Dennis Cruz is starting a new chapter—and this one has roots. His latest project, BotaniQ, is a fresh imprint and event series that pairs his trademark house sensibility with a broader concept tied to nature, open-air spaces, and genre-free programming.
The debut release, Way Back, is out today – May 9th – and sets the tone with two no-nonsense club tracks that keep things locked and rolling.
Cruz has always moved with range. From Solid Grooves staples to Crosstown Rebels heaters, his catalog speaks for itself. BotaniQ lets him zoom out—building a platform that’s less about fitting a mold and more about curating a sound system–ready catalog that matches the vibe of each setting, from warehouse basements to outdoor courtyards.
The first of those shows goes down at Lofi in Amsterdam on May 29th.
Way Back leads the EP and taps into that familiar low-end energy Cruz is known for—tight percussion, swing-heavy drums, and vocal snippets that glue the whole thing together. Fabulous, the B-side, doesn’t drift too far but brings more elasticity to the drums and lets the groove stretch out without losing focus. Both tracks feel like tools, but not in a generic way—they’re dialed in with care and designed to move.
The rollout comes off the back of a packed first quarter for Cruz—Coachella, Miami Music Week, another run through South America, and more sold-out GOLFOS parties with PAWSA. BotaniQ doesn’t feel like a side project—it feels like a mainline idea, with the launch EP acting as a clean start.
The concept behind the label is also clearly tied to the way Cruz is thinking long-term: music-first, distraction-free events in natural or unique locations, with a sound that stays flexible enough to evolve. The press language talks about blending “nature and sound,” but what it really looks like is a DJ building his own lane, in a way that supports the kind of shows and records he wants to see more of.
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.
