Layo & Bushwacka!
Night Works

There are music labels that, despite starting from the underground, inevitably end up expanding their horizons (and profits) over time, producing heterogeneous and diverse artists who have little in common with those originally promoted by the label itself.

XL Recordings fits perfectly into the aforementioned category: born in the early '90s from the ashes of the defunct City-Beat Records, it immediately took an interest in the most "extreme" electronic sounds of the period (such as Hardcore, newly born and then in vogue), recruiting among its ranks personalities of the caliber of the Prodigy, who received great visibility and success, thus allowing XL to grow and quickly become one of the most important labels on the European and world stage. The rest is recent history: XL expanded with the evolutions of the music market, signing rich contracts with various artists like Badly Drawn Boy, White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, RJD2, and starting to intimidate the big industry giants like Virgin and Universal.

Beyond the most prominent and famous names, it's possible to discover, in the prolific discography of the English label, lesser-known and niche artists who, although well known by the most attentive enthusiasts, still do not achieve the recognition and visibility they deserve.

Among these, Layo & Bushwacka! immediately catch the eye, an English duo formed by Layo Paskin and Matthew Benjamin, two DJs and producers coming from a long apprenticeship in the musical underground, which first led them, in the role of selectors, to play the most demanding and "cool" dancefloors of the UK, and later to don the musician hat, with the release of a series of fairly successful 12"s. Right after the release of their debut album, "Low Life," they were noticed by the talent scouts of XL Recordings (surprise, surprise!), and the deal was done: in 2002 "Night Works" was released, their second official album, where they further dive into their inspired mix of Breakbeat, House, Downtempo, Dub, and subtle sounds, thanks to undoubtedly more refined and effective production compared to their previous work.

The album, with its 14 tracks (just over 48 minutes of music), well synthesizes the eclectic style of the English group and effectively illustrates the skillful use of electronics by the two producers, well-researched, consistent, but never predictable or excessively snobbish.

After the crackles and unsettling ambient atmospheres of the intro "Vinyl", and the mix of nervous Breakbeat, scratches, and evocative sounds of "Ladies & Gentlemen", we move on to the first real track, "Shining Through", seven minutes of steady and engaging beats, frenzied percussion, and nocturnal musical backdrops that almost recall the less acid Chemical Brothers. Applause-worthy. The dreamy and Arabesque passages of the interlude "Sahara" prelude to the broken-beats and subdued, hypnotic atmosphere of the beautiful "We Meet At Last", with its edgy bass taking center stage, while the brief and suspended "Mainlining" preludes to "Let The Good Times Roll", another masterful track, always on the verge of explosion but never quite reaching a complete detonation, perfectly summarizing our agilites behind the PC, samplers, and drum machines. Magnificent. With "All Night Long" the balance shifts more towards House and straight bass drums, in a triumph of acidic electronic inserts and impactful psychedelic suggestions, while the seven seconds of the skit "Strike" precede the phantasmagoric kaleidoscope of sounds of the smoky "Sleepy Language" and "Blind Tiger", where the influence of Dub and darker Hip-Hop becomes strong. Perfect for listening with headphones, at night, wandering through a crowded metropolis. Another very brief track, "Automate", before the two concluding tracks, "Love Story", great for the most discerning dancefloors, and the closing "2MRW", full of silences, syncopations, and voids, which close in more than a worthy manner a compact and flowing work, from start to finish.

In conclusion, "Night Works" is an album that is pleasantly enjoyable, and although not without its flaws (the slightly short duration, the excessive number of interludes not developed into real tracks), it stands out in the turmoil of record releases in recent years.

In short, it matters little if the album did not receive the expected success and led XL to "drop" the two talented producers: it seems it is finally time to give Layo & Bushwacka! a second chance.