by John BushDespite several respected singles and remixes, Layo Paskin and Matthew "Bushwacka" B. were still better known as DJs than producers before 1999. All that changed with Low Life, however. The duo's first production LP is a varied album that flirts with Miami bass, electro, funk, Italian house, Latin percussion, and breakbeat techno (often in the same song), while still rarely deserting their pioneering tech-house foundation. Much more streamlined and dance-friendly than competitive acts like Leftfield or the Chemical Brothers, Low Life succeeds at nearly everything it attempts -- a surprise given the amount of cross-genre pollination going on here.