Heard It Here First

Wavecraft Collective, a label and artist hub out of South Carolina, has been on a hot streak this year, with recent releases from DiCE MaN, Adame, IORA, WerD, and many others making waves in the underground bass world. With their newest release, they decided to drop a compilation album, titled Resurgence Vol. 1, bringing back artists who released through the label back in the day and have experienced major growth in the time since. These artists include leet (whose track features vocals from Brotha Nature), MLOTIK, Smol, INNOCENT, JAML, and Zadkiel – amazingly talented producers one and all.

The second track off Wavecraft Collective’s Resurgence Vol. 1 is from leet and Brotha Nature. Titled “Mystify,” this track goes DEEP. The intro features amazing atmospheric elements, drums, and ambient effects, creating a mystical atmosphere that is thrown into a whole other lane with the chorus. A huge 808 and bass wobbles pair with clean drums and plucks for an almost Troyboi-esque groove and sit under Brotha Nature’s laid-back rap verse. The track walks a fine line between chilled out and dangerously hard.

Next up is MLOTIK’s “No Hype.” The title is misleading, as this track is immediately hype AF. A fast snare roll immediately sets the energy levels. Wild basses and screaming vocals treated with reverb and delay fire around in the background. The buildup doesn’t leave us hanging: the first chorus packs a serious punch. Meaty drums and chunky basses abound, with some insane ear candy to fill up the space.

The fourth track on the Resurgence compilation from Wavecraft Collective comes from one of the most involved folks in the scene right now, Smol. With his own label (DoYu Digital) and a side project (nwmi) taking off right now, Smol has been busy since his last release on Wavecraft. His track “So High” begins with vocals, creative foley, and a whole lot of interesting sound design. The first chorus features alien-sounding basses sitting perfectly over snappy drums, with tasteful effects and vocal shots to keep things moving. The second chorus switches up the bass design and even drops into a house section that is funky as hell. “So High” is a well-paced and overall great tune that anyone can get down to.

INNOCENT, the young production prodigy and Smol’s fellow Canadian, hits us next with a heater titled “New Beginning.” It starts with piano and atmosphere and transitions into a perfect build that drops into an insane chorus. Thick, fuzzy basses and fat drums are the forte of INNOCENT and are on full display here. The hook, a little up-down riff, carries over into a super dope little synth sound in the second half of the chorus. There’s always at least one element that makes his tracks stand out, and that sound is it for me on this track. The second chorus switches up the flow of the basses tastefully and brings back the piano as an accent. A meticulously crafted tune, “New Beginnings” is a banger from a young man who simply cannot stop making bangers.

The final track on Wavecraft Collective’s Resurgence Vol. 1 is “To The Flow” from JAML & Zadkiel. A haunting introduction builds the perfect tension into the chorus, which features morphing basses, spooky Halloween plucks, and vocal cuts over a really interesting drum section. That drum selection is one of my favorite aspects of this track and stands out as incredibly unique. The bass design is also insanity, with squelchy sounds that are in a state of continuous movement without overdoing it. The second chorus features vowel-y basses that sound like the final boss of a horror game set in outer space. This track is a masterclass in balancing complexity with accessibility and serves as an amazing final track.

Wavecraft Collective’s Resurgence Vol. 1 is a celebration of artists who have grown and evolved coming back to their roots, and it could not have been better curated. What was your favorite track from the collection? We would love to hear from you on our socials or down below in the comments!