- Sub Squared is a new offshoot of Project Squared, which is run by Paul Cooper and Gordon Gieseking. After a strong run of subterranean techno releases from the likes of AnD, Tom Dicicco and Kowton, Project Squared's output has slowed in the last couple of years due to the diverging tastes of its founders. In response, Cooper launched this new label as an outlet for his own tastes.
Ghostek may hail from Moscow, but his releases follow that very British trend for conflating 2-step and techno. No Way Out moves on from the Burial-lite of EPs like Easy Changes—the drums that swing through "Jaws" and "Haunt You" now smack more of Hessle than Hyperdub. The former especially has echoes of Bandshell's "Rise Em," with offbeat kicks sat beneath bursts of hi-hat and discordant strings. The latter only maintains its four-to-the-floor pulse for brief flashes, before the drums start to lurch like a ship in a storm. This rhythmic playfulness is Ghostek's strongest suit. The techno stride of both "No Way Out," with pitched-down vocals and static crackles, and "Vampires," with rumbling subs and rim shots, feel slightly lifeless in comparison.
Tracklist A1 No Way Out
A2 Jaws
B1 Vampires
B2 Haunt You