W: Theo Thompson
Kassian have always thrived in the space between precision and instinct, amongst both the architecture of club music and the electricity of improvisation. With their first release in three years on their own imprint Faux Poly in Ghost Dub / Locked, the London duo of Warren Cummings and Joe Danvers mark both a personal and institutional milestone: the label’s 20th release. The result is not a carefully sculpted narrative or an ambitious concept, but rather something more primal. Two raw, hardware-driven tracks designed unapologetically for the floor.
The EP unfolds as a statement of intent. ‘Locked’ operates as a spacious, bass heavy breakbeat cut steeped in UK lineage. Its atmospheres are cavernous yet sharply etched, the kind of track that reveals its contours only when powered through a serious sound system. Enchanting in rhythm and hypnotic in drive, it is a testament to Kassian’s ability to balance functionality with emotional pull.
‘Ghost Dub,’ by contrast, is unruly and seismic. It channels the ferocity of 90s rave, pushing into faster warehouse territory where immediacy is king. Listening to it personally evokes that unforgettable Jurassic Park scene, where ripples in a cup of water foreshadow the apex predators arrival. Here, bass vibrations shake not the earth but the dancefloor, rattling systems and testing structures. It is a track of impact and release. Primal energy distilled into rhythm.
The duo remain candid about their intentions: “After focusing on our album and remixes, we felt it was time to return to our home ground, putting out club material without overthinking concepts. This EP brings together two ideas we’ve honed over the last few years, merging new techniques with our established process. “With our first India tour having just taken place, to an incredible reception, it felt like the perfect moment to road test something new.”
Since their inception in 2019, Kassian have steadily carved their place in electronic music’s contemporary vanguard. Initially rooted in house, their sound has evolved toward more leftfield trajectories of techno and UK bass, earning support from figures as diverse as Four Tet, Ben UFO and Mary Anne Hobbs. Beyond their discography, including releases on Heist, Shall Not Fade and !K7, Kassian have built a formidable live reputation; gracing stages from Panorama Bar to Watergate and a plethora of festivals such as Love International and Kala.
Kassian’s return to Faux Poly is much more than just a homecoming, this is a significant reminder of the label’s growing cultural weight. Since its founding in 2022, Faux Poly has established itself as a crucible for boundary pushing club music, championing producers who seek durability over fleeting fashion. What defines the label is not rigid aesthetics but methodology; an ethos that treats music as something unearthed through experimentation rather than constructed to formula. Across twenty releases, it has developed a tightly woven roster while retaining the duo’s initial ethos. Keeping the dancefloor at the heart of experimentation.
FXPLY020 stands as not merely a catalogue number. It is a reaffirmation. Both stripped back and forceful, the EP epitomises their philosophy of craft without excess: music unearthed through instinct and experimentation, then honed for maximum impact on the floor. As Faux Poly grows and Kassian’s horizons extend as far and wide, the duo continue to prove that in an era of saturated electronic culture, clarity and conviction remain the most powerful frequencies.