WAAN (NL)

An adventurous jazz-adjacent combo from the Netherlands, WAAN’s music is a wild mix of funk grooves, electronic dance textures, and unexpected arrangements that highlight their broad interests. Led by saxophonist Bart Wirtz and keyboardist Emiel van Rijthoven, they debuted in 2023 with Echo Echo, an album that placed them in similar territory as contemporary sonic explorers like BadBadNotGood and Bruut!. Signed to the Sonar Kollektiv label, WAAN returned in 2026 with the experimental, but approachable We Want WAAN.

Wirtz and van Rijthoven first met in 2010 while establishing their own parallel careers, then teamed up in the early 2020s. Combining Wirtz’s jazz background (Artvark Saxophone Quartet and New Rotterdam Jazz Orchestra) with van Rijthoven’s flair for electronic music and Brazilian-infused pop, they formed WAAN as an outlet for further experimentation. Citing influences like Quincy Jones, Cannonball Adderley, and Herbie Hancock, the duo recorded their debut album, Echo Echo, in 2023 and it was released by Sonar Kollektiv, the label run by German collective Jazzanova. While Wirtz and van Rijthoven form the creative core of WAAN, they are aided by bassist Matteo Mazzù and drummer Mark Schilders on-stage. The band’s 2026 follow-up, We Want WAAN, leaned even harder into electro-funk and unusual, dance-inspired rhythms. It also featured a guest spot from American rapper Ivy Sole.

Bart Wirtz – sax
Emiel van Rijthoven – keys
Matteo Mazzú – bass
Mark Schilders – drums

*tickets: 45/50 pln

https://www.waanmusic.com/