- A DJing heavyweight tells his story.
- Sasha has been DJing for around 25 years, but he'll be the last person who you'll find reflecting on such an achievement. During this time, he's developed a mentality of always looking forwards, a mindset that's been key to him remaining at the top of his profession for so long. Residencies at Shelley's and Renaissance during the early '90s turned Sasha into a star in the UK. In 1994, he put together one of the first ever fully mixed compilations, The Renaissance Mix Collection, alongside his long-time DJ sparring partner, John Digweed; the pair went on to develop a cult-like reputation during the '90s.
The main thrust of Sasha's appeal was his sound, a kind of emotionally charged brand of house that was meticulously mixed and perfectly lent itself to the idea of DJing as storytelling. Sasha and Digweed also held a now legendary residency at Twilo in New York, a period of time Sasha described to us in a rare moment of nostalgia as the best he's ever been as a DJ. Such have been his accomplishments behind the decks, it's easy to overlook Sasha's achievements in the studio. His discography includes a substantial number of hit remixes for artists like Madonna, The Chemical Brothers and Felix Da Housecat, while his long-awaited 2002 album, Airdrawndagger, was seen an ambitious exploration of the more downtempo side of his sound.
We sat down with him in London earlier this month as he prepared to release Involv3r, the latest in a long and celebrated lineage of Sasha mix CDs.
Thanks to Point Blank Music College in London for the use of their studio.