (2001)