Substak is the work of Kostas Staikos, who hails from Athens, Greece. I have reviewed several of his releases on Inner Demons, and they all have different feels, so it is interesting to see what he has each time. The liner notes state that “This EP explores the eerie intersection of technology and humanity, with two tracks that build a world of distorted communication and corrupted systems. It's a journey through droning soundscapes where noise feels like whispers and glitches reveal a broken but beautiful order.” I spent the better part of 15 years studying this intersection, so I was quite interested to see how Substak approaches it. Let’s dive in.

We open with “Static Communication,” which is like listening to a train in a tunnel, rumbling along. Peaceful and hypnotic. “Corrupted Algorithm” gives us the same rhythm without the echoes and drones before kicking in some bass drones to go along with it. Where the previous track was gentle and soothing, this one is more abrasive in that the repetition becomes annoying, but I suppose that is the point. About two thirds of the way in, we have some staticy noise bursts, like a radio tuned to the space between frequencies.

Overall, it is an interesting concept, but I feel that Substak would need to delve more into the idea to make the concept stick. This is a weighty concept and it's hard to pull off in just over 13 minutes. The music itself is interesting though, so it can stand on its own regardless.