Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on May 2010

Courtesy of Womb

Layo Paskin and Matthew Bushwacka are firmly ingrained in British nightlife lore. The DJ and production duo, whose sound sits somewhere between tech-house and breaks, made a name for themselves playing epic DJ sets for their All Night Long parties at legendary London club The End.

In the early ’90s, Paskin was introduced to Matthew “B,” then a percussionist in the London School Symphony Orchestra, by the pied piper of the UK rave scene, Mr. C. (If the name’s not familiar, you might remember Mr. C as the cheeky rapper in UK rave group The Shamen, who caused a national uproar with their perceived endorsement of ecstasy in the 1992 chart hit “Ebeneezer Goode.”) In 1995, Paskin and Mr. C opened The End in a converted 19th-century horse stable, and soon after, Layo & Bushwacka! were born.

The duo’s debut album, Low Life, was released at the cusp of the millennium, but it was their sophomore outing, Night Works—a seamlessly sequenced journey through exotic, bass-heavy house—that put them in high demand. Gigs in some of the biggest European clubs followed, propelled by the massive popularity of the anthem “Love Story,” with its unforgettable chiming hook and soulful vocals.

Feels Closer, their third album, marked the beginning of the duo’s Olmeto label, as they branched out into live instrumental and percussive territories. From running a world-famous club to successful productions, and with a globetrotting DJ career and a label thrown into the mix, Layo & Bushwacka! have covered all the corners of the nightlife scene, and will be well-placed to put on a stomper at Womb…

DJs reading this: check Tokyoite DJ/producer Andrez Bergen’s new wax Metropolis How? Remixes, which has already won the support of folks like Luke Slater. The original track is stripped-down mechanical hypnotism, while James Ruskin, DJ Hi-Shock and Justin Berkovi provide the remixes.

Ruskin delivers a sinister version, with a thumping, four-to-the-floor beat overlaid with tense synths, while Hi-Shock’s effort is a rattling slow-builder that emphasizes the subtle acid of the original. But the standout is Berkovi’s low-slung minimal tech-house groover, replete with seductive, serpent-like hisses.

When asked about the current format dilemma, the Aussie Bergen is quick to champion vinyl.

“Honestly? Digital is glutted out,” he tells Metropolis. “It’s a great medium to exercise lack of restraint and release experimental stuff since there are no overheads, but sales and attention are minimal. Digital is physically intangible, and CDs have gone the way of the dinosaur. DJing vinyl is something I can show my daughter when she grows up, and the analog sound is just a wee bit richer.”

Womb
W feat. Layo & Bushwacka! House, techno: DJs Layo & Bushwacka!, Takuya, Raymond, etc. May 15, from 11pm, ¥4,000. Shibuya. Tel: 03-5459-0039. www.womb.co.jp

Metropolis How? Remixes is available now on Gynoid:Audio. See www.androidmuziq.com for more info.