One of the earliest and biggest supporters of the new wave of Australian dance music producers comes from a highly unlikely source in Dutch producer Ganz, who says he fell in love with it because it is “super refreshing and not something we’re used to listening to in the Netherlands”.
Over the years Ganz, or Jordy Saamena, has worked with Australian artists such as Flume, What So Not and Alison Wonderland who have all gone on to become industry heavyweights. More recently Jordy has been working with JOY. and Akouo on remixes and collaborations, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise if these two soon shoot to superstardom as well.
Thanks to the internet and its widespread use by young musicians to showcase their talents, Jordy was able to find these artists very early on. “For me life is about waking up and making as much music as I can everyday, so 24/7 I’m searching out new music and sounds,” he said.
It was this passion for pushing boundaries and being unique that pushed Saamena to found his own independent record label. “A lot of people wanted me to put out music and put me in specific corners, but I felt like creating and releasing music that I liked at any particular moment,” he explained. “Now with my own label I put out tracks with different sounds and it’s whatever I want to do.”
Taking this step could have been incredibly risky but thankfully it has paid off and Ganz is now more popular and busy than ever. Last year he played a show at Sydney’s Chinese Laundry which saw him arrive just mere hours before walking onto stage. He explained: “I had enough time to shower and eat before playing then had to fly back out a few hours later to play in another city so I was pretty jet lagged.”
Luckily this time around Jordy has a much more relaxed tour schedule. He explained his excitement to be able to see more of the country this time around, adding: “This is my fourth time coming to Australia and I’m super hyped to get back again because it’s my favourite place on earth.”
Jul 30, 6.30pm. Pacha, 330 George St, Sydney. $25-$40+b.f. Tickets & info: pachasydney.com
