- Inkblots is a new label founded by Italian artists Haiku and Mirror 1. Its first release is a split EP with two tracks each from Developer and Stanislav Tolkachev, producers who've become increasingly prolific over the last few years. (They actually appeared together on Developer's label Modularz in 2012.)
Developer takes the A-side, turning in the sort of roughed-up, rolling, perfectly functional 4/4 techno he's known for. "Observance" is long and moody, with eerily sagging horns extending over sprightly cymbals and gunshot-like chords. In contrast, "Brightly Dark" pushes more insistently, its modulated two-note riff leading the way, but it also feels a little less impressive.
Tolkachev's speedy cuts on the flip are pretty straightforward for him—less sharp-angled than his more abstract efforts—but intriguing nonetheless. "Raw 1," with its distinctively shrill lead and quick-humming undertones, is the record's blissful highlight. "Raw 2" has Tolkachev focused almost entirely on the bass and mids, and the result is a churning vortex of sound that'll likely turn legs into mush. It completes what's overall a nicely diverse four-tracker.
TracklistA1 Developer - Observance
A2 Developer - Brightly Dark
B1 Stanislav Tolkachev - Raw 1
B2 Stanislav Tolkachev - Raw 2