User:DJSasha Dave/sandbox

{{AFC submission|d|v|u=DJSasha Dave|ns=2|decliner=DoubleGrazing|declinets=20250605103410|reason2=bio|ts=20250605102654}}

{{Draft topics|biography|music}}

{{AfC topic|blp}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Sasha

| image = Sasha Press Shot-483.jpg

| caption = DJ Sasha, 2025

| birth_name = Alexander Paul Coe

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|9|4}}

| birth_place = Bangor, Wales

| genre = Progressive house, electronic, ambient, techno

| occupation = DJ, record producer, composer

| years_active = 1989–present

| label = Last Night on Earth, Global Underground, Deconstruction, Ministry of Sound

| associated_acts = John Digweed, BT, Charlie May, Junkie XL, Spooky

| website = [https://www.djsasha.com djsasha.com]

}}

Alexander Paul Coe (born 4 September 1969), known professionally as Sasha, is a British DJ, record producer, and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the development of electronic music. Gaining international recognition in the 1990s, Sasha played a key role in shaping the progressive house genre and was named the world’s number one DJ in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll in 2000. His sound—melodic, expansive, and emotionally resonant—has left a lasting impact on audiences and artists across several generations.

Over a career spanning more than three decades, Sasha has remained a prominent figure in electronic music, known for innovative DJ sets, influential mix albums, and consistently forward-thinking studio work. He helped define the DJ mix as an art form through landmark releases such as Renaissance: The Mix Collection, Northern Exposure, and the Involver series. He has performed at major festivals including Glastonbury, Coachella, and Creamfields, and held residencies at Twilo, Space Ibiza, and Fabric. His collaborations with artists such as John Digweed, BT, Charlie May, and various emerging talents highlight his longstanding commitment to musical innovation and mentorship.

In recent years, Sasha has expanded into immersive and interdisciplinary projects, including audio-visual installations and original compositions. In 2022, he scored the Genius Da Vinci exhibition, blending Renaissance themes with ambient and electronic elements. He is the founder of the Last Night on Earth label, through which he continues to support new artists and explore evolving musical directions.

Early life and career beginnings

Sasha was born in Bangor, North Wales, and began DJing in the late 1980s amid the rise of UK acid house. Influenced by the Manchester scene and The Haçienda, he first gained recognition through mixtapes and residencies at clubs such as Shelley’s in Stoke-on-Trent and Renaissance in Nottingham. His style—characterised by vocal house, rave energy, and melodic sensibility—helped establish him as a leading figure in the UK club scene.

Breakthrough and collaborations

File:2018-04-15-PHOTO-00000063.jpg

In the mid-1990s, Sasha’s collaborations with John Digweed and BT were instrumental in defining the global progressive house sound. In 1994, he and Digweed released the critically acclaimed Renaissance: The Mix Collection, followed by the Northern Exposure series beginning in 1996. These compilations were notable for their conceptual structure and cinematic flow.

In 1999, Sasha composed original music for the video game Wipeout 3 and released the influential Xpander EP. His work with Charlie May of Spooky led to the 2002 album Airdrawndagger, which marked a transition toward cinematic electronica. He later produced the Involver series (2004, 2008, 2013), which reimagined existing tracks as long-form, continuous mixes combining elements of remixing, production, and DJing.

Label and studio work

File:Last Night On Earth Lime Green Logo.png

In 2011, Sasha founded Last Night on Earth (LNOE), a label dedicated to progressive, melodic, and experimental electronic music. The label has featured both established collaborators and emerging artists. In 2023, LNOE celebrated its 10th anniversary with LNOE10, a compilation featuring artists such as Photek, Qrion, Alex Banks, and Pumarosa.

= Selected recent releases =

"Fleuron Drift", "Volks Wagon"

"Glastacy" (with Sentre)

"Astra" (with Super Flu)

"Phaxon" (with Jody Barr)

"Hold On" (with Archie)

"Hifi" (with Joseph Ashworth)

In 2021, Sasha released LUZOSCURA, an album that evolved from a curated playlist and was noted for its blend of ambient textures, melodic techno, and progressive elements.

In 2024, Sasha collaborated with FKA twigs on a series of experimental studio sessions blending avant-pop, ambient textures, and club-influenced structures. While details remain limited, the collaboration has been teased through both artists’ social channels and is expected to lead to future joint releases. The sessions reflect Sasha’s ongoing interest in working outside traditional dance music contexts and exploring cross-genre creative partnerships.

Immersive and interdisciplinary projects

In 2022, Sasha composed the original score for Genius: The Score – Original Music for the Da Vinci Immersive Exhibition, in collaboration with Berlin-based creative agency Flora&FaunaVisions. The 45-minute soundtrack combined Renaissance choral motifs with modern classical and ambient electronic elements. After debuting in Berlin, the show toured internationally, with stops in Amsterdam, Miami, and Mumbai, with further dates planned through 2026.

In 2007, he also scored the surf film New Emissions of Light and Sound: The Dark Side of the Machine, produced by Globe and shot on 16mm film. Featuring surfers such as Taj Burrow, CJ Hobgood, and Yadin Nicol, the film included Sasha’s ambient soundtrack as a continuous mix in The emFire Collection (2008), which later won an award at the X-Dance Awards held alongside the Sundance Film Festival.

Groundbreaking tours

In 2002, Sasha and John Digweed launched the Delta Heavy Tour, considered the first fully produced arena-scale DJ tour in the United States. Featuring full production and major venue bookings, the tour played a significant role in establishing DJs as headline acts. A DVD documenting the tour was later released.

Live albums and special projects

File:Sasha Refracted Barbican 2017.jpg

In 2017, Sasha released Refracted: Live, a live album and DVD recorded during two sold-out shows at London’s Barbican Centre. These performances featured orchestral reinterpretations of key tracks from his catalogue and were praised for their emotional and cinematic quality.

His 2005 mix compilation Fundacion NYC reflected a shift toward deeper, groove-oriented sounds and was one of the first commercially released DJ mixes performed live using Ableton Live and the custom-built Maven controller.

Following the 2016 release of Scene Delete, Sasha curated a series of remix EPs that featured artists across the electronic and modern classical spectrum.

Avalon: Los Angeles

Released in 2006, Avalon: Los Angeles CA 24/06/06 was a live DJ mix recorded and mastered on-site using Ableton Live and the Maven controller. Fans were able to purchase a professionally pressed CD just 30 minutes after the performance ended.

Technological innovation

In 2005, Sasha introduced the Maven controller, a custom MIDI device developed for exclusive use with Ableton Live. The controller included rotary encoders, faders, buttons, and visual feedback features. Although it was never commercially released, it influenced the development of modern performance tools such as Native Instruments’ Kontrol series.

Broadcast and media

Sasha has delivered multiple Essential Mix broadcasts for BBC Radio 1 since his 1994 debut. That first mix remains one of the most celebrated in the series and marked its 30th anniversary in 2024.

In 2005, he recorded a landmark Essential Mix live from BBC Maida Vale Studios. Performed entirely with Ableton Live and the Maven controller, it was voted Essential Mix of the Year and is regarded as a benchmark in digital DJing.

He has also received multiple Essential New Tune picks from Pete Tong. In 2016, Annie Mac named "Track 10" her hottest record in the world (7 October 2016).

Awards and recognition

DJ Mag Top 100 DJs – No. 1 DJ in the World (2000)

Honorary Doctorate in Music – Bangor University (2022)

Grammy Award Nomination – Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for "Watching Cars Go By" (Sasha Remix) by Felix da Housecat (2004)

Discography

= Studio albums =

The Qat Collection (1994)

Airdrawndagger (2002)

Scene Delete (2016)

LUZOSCURA (2021)

Genius: The Score – Original Music for the Da Vinci Immersive Exhibition (2022)

= Selected mix compilations =

Renaissance: The Mix Collection (with John Digweed) (1994)

Northern Exposure series (1996–2001)

Global Underground: 009 San Francisco (1998)

Global Underground: 013 Ibiza (1999)

Fundacion NYC (2005)

Avalon: Los Angeles CA 24/06/06 (2006)

Involver (2004)

Invol2ver (2008)

Invol3r (2013)

Fabric 99 (2018)

Refracted: Live (2017)

= Selected singles and EPs =

"Magic" (1994)

"Xpander" (1999)

"Scorchio" (with Emerson) (2000)

"Wavy Gravy" (2002)

"Breezer" (with Junkie XL) (2003)

"Mongoose" (2007)

"Out of Time" (feat. Poliça) (2019)

"Haunted" (with Franky Wah) (2020)

"The Lights" (with Kölsch) (2021)

"Glastacy" (with Sentre) (2024)

"Hifi" (with Joseph Ashworth) (2025)

"Hold On" (with Archie) (2025)