One of the industries finest, former Number 1 DJ from the 90’s and techno/house heavyweight producer Sasha made a surprise appearance at the W Sound Suite on September 14. The master-class for a select group of budding local producers, including lucky me, started off with Sasha explaining a bit about himself, giving us the run down on his extensive touring schedule and what he does to make sure his productions keep on coming.
His productions go through a long process between him and his audio technicians/engineers around the world, all of whom work around the clock to make sure there is somebody working at all times of the day, making use of the time differences. Sasha himself has a few techniques to keep inspired whilst on his tours, making sure to bring one of his favorite pieces of hardware called the Eventide H9 – a multi purpose effects pedal, on most of his journeys as well as using innovative apps on his iPad.
We were then lucky enough to go through one of his latest releases, called Trigonometry released on Watergate Records from Berlin. The tight knit production was awe inspiring to the producers in the room. We then proceeded to go through the twenty or so individual tracks and got a few hot tips on what makes his tracks bounce the way they do.
A few tips from the pro:
- Always record everything whilst jamming, you might come up with something in between that will literally be the signature sound for a track.
- Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try and come up with something funky that you haven’t heard before.
- Trust your judgment. Commit to a sound and go with it.
- Find the balance. In life and in the studio.
I was honoured to be part of the ten local DJs and producers, including Wisdy, Raff Track and Kaiser Waldon, invited along to sit down and chat with Sasha and W’s Sound Suite & Music Curator, Damian Saint for a couple hours of pure knowledge building from one of dance music’s greats. And all that before the big Resistance gig at Ku De Ta on the Saturday night!
A big thanks to everyone involved!
