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Ik hoop dat ik het op de juiste plaats neer heb gezet, zo niet dan merk ik dat vanzelf, gr resonate
Beatport Headlines
DJ Sasha Interview
“I’m paranoid that one day it might all end,” so says DJ Sasha (Alexander Coe) about the dance scene he’s been involved in since the late 1980s. The British jock is one of the most successful DJs the world has ever seen, with a huge global fan base and rock star image to boot.
It’s no wonder then that the superstar DJ lifestyle he rides, and the music he loves, is not something he would like to lose anytime soon.
“That’s why I’m always pushing myself forwards as an artist,” he says.
“I have to ask myself every step of the way – is this the right direction for me?”
Sasha was one of the first DJs to fully embrace laptop DJing and demonstrate the immense creative power that software programme Ableton Live can offer jocks.
Integrating Ableton Live into his sets satisfied Sasha’s desire to remain at the forefront of dance music, and despite hefty criticism from his fans and the anti-digital pro-vinyl brigade, he has emerged unscathed as a victor of the digital format.
“Ableton is like second nature to me now,” he comments, in his softly spoken monotoned voice.
His years of traveling the globe have depreciated much of his Welsh accent.
“Being able to control the music has given me so much more power behind the decks.
“There is rarely a track these days that I use, that hasn’t been re-touched by myself in some small way.”
The digital revolution has transformed electronic music worldwide, and many DJs have ditched vinyl for digital formats like CDs, as well as for laptop DJing.
Sasha reckons the two are interlinked.
“Things in the last five years have changed so much.
“The Internet has given everyone access to the latest music.
“In the old days, people would only be able to hear the music I was playing when I came to town.
“But now you can find a lot of wicked upfront music on sites like Beatport.
“Some producers still send me their tracks exclusively months ahead of release to help build up some buzz, but very rarely does this happen anymore.
“That’s why Ableton Live and digital DJing interests me so much, it allows me to set myself apart from other DJs in an era when the record box is no longer exclusive,” he says.
Sasha has spent much of the past 20 years traveling the world, playing at some of the most amazing parties, clubs and festivals.
But away from the clubber’s spotlight, he leads a quiet life and is a rather shy character.
Despite being known worldwide, he has a very normal home life, something that Sasha is keen to keep.
“I don’t consider myself famous, I haven’t got anywhere near to that level where journalists are rifling through my bins,” he says.
“I don’t get recognised in the street.
“During the week I lead a pretty normal existence – I get up at 8am and go to bed at 11pm.
“I tend to only do a couple of shows a week now, and just focus on making sure my sets are the best they can be.”
And despite what we may think, Sasha reveals that touring the world playing at parties is actually a pretty lonely existence.
“Touring is hard, and although it’s fun it can be incredibly draining,” he reveals.
“I tend to lose my marbles during August and around Christmas it can get pretty bad too.
“Travelling on your own can also be pretty lonely as you spend a lot of time in hotel rooms by yourself, which is weird.”
Sasha and his long-serving friend and DJ partner John Digweed were the first DJs to tour America like rock stars, on a tour bus in 2002.
Over six weeks, 85,000 people attended their Delta Heavy tour, which was voted Best Event at the Dancestar Awards in 2003.
Although Sasha and John Digweed are no longer inseparable, the pair have recently be playing back-to-back at a number of big dance events around the world.
They played together during Miami’s recent Winter Music Conference in March, and the duo are headlining Renaissance’s Wild In The Country festival on June 30th 2007 in Hertfordshire, UK.
And Sasha reveals to Beatportal that a second Delta Heavy tour is not out of the question.
“I love playing back-to-back with John, and whenever our diaries coincide we try to play together,” he says.
“Another Delta Heavy tour would be great, maybe in the future it could happen.”
After 20 years of playing in clubs, is Sasha anywhere near the end of his career?
“I have no plans to hang my headphones up,” he says.
“When I get a family and kids I might have to.
“But this is my life. Playing records is all I know what to do.
“Nothing lasts forever I guess.
“But something drastic would have to happen to make me give it all up.”
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