written by Stephanie Rosa
photo by Haley Lan Films
I remember the very first time hearing San Holo. I was enjoying my daily dose of Odesza and decided to listen to their newest No.Sleep set when I heard the So High – Doja Cat (San Holo Remix) come on. Not only did I rewind the song about 10 times after my first listen, but I also had to know who made the song and what other songs would be bliss to my ears. And there he was. San Holo.
Hailing from the Netherlands, San Holo is all things future bass. His sound is happy, unique and recognizable. As you dive into his original productions and remixes, you find yourself bobbing along to the unique whistle-like synthesizer that hes created. At a ripe age of 26, San Holo (Sander van Dijck), has released music on major labels including Monstercat, OWSLA, Heroic, and has founded his own label, bitbird. With three EPs under his belt, San Holo is now taking the festival world by storm. He debuted at his first Coachella in 2016 at the Do Lab stage and now in 2017 he is scheduled to hit major festivals such as Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza.
After a two years of jamming out to San Holo’s beats and jumping to hear any new music he released, I still had not gotten to see his live performance. Does his mixing and stage presence align with his masterful creations?
Finally, last month San Holo and I were in the same city at the same time and after two long years, I was able to see him on his San Francisco stop of his Light Tour. The club was jam packed as San Holo sold out 1015 Folsom, a large 2 room nightclub in the heart of the city. To make a long, sweaty and calorie-burning story short, he exceeded my expectations as mixer and performer. My suggestion? If you haven’t already, check out San Holo and go see him live. If you’re festing as much as we are this season, you can check him out at Sweetwater 420, Something Wonderful, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. If you’re craving a more intimate experience, keep tabs on his local shows here. And if you need a little sample of all his music, be sure to check out his Diplo & Friends mix on Soundcloud.
Thanks for the good music, San Holo. Swirl.