If you're looking for DJ records that work on the dancefloor but still have the character and quirk that carries over right in a lounge bar, chill-out room, or beachside sunset/sunrise party kinda deal, Munich's Public Possession records have long been a safe bet. Unsurprisingly, I've posted a fair bit of their stuff here since I started contributing to Test Pressing in 2019.

Today, I'm taking a look at two recent Public Possession releases, ddwy's "Spinning Stones" and "Big Beat Manifesto Catalogue Nr. 1" by Colter Carson. So, without any further ado, let's get into the music.

Based in London, ddwy is the duo producer/DJ project of Naomi and Ronan, aka Nangi and Inner Totality, who you may have heard DJ on NTS or at club and festival appearances across the UK, Europe and parts of the US. Having first turned up on Public Possession in 2023 with a well-received compilation of tunes titled "Sprig Songs", in recent years, they've also popped up on leftfield DJ mix series like Sextags, TrushMix, Penderstreet Steppers, Libramix, showcasing an open-eared approach to club music and chill-out culture.

Made up of four well-proportioned and seasoned tracks, their new “Spinning Stones” EP is a joyful homage to their deep engagement with the eclectic musical cultures that surround them. On the opening title track, rolling drums and misty melodies bring a gentle Moog vibe (think Mort Garson's "Plantasia") to the club before faint, ghostly vocals and sprawling synth pads expand the proceedings into a freewheeling fantasia.

Up next on "Concrete Riviera", clockwork percussion moves in lockstep with IDM-inflected downbeat drum machine patterns, subtle psychedelic incidental sounds that ripple like a reflection in a funhouse mirror and some space-aged synthesis. File this under: one for the smokers. After four minutes and forty-six seconds, "Concrete Riviera" gives way to the expansive and floaty big beat buoyance of "Surangini". The key word here is floaty. If I was floating down a river in an oversized inflated inner tyre tube, I'd happily listen to it on loop for ages, bro. The cherry on the top is the wavy, half-sung, half-spoken vocals and bubbly synth lines that pop up halfway through.

From there, the EP closes out with the rustly, reversed-noises meets arpeggiated keyboard jazz, melodic percussion, and 1990s Ninja Tune style foley noises of "Theme oh the PCCP". After setting up to potentially be an ambient piece, "Theme oh the PCCP" unfolds into an intoxicating lower-tempo trip-hop groove draped in cosmic sensibilities. I'm not gonna say there is something for everyone on here, but I could picture this songs hitting the spot in a lot of different settings. That's something.

You can purchase Spinning Stones in vinyl and digital formats here.

Here's the backstory on this one: After working with Public Possession on his "Big Beat Manifesto" EP series over the last few years, the Melbourne-based New Zealand producer/DJ Eden Burns has stepped up to sub-label boss with his own Big Beat Manifesto Catalogue series. For the first release in the series, Eden brings Colter Carson into the mix for a solid five-track dance record.

Based in Christchurch, New Zealand, Mr Carson is a DJ, producer, music lover, graphic designer and one-half of Craiglist Soundsystem, a promotions crew who have been helping contribute to the reinvigoration of the garden city with a series of well-loved late arvo/evening parties at the Smash Palace garden bar and larger multi-zone events held in venues like The Loons in the nearby port town of Lyttleton.

Kicking off with the glossy, post-ambient textures, galloping UK funky slanted groove, and throwback Euro touches of ‘Tabu’, the EP is a delight of dancefloor riches. On ‘Love Cave’, things get squelchy, hypnotic and percussive before ‘Bass In Space’ does exactly what it says on the tin (think Balearic beats, but if they were levitating) and ‘DJ Drum Tool (Edit)’ and ‘Alto Voltaje’ round things out with a shuffling, late night stomp. Carson has done his time as a listener and a dancer and it comes through loud and clear across these songs. More of this, please.

You can purchase Big Beat Manifesto Catalogue Nr. 1 in vinyl and digital formats here.