Experimental producer DOV has just shared a spacey new single “Reciprocate,” a heady pop crossover that grapples with long term commitment versus instant pleasure. The track is DOV’s second single of 2020 that comes ahead of his It Feels Right EP slated for release on July 24th. On “Reciprocate,” DOV recruits vocal collaborator Vaughan to lay down some thoughtful echoes over the lush production. He’s also released an accompanying music video that explores representations of queer men from a vintage 80s lens. As a whole the single and video are an ambitious undertaking from DOV, but he’s excellent at making his bold ideas mesh cohesively.
“Reciprocate” opens up with a mysterious, low pulsing beat before expanding into a vibrant, wide open soundscape that brings in deep synths, gorgeous bell runs, and ominous vocal samples. In the densest moments of the instrumental, it feels like a fully immersive fever dream. Meanwhile, Vaughan brings thoughtful lyrics regarding emotional availability and setting boundaries. It ultimately concludes that, despite some fun romantic interactions and late nights, a long term love can’t be reciprocated. His falsetto vocal runs are a nice contrast to the dark, mysterious beat, creating a beautiful ambivalence that matches the subject matter well. The strongest moments come at the ending reprise of the hook, where Vaughan echoes the question “How did I fall so hard?” The honesty and indulgence from both collaborators is powerfully striking.
Following “Mind High” last month, “Reciprocate” marks another strong experimental pop single from DOV, who crafts excellent instrumentals and brings the most out of his collaborators. He’s two for two moving forward to this EP, which looks promising to say the least.
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