One year (and countless DJ sets around New Zealand, Australia and Europe) later, Public Possession's Tubbs&Burns (the duo of Christopher Tubbs and Eden Burns) returns to the world of vinyl and digital downloads with "Burns & Tubbs Vol. III". A concise three-track 12", the EP kicks off with 'Where Were U In 92?', where seashore/seagull field recordings quickly give way to a dreamy early 90s house meets street soul sound driven by airy rave vocals, a chuggy breakbeat, and subtle synths and incidentals. It's a perfect sunset/sunrise tune.
On the flip, they team up with fellow New Zealander Nathan Haines, who you probably know from the broken beat scene, his jazzy drum & bass excursions in Sci-Clone, his even more jazzy solo projects, or the stint he spent touring in the OMC live band (remember 'How Bizarre'?) for two mixes of 'ON&ON'. In the eight-minute-plus original mix, the fellas map out a series of overlapping house tempo grooves that just build and build and build while a constellation of synth pads, woodwind and digi-melodies swirl around them. When the squelchy bass finally arrives, it feels well-earned. For the 'Bullet Train Mix', they dial up the tempo and shuffle, giving 'ON&ON' more of a driving and percussive feel. One for peak time, perhaps.
Burns & Tubbs Vol.III is out now through Public Possession (order here)