We Want WAAN by WAAN

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.

In July 2024, 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.

It quickly became clear that the sound was evolving. A bit rougher, sitting more on the edge of other musical influences.
Bart Wirtz (WAAN)

The album opens with a statement of intent: the pulsating title track "We Want WAAN," powered by soaring synths, driving rhythm, and Bart's fiery sax - a raucous introduction to the band's new direction. From there, the record flows into "Talking Trees," a melancholic future-jazz ballad inspired by the silent communication of white pines, with floating sax melodies, tape-saturated drums, and the haunting processed cello of René van Munster.

"Mirrors" explores new sonic territory with harmonizer-processed sax and frenetic bass & drum workouts, its live energy boosted by the sound of a real audience vibing along - recorded at Leiden's legendary jazz bar De Twee Spieghels, where Ben Webster once played his final concert. Always stretching the boundaries of their sound, WAAN draw on post-punk, alt-rock, and distortion-heavy textures in "Why Didn't You Get Me," featuring raw vocals from Marta Arpini and Mingue. The mood dips darker with "In Dirt," a skit-like vignette that channels seedy film noir and breakbeat energy in just under two minutes.

Things shift again with "Moto No Oto," where Bart's lyrical sax interweaves with lush strings by René van Munster and Beste Sevindik, offering a moment of deep stillness. "In Doubt" picks the pace back up with sprightly synth work, setting the stage for one of the album's most powerful moments.

That moment is "Been Blue" - a standout collaboration with Ivy Sole, the Philadelphia-based rapper, singer, and producer known for their poetic lyricism and role in the global non-binary music movement. Sole's verses move between vulnerability and strength, framed by hypnotic synths, pulsing drums, and WAAN's unmistakable hybrid sound. The result is a stunning fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and electronic soul - a 21st-century protest blues for restless minds.

"In Dreams" offers a lush, meditative breath before "Lodge Texas" jolts the listener back into motion - an unconventional club anthem led by snaking flutes and built in 9/4 time. The album closes with the eerie and spiritual "Cecilyum," where Emiel's Prophet 5 mimics a church organ, and Bart's sax rises like a ghost from the crypt, blurring the line between sacred and synthetic.

WAAN - We Want WAAN
Release Date January/February 2026
Label Sonar Kollektiv

Tracklist
1. WAAN - We Want WAAN    
2. WAAN - Talking Trees    
3. WAAN - Mirrors    
4. WAAN - Why Didn't You Get Me    
5. WAAN - In Dirt    
6. WAAN - Moto No Oto    
7. WAAN - In Doubt    
8. WAAN feat. Ivy Sole - Been Blue    
9. WAAN - In Dreams    
10. WAAN - Lodge Texas    
11. WAAN - Cecilyum    
12. WAAN feat. Ivy Sole - Been Blue (Clean Version)