cut and past job from another board.
some quite interesting things he's got to say....
sixshoota - The last hour of Wild in the Country was a joy to watch. How much fun was it digging in the crates for the goldies?
Sasha - it was fun, although i was a little disappointed with the sound system. we had problems with the environmental health people and they made us turnt he system down. the crowd stayed right until the end though, and they seemed happy.
rickster2kuk - Why did you only choose 1 cd for involver rather than the tradtional two mix cd's
Sasha - because it wasnt really a traditional mix cd. the fact that i was remixing every track on there meant that it was 3 to 6 months work. a double cd would take too long, i dont want to be away from the road for that long. i do plan on following up on it with a 2nd one very soon though, am putting together a tracklisting nwo.
Grant - congrats on the new release. How did you determine what tracks you were going to put into it, and how much of that dedicated material is making up your sets at the moment? Anything you've done that you're playing - but isn't seeing a release?
Sasha - the tracklisting came togehter from various sources really. there were 3 tracks on there that were old favourites, youngsters, spooky and burma. they'd been in there for a couple of years. initially i just called my friends though, like felix and james lavell from unkle. i called to see if they were interested in giving parts for the album. as we were putting the album together though we worked on 15 tunes, we whittled it down to 10 at the end.
Sasha - it's quite representative of what i';m playing in the club right now, the second halfe especially
zarate_fix - sasha you told skruff you are now distancing yourself from progressive .. what can people expect to hear from you do you think over the next couple of years?
Sasha - im just into playing a bit more eclectic sets right now, going a bit all over the place rather then the seemless 10 hour mixes like in new york. i think people have moved on, people are more open to hearing a mashup of stuff than just linear sets.
Simon Bell - Is it hard to do a GU? what constraint are there and what do you think about when you do a mix CD like a GU?
Sasha - there's no constraints really, GU are very much 'do your own thing'. they are very supportive. the way ive done this album though, because ive remixed every song on there, you always try to find exclusive material so your cd can have its own identity. but in the past few years since the whole work went broadband it's impossible to find exclusive music. it makes our job harder, but its the reason why i came up with the idea for Involver - i needed to do something that gave the album its own identity.
Lambretta - You recently played at Renaissance with John Digweed for the first time in 10 years. Any plans for another CD collaberation???
Sasha - not at the moment, no. john is very busy, i'm very busy. we've both got our own little empires running. we've got some stuff int he pipeline we're talking abotu though...
alinoe - What happened to the tracks that didn't make it to Involver (esp. Itchy Trigger)? Is there a chance they will be published?
Sasha - maybe, some of them definitely could be. the deadline came and we had to have the 10 tracks finished. the 5 that are left over still need some work, and im sure they;ll see the light of day.
Grant - what's your view on internet radio's future and how do you see yours and GU's profile fitting into that?
Sasha - im not sure what my view is. i log in to those stations, and i listen online. it's a great place to discover music, but the danger i feel with internet radio is that once you put things out there everyone has it, and it takes away from how special it is. when we played at twilo we never did broadcasts and because of that it kept it special.
bluenialler - What do you think of James Zabiela?
Sasha - he's amazing! absolutely amazing. it's been so fantastic to watch his rise through the past 3 years. his career has just gone through the roof, and he's got a big future in front of him. he's an inspiring dj to watch.
IMPREZA - Where would you say is your favourite Country to play and why?
Sasha - right now, i mean i havent been to australia for a while, so probably argentina. beunos aires!!
bluenialler - Are you going to incorporate this digital technology into your live sets? Are you finally taking a step away from vinyl?
Sasha - yes, im actually going 100% digital in around 2 weeks time. ditching vinyla nd cds and playing off my computer.
EightBall - Why did you choose the name Involver?
Sasha - next question!
fezzwah - Any future plans for another solo release, along the lines of Airdrawndagger?
Sasha - i think at the moment im really enjoying the remixing thing. so im going to concentrate on that for now. i havent got any plans to make another artist album right now, simply because it takes so much time.
OM3GA - do you do anything before u do a set, like any pre set ritual before every set??
Sasha - i have a very strong vodka and cranberry
Bambi-Lashes - Hey there,
are you confirmed to play at zouk singapore on 13 August?
Sasha - yep! and womb the next night
Method-Man - we are your fans offcourse but who are you a fan off? and did anybody insipre you to become what you are today if so who?
Sasha - good question, james zabiela is a big inspiration at the moment! his energy and passion i find really inspiring.
OM3GA - i'd have to say one of my fav track is heart of imagination you did with bt... any chances of workin with him again in the future???
Sasha - i'd like to, i mean brian's an amazing person to work with. he's technically amazing to watch, so im sure we'll do something again in the future.
in the spotlight - help.bot SASHA is touring - check out ITM's exclusive announcement below!
Grant - now with even more production under your belt, how do you feel about the live set recordings that get done and released on the net. What process do you and your management follow for them?
Sasha - im very careful of what goes out on the itnernet now. the last 6 months ive been roadtesting a lot of these remixes and people give me exclusive music, so it's a responsibilitya nd duty of mine that it doesnt get released on the internet.
fezzwah - Are you finding many stand out Australian producers at the moment?
Sasha - yeah definitely, they're hot right now! luke chable and phil k of course, infusion are on fire. there's a thriving msuical scene in australia for sure.
Lambretta - How come you haven't come to Australia?? Is it because the market here for Prog is smaller than elsewhere in the world or are there other reasons???
Sasha - a lto of it is to do with just fitting it into my schedule! i was out in australia in christmas 2002, so i didnt come last year, but i will definitely be out there at the end of this year. it's difficult to play all the places int he world i'd like to play. i'm looking forward to the tour though
BuzsteR - with the projects your currently doing for GU, are they going to be like Involver or going to try to do different things about them with each of them ?
Sasha - the first one definitely came from the electronic world, but i think the next album - the tracklisting will come from a wider selection. more pop, rock, rnb, influences.
Grant - the question everyone wants the answer to: is there going to be another Northern Exposure?
Sasha - i dont know about that! maybe at some point in the future.
BuzsteR - any up and coming artist witch you have been really liking what have been coming out of them ?
Sasha - i hate this quesiton, my mind always goes blank! i really like the scissor sisters, they're like a pop act but have a really cool edge to them. a lot of the stuff im into at the moment is that electro-house sort of stuff, tongue in cheek with some funk.
Brettles - Sasha, I saw you play at Space Ibiza back in August 2001. Probly the best night of my life I'd say...... Does it make you happy to know that the music you play brings so much enjoyment? I guess thats why you keep doing it.
Sasha - yeah of course it does, and especially when people travel all ove rthe world to come see you play. it makes me feel fantastic! space in ibiza is definitely one of those great clubs too!
Prog_Fan - i was looking foward in seeing you at two tribes melbourne this year along side bt, why did you cancel?
Sasha - i canceled because the Involver album was originally going to be a mix album, and the original idea was to ahve the first cd mixed/based in australia. once we changed the concept we had to cancel and push back the tour. i was locked in the studio from january through march! no way could i have travlled.
OM3GA - what's the stupidest question you've ever been asked??
Sasha - "are you getting to old for this?"
Grant - with so much speculation about EVERY set you play, and where that leaves you relative to the past, how do you feel about the double-edged sword of the total publicity and exposure? Do you pay any attention to what the "GU mafia" types say?
Sasha - i cant really walk into a nightclub and play a record without someone having an opinion about it. i just stay away from chat rooms, i learnt that lesson a few years ago. they completely freak me out. people are anonymous and dont have to answer to anyone, so it's unfortunate that they breed negativity often. it amazes me how negative some people can be about something they love.
joel_Uk - How is the incorperation of Ableton Live into your sets progressing? What effect do you think this will have on your performance/sound?
Sasha - i think, in all honesty, abelton live is an absolute revolution. it's goign to change djing forever. people will look back in 5 years and say 'you actually had to beatmatch records back then?' i'm still buying so much vinyl, but im putting it into my computer so i can manipulate it in abelton, its revolutionary. as a dj it's the most amazing tool thats ever been invented.
Adel - Sasha your live sets is brillant, i wish one day you can play in South Africa. Are you ever thinking about coming over here to play one time?
Sasha - ive been down to south africa quite a few times, i used to do the Mother parties in johannesburg, cape town and durban. i havent been down for a few years, maybe at the end of this year!
EightBall - Do you think that dance music has reached a plateau and we might see some of the old stuff from the late 80's getting comming back and getting remixed?
Sasha - theres definitely an evolution and a change going on right now. last year, i call it the recession year. the time when everything got to the point where dance culture became an overinflated economy. something had to give, and it has. things have changed now, a lot of people, clubs, djs, record companies, etc, have been left behind. it's sad to see them die out, but with the advent of new technology djs can take the art to a new level.
OM3GA - what's the most interesting thing to happen to you during a Set??
Sasha - djing with john digweed on the delta heavy tour and watching him stage drive was pretty weird!
Prog_Fan - which track at the moment would you really want to remix?
Sasha - a blink182 i just saw on mtv, i can't wait to get my mits on it! i didnt realise it was them, and i was quite shocked. it doesnt sound like them at all.
Lambretta - Just finished listening to Involver and it?s more Dramatic, Haunting, twisted and Epic than any flicks I?ve seen for the last few years? would have been a great sound track for, Eternal sunshine on the spotless mind! Any chance you'll do something like that???
Sasha - i would definitely be interested in getting into movie soundtracks in the future maybe.
Sean - you've been around for a very long time now, how many years do you think you have left in you dj'ing? what would the future hold for you after you finally slow down with playing and touring all the time?
Sasha - i've got no idea! i've got no intention of giving it up any time soon.
bluenialler Are you watching Euro 2004? Are you cancelling your French gigs after Sundays defeat (even though your Welsh) ?
Sasha - im absolutely gutted! it's unbelievable! we were robbed!!!
kunalrishiraj Are you going to play in Mumbai,India anytime? On 3rd Dec,2003 you were the first of the GU djs to play and there is so much talk about it over there.
Sasha - yeah, i think - again - we're going to try to build it into the tour later this year of asia/australia.
Brettles - You've probably been asked this a million times, but what made you remix UNKLE's "In a state" again? Were you unhappy with the first effort, or did you feel you just needed a different take on it? I think the first effort was pretty damn good
Sasha - i jsut wanted a different take on it for the compilation. the first mix had been hammered out in the clubs, and i always wanted to do a dub mix of it. when i was putting together Involver i wanted to put in a mix of in a state, so we did that version in about 4 hours.
innA - tech-house pioneer Eddie Richards is talking about doing a rhythm & blues production album, so im sure lots of other 'dance' producers have side thoughts as to other styles of music - what would you like to produce if you didnt
do electronic/progressive?
Sasha - maybe an electronic country album.
matcarney - how do you currently rate the scene back in the UK having been there since the hazy days of the 80 & early 90's?
Sasha - i think things have changed a lot in england, a lot of young kids are listening to rnb and hip-hop, but people still go out ont he weekend ot listen to dance music. there are a lot of really good clubs and smaller places that are thriving, and that's the breeding ground.
alinoe - Is the delta heavy dvd coming out anytine soon?? And is John's stage diving included there?
Sasha - we've had a lot of production problems with that dvd, but hopefully it will see the light of day soon.
static9 - (sorry if this has been asked) i heard you were planning to put a underworld rework on involver, what happened? will it ever see the light of day?
Sasha - it was one of the tracks that we got 60/70% through, but realised that it didnt fit into the album. it's ont he shelf, and will see the light of day at some point. as soon as i get some time to go into the studio and finish it.
BuzsteR - with yourself, would you rather play in a huge party with 1000's of people or just a small intiemate club with a couple of 100 ?
Sasha - it depends what mood im in really! i defintiely prefer smaller clubs, because you can go off on tangents. but if you pull off a set at a massive festival, it's great. i generally dont enjoy festivals that much, but parties like dance valley in holland are fantastic.
fezzwah - With Abelton Live virtually eliminating the art of learning to beatmatch, thus resulting in virtually perfectly mixed sets, how are we to distinguish actaul talent from software/hardware induced "talent"?
Sasha - because it takes it back to what real djing is about - content! anyone can mix records, maybe 10 years ago people were surprised if you could mix. but now, everyone can beatmatch. ive been mixing records for 15 years, i think ive proved to everyone that i can beatmatch. abelton live allows you to concentrate on other elements, and it frees you up for so much creativiy. every time i use it i come up witha completely different dj set.
Grant - how do you arrange your music collection? have you any idea of the total count?
Sasha - ive got about 30,000 records, 25,000 of which are databased. i had a team of about 4 or 5 people a few years ago that spent a few months databasing it! it was a mess for years, so everytime i wanted to play an old record i would have to buy another copy. now i can dig out anything and find it.
dj1210s - Sasha there has always been this myth that you and oakenfold don?t get on can you set the record strait
Sasha - we're best friends!
Simon Bell - How did you break onto the international circut? do you think that you have to be a producer aswell as a Dj nowdays to do so?
Sasha - yeah, i think the press for me in the beginning - because i was the first dj to be on the cover of mixmag. in order to get press today, you have to be a producer, mixing cds, etc. you have to get exclusive music for your sets as well, although for a younger dj it's virtually impossible. you need to make your own music to get your name out there.
OM3GA - do you own an ipod... if so what are some of the more embrassing tracks that feature on it??
Sasha - i own one, absolutely! it's full of american classics at the moment.
innA - do you ever make surprise guest appearances at clubs? like just turning up in sydney to a 3hr gig at some dingy club, just for the fun of it?
Sasha - after dance valley last year i played at a party at around 6am that sander kleinenberg was putting on. i stumbled out of there at around 10am!
innA - ive got a set of yours from around 1994, where the music stops, because you supposedly were chatting up girls in the front row - does this kind of dj love still happen for you?
Sasha - that sounds like an urban myth. im quite happily engaged at the moment!
Sasha says thanks everyone for loggin in, i'm looking forward to seeing you all in australia at the end of the year!