Layo & Bushwacka! - Night Works (2025)

They're a pair of master DJs, but Layo Paskin and Matthew "Bushwacka" B. still haven't released a mix album together. With the production prowess shown on their sophomore set, Night Works, though, fans shouldn't have a problem waiting a bit longer. It helps that the album is as streamlined as a mix set; listeners are well into the third track before they even realize it. "Shining Through" paves over the speed bumps of the usual techno breaks, stream-rollering the percussion and effects until they're smooth as blacktop, but allowing what's left a strength and resiliency that's all the better for the process. A few short, scattered interludes stall the flow a bit, but the rest of the tracks are all quality. "All Night Long" really sparkles, boasting a quick pace, several stylistic change-ups, and the dynamic sonic grandeur of the best Underground Resistance productions. Like exhausted club-kids retreating from the main room into the lounge, the pair spend some time in downtempo territory, with the delicious,dubbed-out Southern soul of "Sleepy Language" and the bluesy breakbeat of "Blind Tiger." Best of all, the duo knows how interminable a 74-minute production LP sounds, so Night Works wraps up after barely three-quarters of an hour. Still, they save the best for second-to-last, another epic production titled "Love Story." © John Bush