Ultra Music Festival 2024: Sasha & John Digweed’s Masterful Set

Just over thirty years ago at Hastings Pier on England’s south coast, John Digweed had the opportunity to collaborate with an emerging DJ named Sasha. Their unexpected encounter that evening ended up shaping one of the most admired pairs in the dance music world.”There was an immediate bond,” Sasha, whose real name is Alexander Paul Coe, told New Times from his residence in Ibiza. Many dance music enthusiasts tend to focus on the compelling bass and mood set by a particular act – such is also the case for the duo, Sasha and John Digweed. Their eccentric, captivating music provides a thrilling experience. However, the actual draw to the pair is the chance to revisit history, from their initial encounter at Hastings Pier and their illustrious residency at Twilo in New York, to their acclaimed 1994 debut mix, Renaissance: The Mix Collection.
“Our performances are never rehearsed,” Sasha explains. “We enjoy being spontaneous and surprising one another. This dynamic has been a constant ‘gem’ between us. I receive a lot of new music from producers about a week before, and I have stuff I’m working on that I will test out.” Yet, Sasha believes it’s incorrect to say he and Digweed introduced the progressive house genre. The term was initially labeled by a journalist with a mocking intention who sought to connect it to progressive rock and made a Spinal Tap reference. According to Mixmag writer, Dom Philips, the new sound was referred to as a “new breed of hard but tuneful, banging but thoughtful, uplifting and trancey British house.”
The sound that Sasha and Digweed create is perceived by Sasha to fall between techno and house. “While there is a melodic component to it, the popular tracks mean nothing to me,” he further states. As per Sasha, the allure and longevity of electronic music aren’t confined to one sound, but rather the ability to break music apart and transplant it into a different sound. “The reason why electronic music has thrived is due to the fusion of various genres, resulting in a novel genre.” How and what the duo plays is less important than their enduring harmony. The duo became the face of a new era of electronic music following the release of Renaissance. Their innovative sound led to their famed residency at Twilo and the subsequent marathon sets. Sasha also highlights America’s significant contribution to their unity. “I believe we both felt that if we stayed together and played together as America was evolving in the mid-’90s, we would be stronger, especially with the marathon sets.” The pair later released the equally influential 1996 mix album Northern Exposure, which Sasha describes as “music for the after-party.” Ten years after its initial release – and a zero out of ten rating from DJ Mag – the album was hailed as one of the greatest mix CDs ever made, much to Sasha’s amusement.
click to enlarge Sasha and John Digweed’s contrasting sounds make for a lively set. Resistance photo. In 2010, both Sasha and Digweed decided to take a break to focus on their solo careers. “We agreed we needed some space from one another. We ended up taking a few years off,” says Sasha. “We concentrated on our solo work — John with his Bedrock label and myself with my own work and my label, Last Night on Earth. Neither of us intended for the break to last that long.” In 2016, after a dinner with friends in Tokyo, they decided to start playing music together again. Though a set by Sasha and John Digweed can be described as seamless and technically perfect, the duo’s exceptional skills behind the decks are partly attributed to what each brings to the stage. “John has this unique hypnotic intensity, and I play in a slightly different manner. It draws me into his vortex,” Sasha explains. “We have this wonderful crossover, a middle ground where we meet.” Ultra Music Festival 2024 will take place from Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24, at Bayfront Park, 301 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; ultramusicfestival.com. Tickets are priced from $349.95 to $1,499.95 and can be purchased at ultramusicfestival.com/tickets.Don’t forget to check out New Times’ complete listing of Miami Music Week 2024 events.