WAVHART has certainly captured Reid Speed’s attention with its unique blend of classic rave, modern thumping beats and spooky synthesizers. In fact, since Reed’s first, mind-blowing mixtape remix and Dr. Apollo’s “Aion” in late 2020, it’s been released almost exclusively on Play Me or Play Me Too. With multiple singles on both labels across 2021 and 2022, it stands to reason that WAVHART’s debut EP, to the end It will be released on Play Me Too.
to the end is a three-track take for those who may have been sleeping on WAVHART for both where he is now in his sound and how far he has grown from his already high quality techno on “Aion”. All three tracks are D&B in essence, but it’s always fun to see new artists who don’t allow themselves to be genre-hopped; They are generally more free to just draw from anywhere, even when focusing on a particular rhythm style. The result is that the tracks are in to the end It also doesn’t tie into the subgenre, which means there’s something for everyone here: persistent, danceable beats, rampaging ambient action, and gritty spooky/speedcore vibes all flow together seamlessly.
The three track to the end It opens with the title track, a melodic acoustic track featuring vocalist new to D&B, Igarah. This track mixes minimal drum and bass, more jump-inspired D&B, gentle breakdowns and false/experimental syncopation. With that kind of metallic look to the nozzle and the ambient backing sound, this is already a pretty intense mix but it gets more genre-bending from there. Their closest EP, “Impulse”, is, in fact, more of a D&B break in terms of tempo and rhythm structure. It also includes some solid style homes for the commuters among us. However, it’s interesting that this track still feels very drum and bass due to the many cuts and synths design. She’ll have a lot of D&B heads staring at her, that’s for sure. That is, before the rhythm takes over and they find themselves dancing to it.
Today’s YEDM premiere is the D&B track, “Dream State.” There’s no mistaking it, the tempo, the tempo or the ambiance. With a fast, solid beat, however, this isn’t your typical…well…anything. With its high-pitched, babbling intro (almost inspired by gibberish), “Dream State” intentionally doesn’t prepare listeners for what’s to come after the fall: a glitch inspired by sloppy nerves in the synths. It’s a wild ride from there as the track oscillates between a shimmering happy hardcore techno track and a sinister spooky track. If your dreams look like this path, friends, we’ll pray for you. In the meantime, it desperately needs to be played as loud and fast as possible on a big festival stage, like yesterday (we’re sure Reid Speed has done this a few times already).
WAVHART is a lesson to D&B punters that we really should be past the days of strictly sticking to a subgenre or even a genre by now. With an artist this creative and technically sound, why not let him go where he wants and follow his own style. If I Like (EPs) to the end Is the result, we’d better avoid labels altogether. They’re really nothing more than descriptors, anyway. Leave the words to us word-obsessed journalists and get out there, find the party and party vibe.
to the end Drops Friday, November 18th on Play Me Too Records. Click here for pre-order and pre-air links.
