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SASHA On Top Of The World
In stark contrast to Sasha, we looked and smelled awful. While he sat at the bar in a gleaming white shirt looking relaxed and refreshed, we appeared knackered, dishevelled and aromatically challenged, our aroma and attire somewhat alien to the normal clientele of the quiet hillside restaurant, part of the luxurious hotel where Sasha was staying.
Words: Lesley Wright
Sasha offered a sympathetic smile as we quickly relived the unplanned events of the previous hours which included: flight delays: useless mascara-wearing cabin stewards; a flight from somewhere in Switzerland to Ibiza on a propeller-engined plane, straight out of 'Alive', which flew a little too close to the Alps for comfort; missing baggage, which somehow made its way to Frankfurt when it should have been trundling round the luggage carousel at Ibiza Airport; a hired open top jeep cleverly disguised as a Fiat Punto - diesel - with a hairdryer for an engine; and a drive, mostly on two wheels, up and down every dusty road on the island desperately searching for the secluded Victoria Hotel, time slipping by and the journey becoming more terrifying as the driving became more erratic.
Hey, what are a few frazzled nerves when it would have been impolite to keep Sasha waiting? Panic over. We had arrived and things were back on track. "Luggage is always going missing from Ibiza Airport," said Sasha. I remember my record box was once lost for a month. But don't worry, you're here now. Drink?" God, I love this man.
ON FORM
Within minutes we were settled at our reserved table. Wine, a bottle of red and a bottle of white, was quickly ordered and menus were glanced at but not actually studied. Sasha was on form and soon the conversation flowed as freely as the wine, the waitress ushered away several times before we finally paused long enough to order from the selection of fine food on offer.
As the tired sun disappeared over the dusky hills, comments about the beauty of our rural surroundings prompted Sasha to slip effortlessly into conversation about the island he so loves.
Casting his mind back to the first time he sampled life on what was to become the clubbing capital of the world, Sasha remembered: I first came out to Ibiza in '91. All my friends had been coming out previously and I decided to join them. The trip was organised by a guy from a club called Shaboo, in Blackpool, where I used to play pre-Shelley's (in Stoke). We did a party at Ku with 808 State and K-Klass, it was a real Manchester thing.
"My first impression of Ibiza was that it was amazing," added Sasha, fighting to contain his enthusiasm, like he had discovered Ibiza only yesterday. I was really aware of being English and being really normally dressed. The clubs had a very European crowd, really incredibly dressed people, and transvestites. To be honest, I felt a bit like a fish out of water. There was so much mad stuff going on it was almost too much to take in.
"Ku (now Privilege) was the best club on the island at that time because it was such a spectacle, it was really theatrical and, I guess, Manumission have tried to keep that whole vibe going. But right from then, Space was amazing. It was never as busy as it is now but the music I heard that summer was amazing. A lot of it was really banging Italian trance. It was the first time I had heard someone put a set together of that sound and it totally blew my socks off. I was only in Ibiza for a couple of weeks but it was a case of coming out for a week and then cancelling flight after flight. When I got back home, my friends were like, 'Oh no, Sasha's lost It.
QUALITY MOMENT
The conversation stopped momentarily as the food was served, each person at the table eyeing each other’s choice before sampling their own. Okay, our luggage may still have been missing in action but we had good food, good wine (and plenty of it) and good company. After our hectic day travelling, this was a quality moment to be savoured.
Spending 'quality' time with Sasha is something of a rarity. Catapulted into the echelons of superstar DJ status on the back of his legendary sets at Renaissance, Sasha remains one of the world's most in-demand DJs. His life has continuously evolved since those hedonistic days at the then Mansfield club, and Sasha has since, quite literally, conquered the world, his DJing skills constantly in demand the world over and time never quite his own.
As a consequence of his self-confessed constant quest for perfection, Sasha remains as in demand in the studio as he is behind the decks, his flawless mixing and production skills almost guaranteeing success for each and every one of his studio projects. Each Sasha offering is like a slice of dance music history, capturing the essence of the dance floor at that time. The first 'Renaissance' album, mixed by Sasha and John Digweed, worked its way into the CD collections of clubbers the length and breadth of Britain. It set the benchmark for all other compilations and sounds as fresh today as it did when it was first released.
Other Sasha offerings such as the acclaimed 'Northern Exposure' series, again compiled with long time friend and DJ colleague John Digweed, or the 'Sasha San Francisco' album, his first for the highly rated Global Underground series, released on the Boxed label, have all been referred to as the greatest mix compilation ever made."
When Sasha was asked to mix his second compilation for the Global Underground series, he was determined, despite the annual onslaught of Ibiza mix CDs, that it should reflect his summer sets at Space, in Ibiza, combining his love of music with his favourite club. Given the usual plethora of Ibiza compilation CDs, Boxed, the label behind the Global Underground series, were initially unsure of his decision. But any uncertainty on the label's part was soon dismissed. After all, this was Sasha and Sasha isn't in the habit of releasing anything but top quality goods.
A BIT DIFFERENT
As his wine glass was filled once again, Sasha explained how he was in the middle of mixing that very album; ever conscious of the high standards he has to meet. When you deliver greatness, greatness then ultimately becomes expected. "I'm always conscious of what I've done before and of keeping a high standard," said Sasha. It would be easy to sit in a studio for two or three days and knock something out, but when I'm mixing an album longevity is a really important factor for me. This is an opportunity for me to capture a time of dance music I'm playing at the moment. It is not a mix CD which will sound dated in three weeks time. There are a lot of mix CDs which are put together very well but after a couple of listens, well, that's it.
"I've been thinking about this a bit differently. No-one has ever done an underground Ibiza album, it's always big tunes and that's fair enough. But Ibiza, to me, is Space. Privilege and the likes are great clubs and have great nights but my best experiences in clubbing have always been at Space, losing it inside and outside. It's the contrast which makes the club so special, the amazing sound system and the fact you can always find a little dark corner somewhere and get into the music.
I started mixing the Global Underground album a couple of weeks ago. A lot of the tracks I'm using are tracks A used at the opening party at Space. There's a new Donna Summer record I'm playing which has a fantastic Club 69 mix. It's got an 'I Feel Love' kind of feel to it but I couldn't get clearance to use it. That fucked things up a bit," admitted Sasha, "because I knew what I was going to play into it and play out of it.
"That happens quite a lot," he revealed, referring to clearance problems interfering with creative flow. "With Northern Exposure's 'Expeditions' we had to change the track listing for the American version. We had to take Sarah McLaughlan's 'Silence' off the American version and that kind of thing is really annoying.
"Compared to the last Northern Exposure album, the latest Global Underground album is going to be a lot more eclectic, twisting and turning. The first side I want to reflect a set I would play on the terrace and the second side to represent a set I would play inside the building. John's (Digweed) new Bedrock track, 'Heaven Scent', is on the album and it is absolutely brilliant and the Quivver tracks I've chosen are really beautiful."
MOMENTOUS
This year, like every other for the past Christ knows how long, has been momentous as Sasha's career continues to flourish as dance music evolves. Earlier this summer his 'Xpander' EP, released on DeConstruction, received more critical acclaim, effortlessly gaining 'Single Of The Month' status in M8 and adored by other music magazines alike. A remix of Orbital's 'Belfunk' and another two original productions, 'Baja' and 'Rabbitweed', made up the EP package and demonstrated how Sasha's production mind had, for want of a better word, expanded. Sasha worked with Charlie May, formerly of Spooky, on the 'Belfunk' remix and 'Xpander' track. A friendship and mutual respect was forged and May is now Sasha's full time musical collaborator.
But no longer Is dance music only associated with clubs, marketing chiefs of multi-national companies and film directors all homing in on dance music In a bid to make their products even more attractive to the youth market. When the corporate heads at Sony Playstation were looking for someone to write the music for their Wipeout 3 game, Sasha was singled out and subsequently wrote five original tracks, 'Feisar', 'Auricom', 'Pirahna', 'Icaras', and 'Goteki 45', to soundscape the game.
"This year has been amazing already," said Sasha. "Doing the tracks for the Wipeout game was fun because it was like putting another hat on. The game itself is really fast moving and it was a bit strange having to work within certain parameters. There's one track on there which is 150 bpm!" But despite mastering the soundtrack, Sasha admitted, "Am I any good at the game? I have tried it a few times but to be honest I'm pretty shit at it."
The conversation turned to how dance music had infiltrated every day life and Sasha regaled us with stories of how his Stateside friend Brian
Transeau had just finished working on the movie score for Go, America's answer to Human Traffic. According to Sasha, BT also found it pretty tough working within given parameters and had the odd clash or two with the producer before his final offering was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from everyone involved with the film.
I think I would like to move into producing movie scores," said Sasha hesitantly. I think it's interesting the way more and more films are using dance music as their soundtracks. But, ideally, I'd like to work on a movie where the movie was scripted and filmed around the music rather than the other way around."
CHEMICAL REACTION
Sasha may also have drastically cut back his remixing duties but just like Madonna pleaded with him last year to re-work 'Ray Of Light' and 'Substitute For Love/Drowned World', the Chemical Brothers were desperate for Sasha to remix their 'Out Of Control' track, taken from their third album 'Surrender'. When Sasha heard the Chemicals' single he knew instantly it was an offer he couldn't refuse and his interpretation can be heard when the single is released on 20 September.
"The single itself is a brilliant record," said Sasha. "When I was asked to remix it, I wasn't doing any remixes and then I heard it and just had to do it. It's got the bassline from hell. The Chemicals' album is so open-minded and so daring. So many people have raped and ripped off their style. It would have been so easy for them to have gone down the same road as their first two albums but they've gone out, heard what's going down and, as a result, most of the album is great.
"The thing with the Chemicals is that the original record was so perfect but it's not very DJ friendly. I had to take their sounds, stretch them out and put it into a dance floor format. When I first did the mix of 'Out Of Control' it was thirteen and a half minutes long. I played it out and realised there were certain bits I wanted to keep and certain bits I could lose without affecting it. I really consider playing records out in clubs as the best way of testing tracks and seeing exactly where I can experiment with them."
Sasha added he was determined to continue in the same selective vein as far as remixing was concerned. "A lot of the time I get so much music sent to me which sounds so much like my own stuff it's pointless trying to remix it," he confessed. "The best records to remix are ones where there's a brilliant producer behind the original. Most of the time when I want to remix something, I get a gut reaction when I hear it."
IMPACT
The new Millennium should also, hopefully, bring Sasha's long-awaited, artist album. His debut artist album has been put back time and time again, but once finally released, Sasha is determined It will strike a chord and earn its place in dance music history, consciously setting the standard the album should achieve, and insistent it should have as much impact on the dance scene as Leftfield’s 'Leftism'.
If aliens landed on the planet and asked, 'What is dance music?' I would give them that album," said Sasha. "That's dance music. It's so exciting and so diverse and there hasn't been an album like it since. My goal over the next year or two is to produce an album to surpass that."
Digesting this information while digesting my food, it was at that moment I knocked my full glass of wine over the table and all over myself. The split second of clumsiness brought us all crashing out of Sasha's world of music and back to the grim reality of smelly clothes now drenched in white wine. The alcohol obviously kicking in all around, Sasha made light of the moment. It could be worse," he laughed. "You're sitting there dressed in black and you've just knocked white wine over yourself. You could have been wearing white and spilled red wine over yourself. And still not had any luggage." Sasha with a sense of humour, great.
MINORITY RESISTANCE
A quick mop up and top up later and we were back talking about music once again, although this time on a more light-hearted note. It was recently reported that Sasha had taken a swipe at trance music, obviously referring to the ATBs of this world. His remarks made it onto the cover of another dance music publication.
'Did they?" asked Sasha sounding genuinely surprised. "Shit, I haven't seen that." Gently pushed on the subject, he added: "Everyone is saying that it's the year of trance. ATB and System F and people are labelling their sound as trance. It's novelty shit to me. I call it trance with a capital T and I'm leading a minority resistance. The thing is, a few years ago John and I were getting slagged off for playing trance."
But despite his own personal opinions on all things Euro riff-tastic, Sasha admitted the current sound had the kids hooked and was unsure as to how dance music would work its way out of the current Euro trance frenzy. It's difficult to forecast what's going to happen after trance. Records are made to a formula, to massive beats, massive basslines and massive breakdowns and it totally works and gets the people going totally loopy. It's difficult to know where it's going to go.
"But then that's the other thing about Ibiza," he said, bringing the conversation back full circle. "For a lot of kids aged 17 or 18, it's their first time away from home with their mates. It's the whole clubbing experience. If it's trance music that gets them into it, brilliant. Sooner or later, they're going to get into a different type of music."
STATESIDE SUCCESS
Another place very close to Sasha's heart is Twilo, in New York, where his monthly sets with John Digweed are rapidly becoming the stuff of legend. The pair weren't an overnight success in the Big Apple, their progressive sound taking a while to grow on the American crowds. But they relished the challenge of having to prove themselves all over again and stuck at it. Their hard work and commitment to the sound they have pioneered has paid off, Sasha and John now rightly being hailed the kings of clubland Stateside. When he talks about it, it's almost as if Sasha still finds it difficult to drink in the exact measure of their success in America. He is proud, without being egotistical and arrogant, still somewhat amazed that someone who, as a lad, saw the Hacienda as a "church" is now preaching his own style of music to his own dedicated following.
"Twilo and Space are definitely the best two clubs in the world," said Sasha. "Twilo Is special because it's New York and underground with the most ridiculous sound system you've heard in your life. In England, we've always looked up to New York. For me and John it's a massive personal achievement to have a residency there.
"Last month, 2000 people were turned away from our night. The police had to come down and turn away the queue because the people were partying in the queue. That's pretty unheard of over there.
The crowd in Twilo is also a really good mix of people, a real cross section of New York in general. It reminds me of what London was like around the nights of Kinky Disco in 92/93. John and I have been going there for six years now and in the last two years it has just exploded. People over there know who John and I are now.
"The great thing about Twilo is that every month people who have gone there have heard a different set of records. Even if we play the same records, we play them in a different way. Me and John playing together when we're both right on it is something special. When a lot of DJs play together they are trying to get the next big record on but we're trying to outdo each other with the weirdest record. John continuously amazes me and constantly surprises me. There are situations all the time where he leaves me gobsmacked with what he does. He might have the same records in his box as I do but there are many times when I've never even thought about doing what he does with them. When I DJ with John it's still fun and I never get bored."
CONSTANT PRESSURE
Giving the crowd their money's worth by putting in a top performance is also always uppermost in Sasha's mind when he takes to the decks. With thousands of eager clubbers in front of him, he is constantly aware he has to deliver. If I've had a bad night, It stays with me for days," confessed Sasha. I wake up the next day thinking, 'That's it, I'm going to give up DJing. 'There are some times when you have to push yourself through a barrier, particularly If your set has started off badly. You've just got to keep going and get over that. The pressure is always on and that's what probably makes me punish myself a lot harder. People will always remember DJ’s more for their worst sets than their best sets.
"I'm also very conscious of trying not to play what I've played before. If in, say, any certain month I get a lot of records that aren't very good then rather than play a similar set to last time, I'll use the same records but in a different way. A lot of the top DJ’s work their style out and stick with it for a couple of months, and It works. A lot of the time people who go out clubbing like that but I'm much more interested in always trying to push forward. I guess I would rather have those few bad nights because it balances things out."
DILEMMA
It was then the great news arrived. Our luggage had been traced and was sitting waiting for us at Ibiza Airport. The true value of the finer things in life suddenly hit home, happy murmurs of such pleasantries as "Thank fuck" expressed around the table. Okay, we may have been sitting with Sasha and he was definitely on a roll, but the simple pleasure gained from the thought of clean underwear and my own toothbrush was insurmountable. A worried debate ensued: our luggage now most definitely at Ibiza Airport, should we bowl over there at some point later this evening and collect It or risk having it put in a taxi and sent to our hotel?
"How difficult can It be for them to put it in a taxi and send it on its way?" I enquired. "You'd be surprised," said Sasha, joining in our latest dilemma. The vote was cast, the luggage destined to stay put for a few more hours until we went to collect it.
SPIRITUAL MOMENT
The main points well and truly covered, the lost luggage found, everyone kicked back a gear, each entertaining each other with anecdotes from years of clubbing. While some of us were still in a quandary over what to do to welcome in the new Millennium, Sasha told how his gigs for the mother of all parties had recently been confirmed. On New Year's Eve he'll be playing at the Cream gig at Liverpool Docklands, and also at the mighty Gatecrasher event, before jetting off to America to play in New York on New Year's Day.
"New Year's Eve is going to be the biggest party ever," said Sasha. "Throughout December I'm going to work on my set. I'm going to put a lot of thought into It. I feel like I've got to deliver something, something special. There are so many tunes I want to drop on the stroke of midnight."
But try as we might to extract from him exactly which tune he would be playing as the new Millennium was born, Sasha refused to be drawn. "Nah," he smiled, I can't tell you. In my set I'll play things like 'Promised Land'. I'm going to go retro, look back to look forward. We don't have those sort of spiritual records anymore. The most spiritual we get these days is Stardust. No, A can't give you a clue, either. Let's just say, it's everyone's favourite tune."
PLAYTHNGS
Over coffee, Sasha revealed what he was like as a kid and the great time he had growing up in a small town in North Wales before moving to various cities. He also revealed he was now well and truly settled into his new home in Henley, Its serene setting baring a calming influence on his otherwise hectic life and also on his music. I had such a free childhood," he reflected. "You watch the news nowadays and it's all these horrible stories about city life. I never had that when I was a kid. I'd like that same kind of freedom for my kids, but I need to find a girlfriend first," he laughed.
"As a kid, I grew up listening to Blondie and The Police and I was also into Liverpool Football Club. As soon as my balls dropped I had something else to play with," he joked.
Despite his truthful boyhood admission, Sasha described himself as somewhat of a shy person, despite the fame and press coverage he has received world-wide. It has got a bit easier over the years but all the attention is something I've had to learn to deal with. When I first started DJing, there's no way A could have predicted the success I would have. I'm a shy person. When I started DJing I was like, 'Why are they all looking at me?' It used to freak me out and still does to an extent.
"The first time someone asked me for an autograph I told them to fuck off," he admitted, still apologetic for his rudeness all those years ago. It was '93 at the Empire, in Middlesborough, and this girl asked for my autograph. I thought she was taking the piss. I told her to fuck off because I really thought she was taking the piss. I still feel bad about that," giggled Sasha. "No, I really do."
EXCITED BUZZ
Our time with Sasha was up, for this evening at least, as a driver appeared to whisk him off to Cafe Mambo, where he was due to play a set at the famous beachfront bar. Forced to cancel his gig at home at Space, the previous month, Sasha had agreed to play at Mambo before playing at home the following day and night, to re-assure clubbers he was indeed on the island and would be appearing at Space this time around. "Are you going to follow us down?" inquired Sasha, wandering back to our table after collecting his record boxes from his room. Collecting our luggage was put on hold once more.
Thankfully, our driver had stayed sober, not that we could tell from the still erratic driving as we high-tailed it down dusty tracks and through San Antonio before screeching to a halt by the side of Mambos. The bar was packed, cool customers as comfortable on the beach as on the bar terrace. Sasha was already on the decks, his presence sending an excited buzz through the crowd. Tucked away in the tiny, humid, DJ booth, Sasha once again became the focus for hundreds of clubbers, like some kind of rare tropical fish contained in a goldfish bowl. Trying to get near him was virtually impossible, a posse of clubbers at least six deep all desperate to take photos of him with their cameras or even camcorders. Sasha responded to each and every one with a quiet smile.
Wandering through the throng with an "I've-drunk-too-much-wine-andwill-speak-to-anyone" attitude, it was a matter of seconds before I was engrossed in conversation with a wannabe DJ from somewhere, I can't remember where, in the Midlands. Before long Mr Wannabe decided to take a pop at Sasha, mistaking his quiet confidence as arrogance. It had only been an interview, it had only been a few hours of Sasha's time, but still I found myself fervently defending him before storming off indignantly.
TRIUMPHANT DELIGHT
"Mambos was wicked last night," enthused Sasha, squinting against the bright sunlight. "Every time I've played there I've always kept it quite ambient and mellow but last night's crowd were really up for it so I just started banging them out. I couldn't see down onto the beach but someone told me everyone on the beach was dancing and having a great time. I really enjoyed myself."
It was the morning, well afternoon, after the night before and we were on the roof of Space. Minutes earlier Sasha had finished his afternoon set inside the club, the punters inside losing the plot before lunch-time. Ushered upstairs and out onto the roof for a photo shoot, Sasha had overnight gained a more rugged look, a five o'clock shadow now prominent on his previously clean-shaven face.
John Digweed and Boxed boys Andy and James also appeared milling about the vast rooftop while Sasha obliged with the photographer's requests. He jogged off and climbed several precarious ledges before happily posing at the highest point of the building, above the Space sign. Despite his high point, news reached him that he and John would be able to play part of their set on the legendary Space terrace that evening. "Did you hear that John? We're playing on the terrace," shouted Sasha punching the air in triumphant delight.
It was only a rooftop, in Ibiza but Sasha was and remains on top of the world.
In stark contrast to Sasha, we looked and smelled awful. While he sat at the bar in a gleaming white shirt looking relaxed and refreshed, we appeared knackered, dishevelled and aromatically challenged, our aroma and attire somewhat alien to the normal clientele of the quiet hillside restaurant, part of the luxurious hotel where Sasha was staying.
Words: Lesley Wright
Sasha offered a sympathetic smile as we quickly relived the unplanned events of the previous hours which included: flight delays: useless mascara-wearing cabin stewards; a flight from somewhere in Switzerland to Ibiza on a propeller-engined plane, straight out of 'Alive', which flew a little too close to the Alps for comfort; missing baggage, which somehow made its way to Frankfurt when it should have been trundling round the luggage carousel at Ibiza Airport; a hired open top jeep cleverly disguised as a Fiat Punto - diesel - with a hairdryer for an engine; and a drive, mostly on two wheels, up and down every dusty road on the island desperately searching for the secluded Victoria Hotel, time slipping by and the journey becoming more terrifying as the driving became more erratic.
Hey, what are a few frazzled nerves when it would have been impolite to keep Sasha waiting? Panic over. We had arrived and things were back on track. "Luggage is always going missing from Ibiza Airport," said Sasha. I remember my record box was once lost for a month. But don't worry, you're here now. Drink?" God, I love this man.
ON FORM
Within minutes we were settled at our reserved table. Wine, a bottle of red and a bottle of white, was quickly ordered and menus were glanced at but not actually studied. Sasha was on form and soon the conversation flowed as freely as the wine, the waitress ushered away several times before we finally paused long enough to order from the selection of fine food on offer.
As the tired sun disappeared over the dusky hills, comments about the beauty of our rural surroundings prompted Sasha to slip effortlessly into conversation about the island he so loves.
Casting his mind back to the first time he sampled life on what was to become the clubbing capital of the world, Sasha remembered: I first came out to Ibiza in '91. All my friends had been coming out previously and I decided to join them. The trip was organised by a guy from a club called Shaboo, in Blackpool, where I used to play pre-Shelley's (in Stoke). We did a party at Ku with 808 State and K-Klass, it was a real Manchester thing.
"My first impression of Ibiza was that it was amazing," added Sasha, fighting to contain his enthusiasm, like he had discovered Ibiza only yesterday. I was really aware of being English and being really normally dressed. The clubs had a very European crowd, really incredibly dressed people, and transvestites. To be honest, I felt a bit like a fish out of water. There was so much mad stuff going on it was almost too much to take in.
"Ku (now Privilege) was the best club on the island at that time because it was such a spectacle, it was really theatrical and, I guess, Manumission have tried to keep that whole vibe going. But right from then, Space was amazing. It was never as busy as it is now but the music I heard that summer was amazing. A lot of it was really banging Italian trance. It was the first time I had heard someone put a set together of that sound and it totally blew my socks off. I was only in Ibiza for a couple of weeks but it was a case of coming out for a week and then cancelling flight after flight. When I got back home, my friends were like, 'Oh no, Sasha's lost It.
QUALITY MOMENT
The conversation stopped momentarily as the food was served, each person at the table eyeing each other’s choice before sampling their own. Okay, our luggage may still have been missing in action but we had good food, good wine (and plenty of it) and good company. After our hectic day travelling, this was a quality moment to be savoured.
Spending 'quality' time with Sasha is something of a rarity. Catapulted into the echelons of superstar DJ status on the back of his legendary sets at Renaissance, Sasha remains one of the world's most in-demand DJs. His life has continuously evolved since those hedonistic days at the then Mansfield club, and Sasha has since, quite literally, conquered the world, his DJing skills constantly in demand the world over and time never quite his own.
As a consequence of his self-confessed constant quest for perfection, Sasha remains as in demand in the studio as he is behind the decks, his flawless mixing and production skills almost guaranteeing success for each and every one of his studio projects. Each Sasha offering is like a slice of dance music history, capturing the essence of the dance floor at that time. The first 'Renaissance' album, mixed by Sasha and John Digweed, worked its way into the CD collections of clubbers the length and breadth of Britain. It set the benchmark for all other compilations and sounds as fresh today as it did when it was first released.
Other Sasha offerings such as the acclaimed 'Northern Exposure' series, again compiled with long time friend and DJ colleague John Digweed, or the 'Sasha San Francisco' album, his first for the highly rated Global Underground series, released on the Boxed label, have all been referred to as the greatest mix compilation ever made."
When Sasha was asked to mix his second compilation for the Global Underground series, he was determined, despite the annual onslaught of Ibiza mix CDs, that it should reflect his summer sets at Space, in Ibiza, combining his love of music with his favourite club. Given the usual plethora of Ibiza compilation CDs, Boxed, the label behind the Global Underground series, were initially unsure of his decision. But any uncertainty on the label's part was soon dismissed. After all, this was Sasha and Sasha isn't in the habit of releasing anything but top quality goods.
A BIT DIFFERENT
As his wine glass was filled once again, Sasha explained how he was in the middle of mixing that very album; ever conscious of the high standards he has to meet. When you deliver greatness, greatness then ultimately becomes expected. "I'm always conscious of what I've done before and of keeping a high standard," said Sasha. It would be easy to sit in a studio for two or three days and knock something out, but when I'm mixing an album longevity is a really important factor for me. This is an opportunity for me to capture a time of dance music I'm playing at the moment. It is not a mix CD which will sound dated in three weeks time. There are a lot of mix CDs which are put together very well but after a couple of listens, well, that's it.
"I've been thinking about this a bit differently. No-one has ever done an underground Ibiza album, it's always big tunes and that's fair enough. But Ibiza, to me, is Space. Privilege and the likes are great clubs and have great nights but my best experiences in clubbing have always been at Space, losing it inside and outside. It's the contrast which makes the club so special, the amazing sound system and the fact you can always find a little dark corner somewhere and get into the music.
I started mixing the Global Underground album a couple of weeks ago. A lot of the tracks I'm using are tracks A used at the opening party at Space. There's a new Donna Summer record I'm playing which has a fantastic Club 69 mix. It's got an 'I Feel Love' kind of feel to it but I couldn't get clearance to use it. That fucked things up a bit," admitted Sasha, "because I knew what I was going to play into it and play out of it.
"That happens quite a lot," he revealed, referring to clearance problems interfering with creative flow. "With Northern Exposure's 'Expeditions' we had to change the track listing for the American version. We had to take Sarah McLaughlan's 'Silence' off the American version and that kind of thing is really annoying.
"Compared to the last Northern Exposure album, the latest Global Underground album is going to be a lot more eclectic, twisting and turning. The first side I want to reflect a set I would play on the terrace and the second side to represent a set I would play inside the building. John's (Digweed) new Bedrock track, 'Heaven Scent', is on the album and it is absolutely brilliant and the Quivver tracks I've chosen are really beautiful."
MOMENTOUS
This year, like every other for the past Christ knows how long, has been momentous as Sasha's career continues to flourish as dance music evolves. Earlier this summer his 'Xpander' EP, released on DeConstruction, received more critical acclaim, effortlessly gaining 'Single Of The Month' status in M8 and adored by other music magazines alike. A remix of Orbital's 'Belfunk' and another two original productions, 'Baja' and 'Rabbitweed', made up the EP package and demonstrated how Sasha's production mind had, for want of a better word, expanded. Sasha worked with Charlie May, formerly of Spooky, on the 'Belfunk' remix and 'Xpander' track. A friendship and mutual respect was forged and May is now Sasha's full time musical collaborator.
But no longer Is dance music only associated with clubs, marketing chiefs of multi-national companies and film directors all homing in on dance music In a bid to make their products even more attractive to the youth market. When the corporate heads at Sony Playstation were looking for someone to write the music for their Wipeout 3 game, Sasha was singled out and subsequently wrote five original tracks, 'Feisar', 'Auricom', 'Pirahna', 'Icaras', and 'Goteki 45', to soundscape the game.
"This year has been amazing already," said Sasha. "Doing the tracks for the Wipeout game was fun because it was like putting another hat on. The game itself is really fast moving and it was a bit strange having to work within certain parameters. There's one track on there which is 150 bpm!" But despite mastering the soundtrack, Sasha admitted, "Am I any good at the game? I have tried it a few times but to be honest I'm pretty shit at it."
The conversation turned to how dance music had infiltrated every day life and Sasha regaled us with stories of how his Stateside friend Brian
Transeau had just finished working on the movie score for Go, America's answer to Human Traffic. According to Sasha, BT also found it pretty tough working within given parameters and had the odd clash or two with the producer before his final offering was met with overwhelming enthusiasm from everyone involved with the film.
I think I would like to move into producing movie scores," said Sasha hesitantly. I think it's interesting the way more and more films are using dance music as their soundtracks. But, ideally, I'd like to work on a movie where the movie was scripted and filmed around the music rather than the other way around."
CHEMICAL REACTION
Sasha may also have drastically cut back his remixing duties but just like Madonna pleaded with him last year to re-work 'Ray Of Light' and 'Substitute For Love/Drowned World', the Chemical Brothers were desperate for Sasha to remix their 'Out Of Control' track, taken from their third album 'Surrender'. When Sasha heard the Chemicals' single he knew instantly it was an offer he couldn't refuse and his interpretation can be heard when the single is released on 20 September.
"The single itself is a brilliant record," said Sasha. "When I was asked to remix it, I wasn't doing any remixes and then I heard it and just had to do it. It's got the bassline from hell. The Chemicals' album is so open-minded and so daring. So many people have raped and ripped off their style. It would have been so easy for them to have gone down the same road as their first two albums but they've gone out, heard what's going down and, as a result, most of the album is great.
"The thing with the Chemicals is that the original record was so perfect but it's not very DJ friendly. I had to take their sounds, stretch them out and put it into a dance floor format. When I first did the mix of 'Out Of Control' it was thirteen and a half minutes long. I played it out and realised there were certain bits I wanted to keep and certain bits I could lose without affecting it. I really consider playing records out in clubs as the best way of testing tracks and seeing exactly where I can experiment with them."
Sasha added he was determined to continue in the same selective vein as far as remixing was concerned. "A lot of the time I get so much music sent to me which sounds so much like my own stuff it's pointless trying to remix it," he confessed. "The best records to remix are ones where there's a brilliant producer behind the original. Most of the time when I want to remix something, I get a gut reaction when I hear it."
IMPACT
The new Millennium should also, hopefully, bring Sasha's long-awaited, artist album. His debut artist album has been put back time and time again, but once finally released, Sasha is determined It will strike a chord and earn its place in dance music history, consciously setting the standard the album should achieve, and insistent it should have as much impact on the dance scene as Leftfield’s 'Leftism'.
If aliens landed on the planet and asked, 'What is dance music?' I would give them that album," said Sasha. "That's dance music. It's so exciting and so diverse and there hasn't been an album like it since. My goal over the next year or two is to produce an album to surpass that."
Digesting this information while digesting my food, it was at that moment I knocked my full glass of wine over the table and all over myself. The split second of clumsiness brought us all crashing out of Sasha's world of music and back to the grim reality of smelly clothes now drenched in white wine. The alcohol obviously kicking in all around, Sasha made light of the moment. It could be worse," he laughed. "You're sitting there dressed in black and you've just knocked white wine over yourself. You could have been wearing white and spilled red wine over yourself. And still not had any luggage." Sasha with a sense of humour, great.
MINORITY RESISTANCE
A quick mop up and top up later and we were back talking about music once again, although this time on a more light-hearted note. It was recently reported that Sasha had taken a swipe at trance music, obviously referring to the ATBs of this world. His remarks made it onto the cover of another dance music publication.
'Did they?" asked Sasha sounding genuinely surprised. "Shit, I haven't seen that." Gently pushed on the subject, he added: "Everyone is saying that it's the year of trance. ATB and System F and people are labelling their sound as trance. It's novelty shit to me. I call it trance with a capital T and I'm leading a minority resistance. The thing is, a few years ago John and I were getting slagged off for playing trance."
But despite his own personal opinions on all things Euro riff-tastic, Sasha admitted the current sound had the kids hooked and was unsure as to how dance music would work its way out of the current Euro trance frenzy. It's difficult to forecast what's going to happen after trance. Records are made to a formula, to massive beats, massive basslines and massive breakdowns and it totally works and gets the people going totally loopy. It's difficult to know where it's going to go.
"But then that's the other thing about Ibiza," he said, bringing the conversation back full circle. "For a lot of kids aged 17 or 18, it's their first time away from home with their mates. It's the whole clubbing experience. If it's trance music that gets them into it, brilliant. Sooner or later, they're going to get into a different type of music."
STATESIDE SUCCESS
Another place very close to Sasha's heart is Twilo, in New York, where his monthly sets with John Digweed are rapidly becoming the stuff of legend. The pair weren't an overnight success in the Big Apple, their progressive sound taking a while to grow on the American crowds. But they relished the challenge of having to prove themselves all over again and stuck at it. Their hard work and commitment to the sound they have pioneered has paid off, Sasha and John now rightly being hailed the kings of clubland Stateside. When he talks about it, it's almost as if Sasha still finds it difficult to drink in the exact measure of their success in America. He is proud, without being egotistical and arrogant, still somewhat amazed that someone who, as a lad, saw the Hacienda as a "church" is now preaching his own style of music to his own dedicated following.
"Twilo and Space are definitely the best two clubs in the world," said Sasha. "Twilo Is special because it's New York and underground with the most ridiculous sound system you've heard in your life. In England, we've always looked up to New York. For me and John it's a massive personal achievement to have a residency there.
"Last month, 2000 people were turned away from our night. The police had to come down and turn away the queue because the people were partying in the queue. That's pretty unheard of over there.
The crowd in Twilo is also a really good mix of people, a real cross section of New York in general. It reminds me of what London was like around the nights of Kinky Disco in 92/93. John and I have been going there for six years now and in the last two years it has just exploded. People over there know who John and I are now.
"The great thing about Twilo is that every month people who have gone there have heard a different set of records. Even if we play the same records, we play them in a different way. Me and John playing together when we're both right on it is something special. When a lot of DJs play together they are trying to get the next big record on but we're trying to outdo each other with the weirdest record. John continuously amazes me and constantly surprises me. There are situations all the time where he leaves me gobsmacked with what he does. He might have the same records in his box as I do but there are many times when I've never even thought about doing what he does with them. When I DJ with John it's still fun and I never get bored."
CONSTANT PRESSURE
Giving the crowd their money's worth by putting in a top performance is also always uppermost in Sasha's mind when he takes to the decks. With thousands of eager clubbers in front of him, he is constantly aware he has to deliver. If I've had a bad night, It stays with me for days," confessed Sasha. I wake up the next day thinking, 'That's it, I'm going to give up DJing. 'There are some times when you have to push yourself through a barrier, particularly If your set has started off badly. You've just got to keep going and get over that. The pressure is always on and that's what probably makes me punish myself a lot harder. People will always remember DJ’s more for their worst sets than their best sets.
"I'm also very conscious of trying not to play what I've played before. If in, say, any certain month I get a lot of records that aren't very good then rather than play a similar set to last time, I'll use the same records but in a different way. A lot of the top DJ’s work their style out and stick with it for a couple of months, and It works. A lot of the time people who go out clubbing like that but I'm much more interested in always trying to push forward. I guess I would rather have those few bad nights because it balances things out."
DILEMMA
It was then the great news arrived. Our luggage had been traced and was sitting waiting for us at Ibiza Airport. The true value of the finer things in life suddenly hit home, happy murmurs of such pleasantries as "Thank fuck" expressed around the table. Okay, we may have been sitting with Sasha and he was definitely on a roll, but the simple pleasure gained from the thought of clean underwear and my own toothbrush was insurmountable. A worried debate ensued: our luggage now most definitely at Ibiza Airport, should we bowl over there at some point later this evening and collect It or risk having it put in a taxi and sent to our hotel?
"How difficult can It be for them to put it in a taxi and send it on its way?" I enquired. "You'd be surprised," said Sasha, joining in our latest dilemma. The vote was cast, the luggage destined to stay put for a few more hours until we went to collect it.
SPIRITUAL MOMENT
The main points well and truly covered, the lost luggage found, everyone kicked back a gear, each entertaining each other with anecdotes from years of clubbing. While some of us were still in a quandary over what to do to welcome in the new Millennium, Sasha told how his gigs for the mother of all parties had recently been confirmed. On New Year's Eve he'll be playing at the Cream gig at Liverpool Docklands, and also at the mighty Gatecrasher event, before jetting off to America to play in New York on New Year's Day.
"New Year's Eve is going to be the biggest party ever," said Sasha. "Throughout December I'm going to work on my set. I'm going to put a lot of thought into It. I feel like I've got to deliver something, something special. There are so many tunes I want to drop on the stroke of midnight."
But try as we might to extract from him exactly which tune he would be playing as the new Millennium was born, Sasha refused to be drawn. "Nah," he smiled, I can't tell you. In my set I'll play things like 'Promised Land'. I'm going to go retro, look back to look forward. We don't have those sort of spiritual records anymore. The most spiritual we get these days is Stardust. No, A can't give you a clue, either. Let's just say, it's everyone's favourite tune."
PLAYTHNGS
Over coffee, Sasha revealed what he was like as a kid and the great time he had growing up in a small town in North Wales before moving to various cities. He also revealed he was now well and truly settled into his new home in Henley, Its serene setting baring a calming influence on his otherwise hectic life and also on his music. I had such a free childhood," he reflected. "You watch the news nowadays and it's all these horrible stories about city life. I never had that when I was a kid. I'd like that same kind of freedom for my kids, but I need to find a girlfriend first," he laughed.
"As a kid, I grew up listening to Blondie and The Police and I was also into Liverpool Football Club. As soon as my balls dropped I had something else to play with," he joked.
Despite his truthful boyhood admission, Sasha described himself as somewhat of a shy person, despite the fame and press coverage he has received world-wide. It has got a bit easier over the years but all the attention is something I've had to learn to deal with. When I first started DJing, there's no way A could have predicted the success I would have. I'm a shy person. When I started DJing I was like, 'Why are they all looking at me?' It used to freak me out and still does to an extent.
"The first time someone asked me for an autograph I told them to fuck off," he admitted, still apologetic for his rudeness all those years ago. It was '93 at the Empire, in Middlesborough, and this girl asked for my autograph. I thought she was taking the piss. I told her to fuck off because I really thought she was taking the piss. I still feel bad about that," giggled Sasha. "No, I really do."
EXCITED BUZZ
Our time with Sasha was up, for this evening at least, as a driver appeared to whisk him off to Cafe Mambo, where he was due to play a set at the famous beachfront bar. Forced to cancel his gig at home at Space, the previous month, Sasha had agreed to play at Mambo before playing at home the following day and night, to re-assure clubbers he was indeed on the island and would be appearing at Space this time around. "Are you going to follow us down?" inquired Sasha, wandering back to our table after collecting his record boxes from his room. Collecting our luggage was put on hold once more.
Thankfully, our driver had stayed sober, not that we could tell from the still erratic driving as we high-tailed it down dusty tracks and through San Antonio before screeching to a halt by the side of Mambos. The bar was packed, cool customers as comfortable on the beach as on the bar terrace. Sasha was already on the decks, his presence sending an excited buzz through the crowd. Tucked away in the tiny, humid, DJ booth, Sasha once again became the focus for hundreds of clubbers, like some kind of rare tropical fish contained in a goldfish bowl. Trying to get near him was virtually impossible, a posse of clubbers at least six deep all desperate to take photos of him with their cameras or even camcorders. Sasha responded to each and every one with a quiet smile.
Wandering through the throng with an "I've-drunk-too-much-wine-andwill-speak-to-anyone" attitude, it was a matter of seconds before I was engrossed in conversation with a wannabe DJ from somewhere, I can't remember where, in the Midlands. Before long Mr Wannabe decided to take a pop at Sasha, mistaking his quiet confidence as arrogance. It had only been an interview, it had only been a few hours of Sasha's time, but still I found myself fervently defending him before storming off indignantly.
TRIUMPHANT DELIGHT
"Mambos was wicked last night," enthused Sasha, squinting against the bright sunlight. "Every time I've played there I've always kept it quite ambient and mellow but last night's crowd were really up for it so I just started banging them out. I couldn't see down onto the beach but someone told me everyone on the beach was dancing and having a great time. I really enjoyed myself."
It was the morning, well afternoon, after the night before and we were on the roof of Space. Minutes earlier Sasha had finished his afternoon set inside the club, the punters inside losing the plot before lunch-time. Ushered upstairs and out onto the roof for a photo shoot, Sasha had overnight gained a more rugged look, a five o'clock shadow now prominent on his previously clean-shaven face.
John Digweed and Boxed boys Andy and James also appeared milling about the vast rooftop while Sasha obliged with the photographer's requests. He jogged off and climbed several precarious ledges before happily posing at the highest point of the building, above the Space sign. Despite his high point, news reached him that he and John would be able to play part of their set on the legendary Space terrace that evening. "Did you hear that John? We're playing on the terrace," shouted Sasha punching the air in triumphant delight.
It was only a rooftop, in Ibiza but Sasha was and remains on top of the world.
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