Music

Sasha: An almost divine DJ

He started his career mixing at illegal parties and a few years later made it to the cover of Mixmag. The British DJ is a solid name in the industry of electronic music, one of the first superstars that is familiar to all generations.

Marius June 5th 2022

Beginnings in acid house

Sasha was born in Bangor, a city in Wales that didn’t offer many opportunities to shine in the music field. At the end of the 80s, he travelled to Manchester and discovered electronic music and the “club culture”. He was so impressed by being on stage that he moved close to his new favourite city and developed an obsession for acid house. It was the wild west back then, with most of the rave parties being illegal.

The problem was that these events were getting more and more attractive to the public, which got into the eyes of the authorities. These are old but gold memories, even though he knew that it was not a sustainable direction and moved his focus.

When too much promotion makes it worse

Sasha’s style has grown exponentially in the UK. In only a few years, he became one of the most known and appreciated DJs. A crucial moment in his career was when Mixmag had his photo on the cover with the title “Sasha – Son of God?”. Rather a compliment than a question, and he was not prepared for this kind of exposure.

The pressure of fame was getting real and he didn’t like being recognized on the street. However, the enthusiasm of Mixmag had a solid base. Sasha’s career saw a quick evolution and then he found the most suitable partner:

The first bromance of British electronic music

Meeting John Digweed not only changed his professional life, but it was also an important moment in the history of electronic music. Sasha and John became the most popular duo of British electronic music in the mid of the 90s, especially after the launch of “Northern Exposure” album at Ministry of Sound, which later turned into a trilogy.

They mixed side by side in clubs around the world. Even though there were some breaks, they were followed by new projects, so the collaboration between Sasha and John never saw an end. It’s a kind of bromance that keeps going despite any changes.

An impressive solo career

Besides collaborating with John Digweed, Sasha is also known for some powerful solo materials. He fully produced three materials, the most important being “Airdrawndagger” and launched a trilogy of mixes titled “Involver”, where you can find artists such as Unkle, Apparat, M83, Thom Yorke or The xx.

Sasha is definitely at his best when DJing, so you must see him in his element, mixing at Electric Castle 2022. He’s not the son of God, but the son of electronic music and, as Faithless says it, “God is a DJ”.

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