LONG BEFORE ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC PIERCED THE MAINSTREAM, THIS WELSH DJ HELPED PUT PROGRESSIVE HOUSE AND TRANCE ON THE MAP, CUTTING HIS TEETH IN UNDERGROUND RAVES BEFORE THE WORLD TOOK NOTICE. TODAY, NEARLY FOUR DECADES LATER, SASHA IS REVERED AS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE CREATORS IN THE NOW-BOOMING ELECTRONICA SCENE AND HE JUST DROPPED FRESH MIXES THIS YEAR

BY DAN SALAMONE

BORN: Alexander Paul Coe in Bangor, Wales, on September 4, 1969.

SOUND: Sasha has been around for long enough that his sound has encompassed everything from acid house (at the beginning of his career in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s) to trance (late ‘90s) to downbeat electronica and progressive house that incorporates ambient and prog-rock influences.

BIG BREAK: Early in his career, Sasha had to supplement his low-paying DJ gigs by headlining underground illegal raves in the U.K. just to be able to afford the records he was spinning. Due to word of mouth, Sasha found himself on a 1991 cover of the burgeoning DJ bible, Mixmag, under the title “Sasha, the first DJ pinup?” This marked the first time any DJ had ever graced the cover of a major U.K. music

NOTABLE ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Sasha was the first major DJ to jettison playing off turntables, choosing instead to create on-the-fly remixed and re-engineered existing tracks. His innovations in the form eventually led to electronic mixing taking over for vinyl as the standard for how DJs operate (almost exclusively) today. He is a four-time International Dance Awards winner, four-time DJ Awards winner, and a Grammy Award nominee. His record with John Digweed, Northern Exposure, regularly resides on the short list for the most important DJ mixes ever made.

LATEST WORK: In addition to continuing to headline massive shows around the world, Sasha released his most recent single, “Saddle Up” (featuring Lady Essence) in June of this year, plus two new mixes: a KEXP Radio Mix in March, and a new mix with Joseph Ashworth titled “HiFiHi (LoFiLo Mix)” in April.

Sasha djsasha.com