For just over a decade now, Global Underground has been bringing to us nothing but the best of various genres, especially house and progressive, mixed by the mega stars of the decks. With mixes done all around the world, number thirty three sees Layo & Bushwacka! take charge. What they deliver is something a bit surprising yet more then exceeds the high expectations set by the GU brand. I have heard most of the GUs and would have to rate this as one of the best.

I will tell you one of the main reasons why I made this call. A slight misconception in this day and age of the dance scene is for the DJ to always play new music. Don’t get me wrong, new music needs to be pushed to the masses but there is always a time and a place for the music of old and it is this that Layo and Bushwacka put out on their mix here. Disk 1 takes us back to their grass roots – old tracks that inspired them and made them what they are today. Disk 2 is the modern flavour reflecting what is currently spinning on their turntables.

For those who only have had an appetite for dance music over the last few years, the tracks on disk 1 are those that you’ll most likely have never heard before. This is the perfect dance history lesson right here – nostalgia and sounds from the early 90s. It took me right back to my early days and really put me in the mood.
26 tracks in total adorn the first CD and it is very rare these days you will see so many tracks in a 75-80 minute mix.

We start off on a perfect, old school house vibe with Took My Love Away which quickly shifts into Surrender Yourself by Danou. From the first two tracks, you can already see how far music has come to what it is now but this still takes nothing away from the revolutionary genius of early house and techno. Open Our Eyes begins with a typical upbeat breakdown of the era. From here, we cruise along on a soulful, relaxed vibe. Touch Me Touch Me keeps the same intensity but steps it up a little with some deep male vocals and snare drums.
Taste My Love by Kym Mazelle brings us to that a-typical old school house sound that people tend to refer to when discussing this era (If you were around back then  ). It is not too overpowering yet has the energy seeping into the set.

APT1A and House for All take us to a deep, dark tech vibe which is almost spooky and nasty. This carries through into House Nation Under a Grove before elevating up with a hand rising acid house classic Acid Kiss by Sheila. From acid house back to old school, I Called U kicks in with some 303 drum beats which were a frequent feature in these tracks.

Future FJP rolled along nicely with some cool synth before hitting us with some more thumping bass and powerful female vocals on Can’t Get Enough. This track really got me out of my seat and had that grab to it. Dream Girl came back with a dash of techno and one awesome, trancey breakdown. Hypnodelic by Francois K hits back to the acid 303 laced house which is quite smooth and one of those classics from the old days I recognised. An old time favourite artist, Eddie Flashin Fowlkes then kicked in with Move Me before quickly hitting us with I Like It Deep. Deep most certainly is the theme here. One Kiss has a bit of tech element to it that dropped back the tempo.

Planet E has that uplifting, wave your hands in the air feel yet still maintains a little bit of an acid house edge. The vocal on this track adds a nice funky element to it too. Never No More Lonely is more deep and moving but blends nicely into the vibe. Proton Candy has the more beach house summery sounds to it, relaxing you a little before moving into more upbeat sounds on the Morning After by Fallout. Time to Feel the Rhythm is another of those classics from old that I picked straight away and had me reminiscing. Love the keyboard on this one. Brighter Days is beautiful, original, straight up house with soul that gets you grooving.

House legend Kenny Larkin hits us next with one of his older works, We Shall Overcome. The Martin Luther King sample gives the track a powerful edge and substance. The Harmonica track is as the title describes, harmonica to a beat with a crooning vocal. When I Fell In Love by UBQ Project feat. Kathy Summers hit the more happy house vibe towards the end. Nice, polished and right on the money, it was the perfect conclusion to the education of dance music history that is disk one.

Now we take a step forward to the present to get a taste for Layo and Bushwacka in the here and now. It starts off a touch dark, minimal and techy to boot. Bang by Phonique is simplistic yet solid and a perfect way to start. It is not over the top and a nice, slow teasing track on the intro. Pluteorgic is the perfect follow on with some interesting warped string-like synths. 3 Weeks has one haunting as hell vocal that almost makes you feel the sounds on the track are temporarily possessed. Dark, brooding tech house at its’ absolute best.

Hay Consuelo adds some soft, deep house spice into the midst, adding another dimension to what was becoming a multi faceted performance. Once again, the vocals have a powerful, captivating effect on the listener.
Belly Dancing by Guy Gerber sees the tempo stepped up a notch. This is where the tech and electro heads hit the floor. A nice, grooving, steady track which intoxicates the punters to start tapping and prepare for what’s in store. Aurora winds it back a little which is not a bad thing as there still was a way to go and it appears Layo and Bushwacka didn’t want to launch an all out aural assault as yet.

Samba takes us back to some building music, winding up to a nice crescendo with some aptly placed chime like samples. Spastik by Richie Hawtin is just as the name suggests. These are some nasty, dark experimental sounds before quickly moving on to A Walking Contradiction by Adam Beyer. Here Layo & Bushwacka are pushing the boundaries with some very raw and extraterrestrial sounds. This is where true appreciation for music comes to the fore. Some will say some of the sounds may be too minimal and out of the ordinary for them and although tech and basis music is not my preferred choice, I can still see the talent and creativity to the genre.

Bushwacka hits us up next with his own flavour in Long Distance. It is still much in the low minimal vein but has some serious beats to it. A nice slow, steady build up as well. After the Love and Ashes Remain coincide for more of the same before cracking us with a deep male vocal and soulful house. The move to melody from substance works well. The shift continues to Walk Music and by now, Layo & Bushwacka are starting to turn up the heat a little. With the second half of the second CD, we are starting to get real serious! Ledge has a moving, spiritual feel which again adds another facet. Tabloid is another of Layo & Bushwacka’s own pieces and we are now really starting to get it on. This is a rolling piece more towards the progressive side of the table. It is funky, original, electric and bang smack on the money. It’s one of those tracks that has that extra flair and a real crowd pleaser.

What’s Your Name turns on the funk a little bit. By this stage, it seems we are going to get a little bit of everything. The break down is plain ambience though for yet another step outside the square. The Sun Can’t Compare has an acid-tech edge to it which then adds a ghostly vocal on top of the tribal beat. The 303 sounds here are a real nice touch and is the strong sample on a potential modern acid tech classic.

Light My Eyes keeps the 303 but mixes it with some uplifting ambience as backing. This one takes us back a few steps into a visionary state of electronica. Saudade concludes proceedings – another of the repertoire of Layo & Bushwacka. After everything we had up until now, this was the perfect ending. A solid, alive progressive-tech production, it’s one of those tracks that gives off that aura that there is more to it than meets the eye. Easily my favourite of this CD.

From what they were to where they are now, Layo & Bushwacka prove their worth of wearing the Global Underground crown. Great mixing with a slight dark and straight up edge, it has raw appeal that hits you at a base level. Tribal and simplistic yet genius. Take a bow Layo and Bushwacka! We’re not worthy!