WAAN - We Want WAAN - Dutch sax/keys duo cycles through synthpop, jazz-funk, doomjazz (the mellow kind), Fourth World lite, and caps the album with what sounds like a Hawkwind Nik Turner showcase ("Cecilyum")
WAAN represents the coming together of accomplished saxophonist Bart Wirtz and keyboard magician Emiel van Rijthoven. As a pair of self-confessed tech nerds hailing from The Netherlands, the duo finally released their debut album Echo Echo on Sonar Kollektiv in 2023 — some thirteen years after their initial meeting. The profoundly positive response to the LP sent this two-man hi-tech jazz outfit on a journey they hadn’t quite anticipated. The album not only received praise in national newspapers and on international radio shows, but was also twice nominated for an Edison Award — the Dutch equivalent of the Grammys. Buoyed by this, WAAN set off on tour with their band, playing extensively across their home country and successfully translating their unique electro-acoustic sound into a captivating live show. In July 2024, looking to build on this momentum, Bart and Emiel retreated to a house in the middle of the peaceful Dutch island of Texel. There, they began sketching out new ideas in open-ended, improvisational sessions — laying the foundation for what would become their sophomore album: We Want WAAN.
