ddwy

ddwy (pronounced d-why) is the Welsh word for “two” — a nod to Naomi and Ronan, the duo behind the project. Based in South London, though the tendrils stretch further to Sri Lanka, ddwy began during lockdown. Not exactly as a way to pass time, more like gently coaxing it into a different shape — making playful tracks for friends and for family. Naomi’s voice began to sit naturally within Ronan’s sketches, and what started casually began to take shape - maybe the echo of something.

Their early recordings found their way to Munich label Public Possession, who were drawn to ddwy’s spacious approach — restrained yet rhythmic, reflective yet rooted in the dancefloor, allowing the sounds to exist in their own orbit. Their debut EP, ‘Spring Songs’, landed in 2023 and received support from Resident Advisor, Phonica, Tom Ravenscroft and Tim Sweeney.

Despite the band never having performed publicly, an invitation to play at Finland’s Solstice Festival — on top of a mountain where the sun never sets — led to the duo’s live debut. After two years of improvisation and refinement, their set is ever-evolving with an intricate layering of Naomi’s live vocal and loops, Ronan’s spangled guitar, dubbed out percussion and synths. The accumulation of small gestures builds into a pulse where the energy is palpable. They’ve since appeared at Love International, Botanica Festival, WigWam in Shanghai, and held a residency at South London’s “if you know you know” spot Spanners.

ddwy returned to Public Possession in 2024 with their ‘Spinning Stones’ EP which was again widely supported and critically acclaimed. Their next release, ‘Beaming Backwards’, is due in summer 2025 via Test Pressing’s new imprint. It again pulls from the past whilst looking to the future and existing in the present. It’s a four track EP ranging from dancefloor moments such as ‘Beaming Backwards’ and the dubwise ‘Peak Smile’ to the more ethereal ‘Stars Stars’ and the ambient tone of ‘Heuldro’r Haf’. A beautifully rounded EP showing a quiet potential for a broader audience.

Moving beyond this next release, the pair are developing a long-form, all-night format — moving from live performance into extended ddwy DJ sets, where the lines between the two blur and dissolve. A night of ddwy seeks to create a space, a feeling, an environment that resonates. A night that feels familiar even when it’s taking you somewhere new. Two become one, become many. The echo continues.