December 14, 2021
An award-winning Dutch DJ is bringing his booming bass lines and ethereal, ambient soundscapes to Philadelphia this weekend.
San Holo will play the Franklin Music Hall at 8 p.m. Sunday as part of his "bb u ok?" tour, which is promoting his new album of the same name.
San Holo, whose real name is Sander van Dijck, released his newest album in June. It was expected to be released in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It follows his EP "album1," which won San Holo the International Dance Music Awards' best electronic album of the year and breakthrough artist of the year honors in 2019.
San Holo's most popular track is his 2014 remix of Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode," which has garnered more than 250 million plays on YouTube.
His most popular original track is 2016's "Light" – an ethereal, choppy and bass-heavy, dance pop song based around a haunting female vocal sample. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, meaning more than 500,000 units were sold.
Although van Dijck doesn't stray too far from his award-winning electronic sound on the new release, he described it as a "new chapter" in his life.
The album, which contrasts San Holo's otherworldly synths and pumping bass lines with airy guitar riffs, is in many ways a return to the indie rock roots of his youth. Weezer and American Football, two influential American rock bands from the 1990s, are featured on "bb u ok?"
"From euphoric soundscapes to guitar melodies, van Dijck’s vocals, hopeful messages, organic sounds with imperfections, distorted beats and analog tape machines, the LP proves itself as another masterful production," Forbes' Lisa Kocay wrote in April.
In an interview with Billboard from earlier this year, van Dijck said all of his work, including this latest release, is rooted in a sense of nostalgia.
"A lot of my songs are about looking back while still moving forward at the same time," he said. "They're about accepting that everything is fleeting and understanding the beauty in that, too."
San Holo's Philly show is the second-to-last stop of his nationwide tour. Van Dijck hails from the electronic music scene in The Netherlands, which has long been a haven for the genre and has produced popular acts like Tiesto and Afrojack.
But on this tour, San Holo is highlighting several artists from California, including rising names in the world of electronic music like Chet Porter, who is featured on the "bb u ok?" track "You've Changed, I've Changed."
Tickets for the concert are still available on the Franklin Music Hall's website. They cost $29.50 if bought online in advance of the show or $35 at the door. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 19
8 p.m. | $29.50 online, $35 at the door
Franklin Music Hall
421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, PA 19123
