I’m not really a Sasha fan. The man like just never really got me hot under the collar. And I’ve found a lot of his music to be over blown and maybe even a little pompous. The hyperbole surrounding him, such as the infamous 'Son Of God' Mixmag cover, could be quite off-putting too but there is no denying that few DJs engender such an obsessive following.
Sasha has always been a great DJ technically but there was a period, after the piano anthems of the Shelly’s era but before he got bogged down in 5 minute breakdowns that became synonymous with epic prog house, when he really was spot on muscially too. And this time is perfectly summed up by a show he did on London’s Kiss FM in 1993.
‘Giving It Up’ was a regular 3 hour slot, in the middle of the night, midweek, where the chosen DJ just got to do their own thing and Sasha really seized that opportunity. Not throwing records together on the fly but a carefully programmed set, perfectly mixed, with Sherlock Holmes clips, Ronald Reagan toothpaste adverts and an Islamic call to prayer worked in to provide extra atmosphere. It is a beautifully crafted set and whilst it hints of where he was heading musically, it combines a certain energy that probably linked closer to his time in Stoke than what he did at Twilo with a trance like quality that was probably more akin to the sort of thing Sven Vath was playing at the time. Indeed European techno/trance records feature heavily.
There’s also a pretty awkward sounding John Digweed coming on at the end to play a few records, including one of his own that eventually got released as Bedrock and the truly fatastic 'La Musika Tremenda'.
Fortunately, one of my mate’s stayed up till 4am that Wednesday morning in 1993 to tape it all and those tapes provided many a happy hour on the old Sony Walkman. Now I’ve dusted off those TDKs and via the wonders of modern technology, they’re now up on Soundcloud.
I'm sure the Sasha fans out there will be able to fill some of the tracklist gaps.Tape One
Keiichi Suzuki - Satellite Serenade (Transasianexpress Mix)
Eagles Pray – Reverse the Silence
Eden – Do U Feel For Me
Spooky – Schmoo (Steppin Razor Mix)
Moon Child – V.O.A.T (Variations On A Theme)
Virtualmismo – Mismo Plastico (Virtual Mismo Mix)
Virtualmismo – Mismo Plastico (Original Remix)
Helicopter – On Ya Way
?? - ??
Fluke – Slid (PDF Mix)
Funk Machine – Lets Get This Party Started
Fluke – Slid (Scat and Frenzy)
Hysterix – Talk To Me
Disco Evangelists – De Nero (Spaceflight Mix)
LA Factory – Synth Problem
E-Lustrious – Givin' You No Rest
Tape Two
E-Lustrious – Givin You No Rest
?? - Hey-ba-bab
Alexander O'Neil - Love makes No Sense (BIT Dub)
CJ Bolland - Mantra
Esoterix - Void
??-??
??- Only You
Golden Girls - Kinectic (Frank De Wulf mix)
Barbarella - My Name Is Barbarella (My Name Is Barbarella / Spaceship)
??-??
69 - Ladies ands Gentlemen
Bedrock - For What You Deam Of
Emojonal - Silence of Water
?? - ??
Ramirez - La Musika Tremenda (DJ Ricci mix)
Sasha - Giving It Up, Kiss Fm, 1993 (tape 1) by Sasha Tape One
Sasha - Giving It Up, Kiss FM, 1993 (tape 2) by Sasha Tape Two
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9 comments:
My friend...a brilliant post.... I have never heard the second half of this mix - I bought the first half as a booty in 1993 in Camden and it was one of my favourite mixes of all time... your evaluation of Sasha is also spot on in my view. He was playing some incredible music in 1992-1993... before, unfortunately, it went (as you say) all a bit 5-minute-breakdown!!! Why oh why did music have to regress as it did......
Although Sasha played some very nice tracks in those days I struggle, still do, to listen to any of his mixes the whole way through. I always find myself wandering off.
One thing I would say about Sasha in this period, his mixes were more anticipated than anyone else, they truly were a major event. I don't think anyone has ever got close to him in that regard.
Personally, having the 3hrs free w/a # or 3 + a couple bevvies & some old mates w/this on the hifi would be quite well received. I'm only wandering away b/c of work, wife & family -- & not necessarily in that order! Enjoy this set immensely, 'nuff old skool qualitas on offer & the interludes make it oh so a propos for home listening. Thanks for sharing, love the memory floggers.
Not idea what that means, but glad you like it :)
Glad otehr like it too - will re-up for downloads over the weekend x
Really enjoyed this, bit of a trip, bit sad when it ended tbh. Cheers! All about the memory floggers!
Any chance of a reupload to Soundcloud or another sharing site so us latecomers can DL this fabulous objet d'art?
great mix! big Sasha fan of old and still love hearing the odd mix whilst coding at work!!
As I am listening through the start of the mix I have noticed that your track listing is missing a track between Spooky "Schmoo" and Moonchild "VOAT".
Unfortunately I have no idea what it is but thought you might want to update the list!
If not no probs - I'll maybe be able to recognise some of the others!
Justin G - London
Excellent, thanks for the post, been looking for this for ages.
Actually he did 4 weeks in a row.
Missed the fourth week but taped the first 3, all of which in my mums attic. He actually played a lot of the tunes over each week, sequenced differently but there were a few originals in each mix.
Think they were my favourite mixes of the early nineties. Thanks again
Dan
The question marks after Helicopter on ya way - Soul Odyssey Rapture -top tune
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