- Few techno producers have as distinct a sound as Stanislav Tolkachev. The Ukrainian artist keeps his tracks fast and lean, working with skewed melodies and rarely abating drums to create moments of agitation and brittle beauty that feel like they could go on without end. Having been at it for around a decade now, Tolkachev's international profile has risen, with recent releases on the likes of Fullpanda, Geophone and M_REC LTD. Right Angle, his second solo 12-inch on Semantica, contains four diverse tracks that reinforce his status as one of the scene's most compelling talents.
"Like No One Is Watching," which glides across ten-beat measures, is a sublime start, its lengthy drum sequence treading through a constellation of gorgeously glimmering bleeps and contemplative synth motifs. It's one of Tolkachev's mellowest tracks, and I'd say one of his best. "White Blood Cell" dials up the intensity. Sure to set alight peak-time dance floors, it packs bristling, stomping percussion and an angular, echo-laden lead that seems to fire off tracers as it ricochets downward. On the flip are two more straightforward, stripped-back cuts. "Right Angle" employs a single kick drum and some increasingly amplified plucks and synth squelches, which drift alone across a long, dizzying drop mid-way through. "Past," where a fuzzy mass of organ chords covers a soft kick, is tranquil but disconsolate, a melancholy end to another excellent effort from Tolkachev.
TracklistA1 Like No One Is Watching
A2 White Blood Cell
B1 Right Angle
B2 Past