- Stanislav Tolkachev revels in disorientating arp sequences and staccato arrangements, but he's no stranger to eerie beatless tangents. Last year's VHS Pt. 1 on Italy's Delirio showed his slower side, using double bass, piano and plinky synths for four melancholic and depressive tracks. His latest EP, Catacomb Saints, picks up where VHS Pt. 1 left off.
"Why Are You So Frightened" journeys through a tear-stained synth notes before the first hints of percussion creep in halfway through. Hi-hats dance around frantic bleeps, cutting through the tension of the sad beatless section. The track tiptoes between Tolkachev's two sides: spooky experimentation and cutting rhythms that urge you to get up and dance. The smooth pace contrasts with the full-throttle funk of "4th Block," which follows a functional path. Tolkachev's tougher cuts tend to focus on expanding a central sequence to explore its limits, and "4th Block" is a great example of this. Veering among galloping kick drums and stomach-churning arpeggios, it's classic bare-boned Tolkachev.
TracklistA Why Are You So Frightened
B 4th Block