Long-running U.K. compilation series Late Night Tales offers up the second volume of their After Dark series. Diverging from their classic format of loosely themed, artist-curated mixes for nocturnal dwellers, the After Dark records are DJ-led, club-focused mixes with an emphasis on tasty, midtempo grooves from a variety of sources. Getting a second crack at this series is London DJ, writer, and tastemaker Bill Brewster who populates Nightshift with everything from the horn-heavy '70s funk of the Salsoul Invention's "Soul Machine" to the smooth grooves of Balearic supergroup Paqua's "Late Train (Emperor Machine Special Extended Version)." As with the first volume, Brewster's crate-digging here has resulted in another set of classy, deep, deep cuts that throb with the unique pulse of the pre-dawn hours. ~ Timothy Monger
