Layo & Bushwacka!

Layo & Bushwacka! are a London electronic music duo made up of DJs and producers Matthew Benjamin and Layo Paskin. Active since 1988, they work across house, electronic, breakbeat, dance and electronica, and are closely associated with London club culture.

Formation and background

Matthew Benjamin, known as Bushwacka!, begins as a percussionist in the London School Symphony Orchestra and becomes involved with the Rat Pack after a warehouse party in 1988. Layo Paskin comes from North London and is involved in the acid house scene, meeting Mr C at the Clink Street parties in 1988. Through Mr C, the two first meet while Matthew is working at his studio. By the mid 1990s they are writing music together.

Together, they help set up the London nightclub The End, which becomes central to their career and later to several of their residencies and releases.

Albums and releases

The duo’s debut album, Low Life, is released in 1998 on End Recordings, the label connected to The End. It brings together electro, house and breakbeat with blues, dub and downtempo influences.

Their second album, Night Works, appears in 2002 on XL Recordings. It includes the track Love Story, which becomes a top ten hit, and the album sells 100,000 copies.

They release the mix album The End with Mr C in the late 1990s, followed by All Night Long, which reflects their extended DJ sets and includes their reworks of Bebel Gilberto’s So Nice and Sly & The Family Stone’s Dance To The Music.

Their third artist album, Feels Closer, is released in 2006 on their own Olmeto Records. It includes live musicians such as percussionist Mino Cineleu, Green Velvet’s vocals on Life 2 Live, Rogerio Flausino on Sunshine in Ipanema, and vocals from Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong on Isn’t This A Lovely Day.

They later release the mix album Global Underground 033: Rio, which reflects their connection with Brazil.

DJ work, residencies and label

Layo & Bushwacka! build a reputation through club residencies and long-form DJ sets. Their residency at The End, known as All Night Long, becomes one of London’s best-known nights. They also hold residencies at Space in Ibiza and Sirena in Brazil, and their live shows appear at events including Homelands and Sonar.

They launch Olmeto Records, which becomes an outlet for their own releases and remixes. The label issues releases and B-sides with remixes by artists including Loco Dice, Jesse Rose, Green Velvet and UNKLE. Bushwacka! also releases solo 12-inch records on the label. At The End, their Olmeto residency follows the All Night Long nights and also features music from labels such as Simple Records and Freerange in other rooms and the sister bar AKA.

Singles, charting tracks and remixes

The duo’s singles include Deep South and Ear Candy in 1999, Love Story in 2002, Love Story vs. Finally and It’s Up To You (Shining Through) in 2003, and Feels Closer, Life2Live and Things Change in the 2000s. Love Story reaches number 4 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Play chart, while Love Story vs. Finally reaches number 8 in the UK Singles Chart and It’s Up To You (Shining Through) reaches number 25 in the UK.

Their remix work includes versions of tracks by Orbital, Reprazent, Stanton Warriors, Jakatta, Bebel Gilberto, Paul Oakenfold, Finley Quaye with William Orbit, Ella Fitzgerald and Depeche Mode.