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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
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HF exclusive SouthWestFour preview: Sasha vs Digweed
Reported by Ben Gomori
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Submitted 24-06-09 17:03
Sometimes you just don’t get what you want in life, sometimes you do. This summer sees the return of one of the most well known and recognisable partnerships of dance music history - Sasha and Digweed - and a lot of people will be getting what they want. Hard to pin down, this exclusive interview of the elusive pairing sees Ben Gomori ask, maybe not the questions you might have wanted to hear, but still the questions you should know the answers to…
One of dance music's classic pairings, Sasha and John Digweed are amongst the most revered DJs in the history of dance music, with a partnership that stretches back to the birth of progressive house in the early ‘90s. Between them they count some of the best-loved mix compilations to have ever been released – including the first ever commercially released mix CD, The Mix Collection – Digweed’s ever-impressive Bedrock label and Sasha’s superb artist albums. That’s not to mention the thousands of gigs they’ve played across the world over the last two decades.
The duo first toured together as part of the promotion for their legendary Northern Exposure CDs in the mid-90's, and most recently on their Delta Heavy tour, which took in some huge rock style arenas. After touring North America last year, the duo decided to team up again this year in the UK for some very special back-to-back gigs – with South West Four their exclusive festival appearance in the country. We sat down with the legendary pairing for an in-depth chat ahead of this August’s big day.
How did you first meet and was there an immediate connection?
Sasha: Not from the very start…ha ha!
Digweed: Well I met you at one of the main event weekenders in Wales. Back then I was running big events on the south coast and I was trying to get Sasha to play for me.
When was this?
D: This was 1990, 1991…
S:…and I didn’t turn up…haha!
So how did you make amends?
D: Well then I went and played at Renaissance in Mansfield where Sasha was resident.
S: We got a tape that John had made that absolutely blew our minds, me and (promoter) Geoff were like “We’ve got to have John come and play” - and so yeah, from then on really. From then on it was an instant connection.
Around the time the term “progressive” was being coined?
D: When it was not a dirty word you mean? Haha!
Quite…in a time when house music was moving towards something a bit different…the stuff you were playing and making back when that term was first being coined – were you actively trying to move away from the “traditional” sound of house?
D: A lot of the time people were playing US house music and the progressive scene was a lot of the Leftfield, Guerrilla; it just had a bit more of a different feel to it then the American house.
S: Much more electronic, much less vocals, much more atmospheric.
D: So it was that kind of time when you think “this is something new.” As I said, it had a progressive feel, it felt like it was pushing house music forward.
So was the US stuff getting a bit stale for you guys then?
S: I was never a big fan of that anyway you know. Around about the time that the DJs at the Hacienda started playing the American sound, it was around about the time that I was playing big piano anthems - the Italian sound – so I was never really a huge fan of the American sound. The most influential American for me was David Morales when he did all those Red Zone dubs, where he would take maybe a commercial record but he’d do these really tripped-out dubs and that was really the very beginning of it all. His sound was very influential at that time, ’cos no-one was really doing that, those droney, dark records with vocal samples on them. It was really an amazing fresh sound at the time.
In your early days of getting success as DJs and producers, did you have big ambitions for your careers? Or was it just taking it as it came?
S: I don’t think any of us imagined.
D: No…you didn’t think, “Oh, I’ll be doing a residency in New York for five years!” Just to play abroad seemed like the furthest, I mean I couldn’t even get him [Sasha] to come down to Hastings, haha!
S: I started to get altitude sickness from going below Watford!
I suppose in those days it wasn’t quite at the level where nowadays a 19, 20-year-old producer gets a big hit and knows what could lie ahead of him?
S: Because it’s mapped out, yeah. There wasn’t really a. blueprint at that time.
D: But also, it’s down to the individual as well – because you could have a really talented person, but if he doesn’t handle his career right, you could have this whole host of opportunities that he could just blow very quickly in a short space of time, so I think the fact that there are so many DJs around who were there at the start and who are still around now is down to their hard work and dedication, and also passion to music.
I mean I still genuinely love what I do – probably even more now than when I started, which is hard to imagine. It’s just one of those things; I think you’re have to be passionate about it, because at the time when it’s first coming through you’re just genuinely excited, you’ve gone through all those – while maybe not crappy gigs – certainly some amazing parties, but the set-ups were very basic. Now you get to play in the most amazing clubs, the best soundsystems, the best set-ups.
S: Different corners of the world - Japan, Miami, Buenos Aires - it’s an amazing career.
The Northern Exposure tours – were they quite groundbreaking do you think? Did you feel a bit like rock stars?
D: Well I think also, the whole Northern Exposure concept was to take away having a warm-up DJ, and it was like - right, you’re coming to see us, it’s the whole night. So the concept was, you came and you heard us build the night, from the start right through to the last record, and I think people like that aspect of hearing us play. Normally on a guest slot, you’d turn up and play maybe two or three hours, but there’d be maybe two or three DJs before you. With Northern Exposure it was you’ve come to listen to us from start to finish and I think it gave people something different, because they got to hear different aspects of our sets throughout the five or six hour set.
What are your personal favourites from your production career and why?
S: Each album you put out, it’s a chunk of your life that you dedicate everything into. It’s really impossible to pick one out to be honest.
Which big name remixes have you turned down over the years and any regrets from those?
S: I turned down a Kasabian mix which I was gutted about after. I don’t know why I turned it down. It was off the first album, I wish I’d done it. Remixing is not the core of my business anymore – what happens now is if I hear something and I like it, I go after it – like I just mixed Jetstream by The Doves. I’d heard the album and it blew me away. Back in the ‘90s, that was my bread and butter. I’d spend most of the year in the studio working on remix after remix, but it just got stale. Some mixes from those days I’m not exactly proud of!
What’s the hardest lessons you’ve had to learn during your careers?
D: I think you’re always learning in terms of when you’re out playing – the crowd is always changing, every year – so you can’t just sit on your laurels and thinkl I can just carry on doing what I’m doing. You have to be 100% focused.
S: I think the pair of us are constantly looking for that next big thing. That’s why I never made an album full of Xpanders – that’s what the record company wanted, but you make a record like that and you move on. You’re constantly looking for something new. But I don’t know in terms of a lesson that I’ve learnt -I think one thing as age is progressing is spreading yourself too thin, maybe doing too many gigs and not being able to give 100% at every gig because you’ve squeezed four gigs into a weekend. But that’s just something you learn when you’re out on the road. Sometimes things look absolutely great on paper and you think “This is going to be a simple weekend,” but then a flight gets cancelled or you miss something and suddenly it turns into a nightmare.
D: I think also when you’re first starting off, you think it’s important to do more gigs. While you’re still trying to climb the tree, you do more gigs because you want to get the exposure. I think once you get to a place where you feel comfortable with yourself – not only as a DJ, but with your bookings – it’s then very important to choose the right gigs. But it’s very hard to know when that point is, because you always think if I don’t do that gig then I won’t get asked again and I’ll upset the promoter but people respect you more if you do it for the right reasons.
You’ve both played South West Four before – how does it differ for you from other UK festivals?
D: I think the beauty of it is it’s in central London, it’s Bank Holiday weekend!
S: People can take the tube there.
D: The weather has been amazing, pretty much every year. I think the only year I saw it rain was when Carl [Cox] came on and he had a Brazilian band playing; I think they made so much noise…
S:…that they summoned the rain gods!
D: Haha! I’ve never seen anything like it. But no-one moved! That’s the key to the British crowd - if they’re having a good time, rain or shine, people stick with it.
S: Doing that closing set on the main stage just as the sun’s starting to set is a really magical time, so I’m really, really looking forward to it.
Is there a social aspect of South West Four for you?
S: Because it’s London, all your mates come out – all my friends in London come out to it, and you always bump into people you haven’t seen in ages, so there’s definitely a social side to it that’s lovely.
What are your respective Ibiza movements this summer?
S: We’re playing together at Space opening, I’m doing a few gigs - almost a residency - at Cream, four or five dates for them, and then I’m doing a couple for Carl at his Space gig on a Tuesday. Are we doing one of those together?
D: Yeah!
What else is on the horizons for the both of you?
D: Just cracking on with the label, just been keeping that ticking over.
S: He sent me new stuff from the label – it’s absolutely brilliant.
D: Guy J’s just done his track called Lamur – which is huge – there’s Stoppage Time which Guy Gerber’s remixed. It’s thirteen-and-a-half-minutes long!
S: It just sends people mental.
What made you decide to put it out again?
D: When I did the Bedrock 10 album last year, I asked him if he’d do a remix of it, but he didn’t deliver it in time. He said “I’ve done this, I’m not sure about it.” You listen to it at home and you’re kind of like “hmmm…”
S: Yeah I was the same, I was like “I’m not sure about this”, then I played it out and it just sent everyone bonkers.
D: It’s just so hypnotic and it breaks and then it comes back and it’s all tense, and trippy and dreamy and intense, so we’ve got that coming out in June. But it’s perfect, you can imagine Sven [Väth] and all those guys absolutely loving it. There’ll be a whole range of DJs playing that.
S: I’ve got the Doves remix – it’s a big, festival-sounding kind of record. We just delivered it, so hopefully it’s all going to be tied in to the next single release. We did the mix with festivals in mind - it’s got guitars and a big bassline and huge drums, and the vocal’s fantastic!
For full details, updates, competitions and to chat about this event head to the HF forums thread here
Photos courtesy of the HarderFaster archive. Not to be reproduced without permission.
South West Four
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On:
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Saturday 29th August 2009
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At:
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Clapham Common [map]
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From:
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12:00-21:00
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Cost:
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£40 + booking fee
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Website:
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www.southwestfour.com
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Ticket Info:
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Early Bird tickets: SOLD OUT
Saver Tickets: £40 + booking fee
Weekend Tickets (SW4 + Get Loaded In The Park): £70 + booking fee
TICKET OUTLETS:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk - 0844 847 2467
www.ticketweb.co.uk - 08444 771000 / www.clubtickets.com – 020 7033 2581
www.viewtickets.co.uk / www.residentadvisor.net
www.stargreen.com - 020 7734 8932 / www.skiddle.com - 0844 884 2920
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Buy Online:
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Click here to buy tickets
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More:
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South West Four takes place on Clapham Common on Bank Holiday Saturday 29th August. Join the mailing list at www.southwestfour.com to hear all the latest news and gossip first, as we keep the line-up announcements coming thick and fast throughout April! Having sold out 4 weeks prior to last year’s event, the demand for tickets is even greater this year with the entire Early Bird allocation selling out in 1 hour! Standard Tickets are now on sale priced £40 + booking fee. Do not miss it!!
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Flyer:
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Other Features By Ben Gomori:
Scott Attrill aka Vinylgroover: The Bass Junkie
The Bluffer's Guide to Detroit Techno
Riot! memories as hard dance returns to The End
The King is back! Andy Farley finally returns
Vandall brings his Warez to Timeless: The White Party
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
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