Glorianstraat, Amsterdam. In a city lined with some of the world’s most breathtaking streets, this quiet, unassuming passage barely registers a second glance. Yet, it’s the birthplace of a track that couldn’t be more dazzling.
“Gloria” by 25-year-old Auckland native DAWSON (Ethan Jupe) is a soft, rolling raincloud—gentle, yet powerful. Like a downpour breaking a long drought, it gives everything it touches great life. Swirling saxophone, nimble percussion, and a ruminative bassline lift the track into flight, as if guided by a seasoned pilot. The vocal present is a (sample from a friend’s Instagram story) from many moons ago, one brimming with optimism and joy.
Ethan wrote the track in the early hours following a gigantic night out in Amsterdam. “I just pulled out my laptop one Saturday night and started aimlessly making a track,” he tells me. “Maybe I was subconsciously inspired by the dance music scene, or maybe it was exposure to a vastly different culture– the cycling, the cafes, the fashion, the cosy atmosphere.”
At the time, he was also madly in love with Open This Wall, the latest album from Cape Town-born artist Berlioz. This LP is one of the nicest headrubs of last year, and there’s no doubt “Gloria” taps into this mood.
The name DAWSON, recently adopted by Ethan, came about in a delightfully unexpected way. After a ChatGPT prompt went awry, he found himself scrolling through a list of trending baby names for 2025. One name leapt out: DAWSON, meaning “Son of David.” It felt right, a quiet tribute to his father, David, who not only taught him how to play instruments but remains his most trusted sounding board.
“My dad’s my idol,” Ethan says. “He is always the one who lets me know if any of my music ideas are good or worth chasing.”
In many ways, “Gloria” marks the beginning of a new chapter, a confident dive into the lush waters of jazz house. For over two years, the track sat quietly on Ethan’s laptop under the name “Amsterdam couch beat” — a working title for what he thought was just a throwaway experiment. But when he revisited it, he was struck by how effortlessly it had come together. There was clearly something more there.
That rediscovery opened a creative floodgate. Ethan now finds himself with a collection of tracks he’s genuinely proud of. Reflecting their depth and polish, the upcoming releases feature contributions from top-tier Auckland-based musicians, including Lewis McCallum, Nathan Haines, Sam Nakamura, and Francesca Parussini. “With the support of my label Ego Planey, as well as Delicieuse Musique, I’ll be releasing a track every six weeks leading up to my debut EP Reset, which drops in November,” he says.
If “Gloria” is just the beginning, who knows what other musical delights lie ahead? In the meantime, kick back and relish in this beauty.
