The DJs’ DJ

DJ Sasha, one of the most iconic artists of electronic dance music has often been called the patron saint of the genre. This Welsh-born DJ began his career playing acid house at historic venues like Manchester’s Haçienda and went on to influence artists like John Digweed, BT and James Zabiela. Taking his influence from the sound of his Madchester years he has remained at the forefront of the electronic music scene for over two decades. Sasha has remixed tracks for artists like Madonna and The Chemical Brothers and released an album with the Ministry of Sound. Sasha returned to India last month to broaden his artistic horizons (and his fan base as well).

You last played in India in 2003, which was also your first time in the country. What is it that brought you back this time around?
Well, for one, it’s an amazing place to visit and the response is just fantastic. The crowds here are just so energetic. I couldn’t believe the response I got in Delhi. There’s always so much excitement and enthusiasm. It’s just brilliant.

You once mentioned in an interview, back in 2005, that you genuinely believed the EDM scene worldwide was headed nowhere. Do you still feel the same way now?

Wow, I must have been having a really bad day! Things have changed so much since then.

The last five years have been very exciting; we’ve seen some really amazing stuff lately. Last year itself was a great one for EDM. I’ve seen a lot of new DJs with incredible styles and very original sounds. Sometimes I’ll be in a club and hear something unlike anything I’ve heard before and I’ll be completely blown away. It’s very vibrant time right now. The influence of Germany on the scene has been a positive one ”“ all the music coming out of Germany right now, a lot of really talented producers there. Even here in India, I was given the Burn CD from the competition they’ve been running [Burn Energy Drink DJ contest] for the local producers. These kind of events nurture talent. It’s exactly what needs to happen. There has to be a musical movement for things to really develop and relying on international DJs is never going to help. So the fact that people are taking steps to really nurture their local talent is great. The guy who opened for me in Delhi (Arjun Vagale of Jalebee Cartel) had very high standard stuff; he’s a great DJ. If you have more DJs like him in the country and more producers producing quality music it’s going to gather momentum and get much bigger than it is. It’s very rare that electronic music ever gets stagnant.

So where do you see EDM moving from here?

Well I feel there is a great future for EDM as long as there are enough young people getting out there and trying to change people’s perception of what EDM is. We’ve seen some phenomenal new subgenres come out in the last few years and a chain reaction will follow. One subgenre will influence another and so on. That’s how electronic music works. Some people might sample old records from way back creating a retro sound or something completely fresh and new.

Any new collaborations or projects you’re looking forward to?

I’ve been in the studio working with Charlie May; we have some new music we’ll be ready to release over the summer.

At one point, the only EDM India was known for was Goa trance but in the last few years the scene has expanded to include any and every genre of EDM. Do you think this change has reached the rest of the world yet?

Goa trance isn’t insular, but I feel the sound hasn’t travelled that well. There is massive demand for it in places like Brazil and Israel but I still don’t come across it too often in the UK or Europe for that matter. Of course I’m sure there is a lot of activity I’m not aware of. I haven’t been to Goa yet but I’m hoping to get in on a festival this December. That should be an interesting.

In terms of Indian EDM though, I’ve seen more and more of it. I know of Indian producers who are working outside of India and making their mark. I’ve been getting exposed to a lot of stuff like the Burn competition, which has been giving a lot of local artists another level of exposure. It’s great for the unknown talent as well as getting the world acquainted with Indian EDM.