San Holo Spreads Love During His “Existential Dance Music” EDC Orlando 2023 Set
San Holo (Sander van Dijck) is a Dutch trap and ambient producer and DJ. He graduated college with a concentration in guitar and worked for bands for a year until he discovered his love for electronic music. Soon after, in 2013 he released his debut EP titled “Corellia.” A year later, he began remixing popular songs and his rendition of “The Next Episode” by Dr. Dre went viral on YouTube, which caught the attention of the EDM industry. Now, he is a successful producer, working with notable acts such as Jai Wolfe and Bipolar Sunshine. In a post talking about his new album, San Holo said “‘Existential dance music’ is for those who are seeking a deeper connection to themselves through the music they listen and dance to.”
San Holo’s 2023 circuitGROUNDS performance had a recurring theme of love. He played tracks from his newest album, “ENERGY” featuring What So Not and “SHINE” featuring Lizzy Land. Both are very upbeat songs with lyrics about loving yourself and being yourself. At one point in the show he said “It’s all love man. From the front to the back, from the side to the other side, it’s all love,” while introducing a trap remix of “Love Me Again” by John Newman. He even sang along a little when he played a remix of Oliver Tree’s “Life Goes On.”
Another notable aspect of his set was his on-screen visuals. They coordinated very well with the songs being played and sometimes had the lyrics to the songs dancing across the screen. When he played his originals, the album cover or music video would play behind him. I really appreciated the effort they put into the visuals because of the sheer size of the screens on the circuitGROUNDS stage, it is obvious when there isn’t much going on behind the performer.
All in all, San Holo is a wholesome and likable performer. He peppers his friendly personality into his shows and original songs. The theme of love was definitely felt throughout his whole performance. I hope to see him on the main stages next year because his energy is unmatched.
Review & Photos by: Emily Tonnessen
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