following a standout appearance on dvs1’s mistress label with his “just pain” track, the man from minneapolis, doubt, returns to don’t be afraid for the first time since 2014’s “poor dog” ep. in the interim he has continued to record on disposable commodities under the doubt moniker, whilst also exploring experimental and ambient sound under the name time heals nothing.
for his most inclusive outing to date, doubt mines the outer limits of minimal house music whilst still maintaining the vibe of alienation and melancholy that characterises his work. the mood of “april” is euphoric and carefree but dig deeper and the fragile beauty also suggests an impending and ominous apocalypse. “what is happening” and “samusex” counterbalance the a-side’s brief suggestion of joy with a mood closer to doubt’s previous work. the title track meanwhile recalls the work of labels like ifach and trelik with a swinging, stripped down dub sound.