Sasha & John Digweed
Encyclopedia
Sasha & John Digweed are a pair of DJs
from the United Kingdom
. John Digweed
had been DJ-ing for ten years before getting a gig at Renaissance
where he met Sasha
, who had been working the past few years in various acid house
clubs and raves
. Together, he and Sasha honed their DJ skills, focusing on track selection and technical mixing abilities. In 1994, they released the triple CD mix album Renaissance: The Mix Collection on Renaissance Records. It contained many popular dance hits of the time from artist such as Leftfield
, Fluke
, and 2 Bad Mice
as well as original productions and remixes from the duo themselves. Two years later, the duo became "true superstars" (AllMusic) with the release of their double CD Northern Exposure
on mega-label Ministry of Sound
. This release was brought to the United States the next year in a single CD package on Ultra Records
. 1997 saw the release of the Northern Exposure 2
double CD mix album, again on Ministry of Sound. Sasha and Digweed toured internationally, helping define the sound of progressive house & trance music in the late '90s. In 1998, both John Digweed and Sasha released separate mix albums on Boxed
as part of the Global Underground
series with Digweed's GU 006: Sydney and Sasha's GU 009: San Francisco release.
In the late '90s, Digweed and Sasha took up residency at New York City
's famous Twilo
nightclub as well as releasing their third edition in the Northern Exposure series: Northern Exposure: Expeditions
. They both continued their success in the Global Underground series with Digweed's GU 014: Hong Kong and Sasha's GU 013: Ibiza. In addition to their residency, they toured the United States, especially to promote their DJ mix Communicate
in 2000. Shortly thereafter, they embarked on their international Delta Heavy Tour in 2002. They have collaborated little since Delta Heavy. They appeared together at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival
, and counted down the new year during a 4 hour set in Los Angeles
at Together As One.
In 2008 Sasha & Digweed announced their plans to do another tour of North America taking in 21 cities in one month, as they announced the Sasha and John Digweed Spring Club Tour 2008. The tour began at the Winter Music Conference
on March 27 at the club Mansion
. This was the first time they toured North America
together in six years.
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. John Digweed
John Digweed
John Digweed is an English DJ, record producer and acclaimed actor.-Biography:John Digweed began DJing around age 4...
had been DJ-ing for ten years before getting a gig at Renaissance
Renaissance (club)
Renaissance is a British electronic dance music club brand and record label. Renaissance was started by Geoff Oakes at Venue 44 in Mansfield, England in 1992. Renaissance was Geoff Oakes' antidote to the sci-fi imagery and dressed down clubbers of the 'rave' scene .In 1993 Renaissance moved to a...
where he met Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
, who had been working the past few years in various acid house
Acid house
Acid house is a sub-genre of house music that emphasizes a repetitive, hypnotic and trance-like style, often with samples or spoken lines rather than sung lyrics. Acid house's core electronic squelch sounds were developed around the mid-1980s, particularly by DJs from Chicago who experimented with...
clubs and raves
Raves
Raves can refer to:* Rave party* Raves, Vosges, a commune in the Vosges département in France* Raves , a 1980s power pop group from Atlanta, Georgia, United States...
. Together, he and Sasha honed their DJ skills, focusing on track selection and technical mixing abilities. In 1994, they released the triple CD mix album Renaissance: The Mix Collection on Renaissance Records. It contained many popular dance hits of the time from artist such as Leftfield
Leftfield
Leftfield are a British duo of electronica artists and record producers, namely Paul Daley and Neil Barnes, who formed in 1990 in London, England...
, Fluke
Fluke (band)
Fluke are an English electronic music group formed in the late 1980s by Mike Bryant, Jon Fugler and Mike Tournier with Julian Nugent as the band's manager...
, and 2 Bad Mice
2 Bad Mice
2 Bad Mice formed in England in 1991, and was composed of Sean O'Keeffe, Simon Colebrooke, and Rob Playford, the latter the owner of the Moving Shadow record label. 2 Bad Mice were credited as among the first UK hardcore acts to begin incorporating breakbeats into their style...
as well as original productions and remixes from the duo themselves. Two years later, the duo became "true superstars" (AllMusic) with the release of their double CD Northern Exposure
Northern Exposure (album)
Northern Exposure is a 1996 mix album by DJs Sasha & John Digweed. There is both a British edition released by Ministry of Sound and an American edition released by Ultra Records...
on mega-label Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound
Ministry of Sound London, commonly referred to as simply Ministry of Sound or MoS, is a nightclub based in London, United Kingdom and an associated record label. It was ranked fourth in the 2010 DJ Magazine top 100 clubs poll 2010. As well as the nightclub in London, there is another in Egypt and...
. This release was brought to the United States the next year in a single CD package on Ultra Records
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American independent electronic dance music record label. Ultra was formed in New York City in 1995 by former Polygram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey, who is still currently the owner...
. 1997 saw the release of the Northern Exposure 2
Northern Exposure 2
Northern Exposure 2 is a mix album by Sasha & John Digweed released in 1997. In the United Kingdom, it was released by Ministry of Sound as a double CD package, whereas in the United States, it was on Ultra Records as two separate CDs — a "West Coast Edition" and an "East Coast Edition".-Disc 1:...
double CD mix album, again on Ministry of Sound. Sasha and Digweed toured internationally, helping define the sound of progressive house & trance music in the late '90s. In 1998, both John Digweed and Sasha released separate mix albums on Boxed
Boxed
Boxed was a record label which has released around forty mix albums from DJs such as John Digweed, Nick Warren, and Danny Howells. They are most known for their Global Underground series. After stopping releases due to financial difficulties in 2003, Global Underground Ltd...
as part of the Global Underground
Global Underground
Global Underground is a music label founded in 1996 by Andy Horsfield and James Todd. The label symbolizes the international explosion of dance music during the 1990s and first manifesto for high-end DJs such as Sasha, Paul Oakenfold, John Digweed, Danny Tenaglia, Nick Warren, Dave Seaman, Darren...
series with Digweed's GU 006: Sydney and Sasha's GU 009: San Francisco release.
In the late '90s, Digweed and Sasha took up residency at New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's famous Twilo
Twilo
Twilo was an American nightclub in operation from 1995 to 2001 in New York City and from 2006 to 2007 in Miami. The New York location at 530 West 27th Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan regularly attracted a crowd of thousands to its warehouse-like dance floor...
nightclub as well as releasing their third edition in the Northern Exposure series: Northern Exposure: Expeditions
Northern Exposure: Expeditions
Northern Exposure: Expeditions is a 1999 progressive trance mix album by Sasha and John Digweed. The UK release was featured on INCredible whereas the United States edition was released by Ultra Records...
. They both continued their success in the Global Underground series with Digweed's GU 014: Hong Kong and Sasha's GU 013: Ibiza. In addition to their residency, they toured the United States, especially to promote their DJ mix Communicate
Communicate (mix album)
Communicate is a mix album by Sasha & John Digweed.-Disc one:#Jaimy & Kenny D. - "Like A Bitch" – 8:23#Eric Clapton - "Get Lost " – 6:04#Sven Väth - "Barbarella " – 10:11...
in 2000. Shortly thereafter, they embarked on their international Delta Heavy Tour in 2002. They have collaborated little since Delta Heavy. They appeared together at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
, and counted down the new year during a 4 hour set in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at Together As One.
In 2008 Sasha & Digweed announced their plans to do another tour of North America taking in 21 cities in one month, as they announced the Sasha and John Digweed Spring Club Tour 2008. The tour began at the Winter Music Conference
Winter Music Conference
The Winter Music Conference is a weeklong electronic music conference, held every March since the mid-1980s in Miami, Florida, United States. Venues are hosted primarily in Downtown Miami and Miami's South Beach...
on March 27 at the club Mansion
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
. This was the first time they toured North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
together in six years.
Albums
- Renaissance: The Mix Collection (1994)
- Northern ExposureNorthern Exposure (album)Northern Exposure is a 1996 mix album by DJs Sasha & John Digweed. There is both a British edition released by Ministry of Sound and an American edition released by Ultra Records...
(1996) - Northern Exposure 2Northern Exposure 2Northern Exposure 2 is a mix album by Sasha & John Digweed released in 1997. In the United Kingdom, it was released by Ministry of Sound as a double CD package, whereas in the United States, it was on Ultra Records as two separate CDs — a "West Coast Edition" and an "East Coast Edition".-Disc 1:...
(1997) - Northern Exposure: ExpeditionsNorthern Exposure: ExpeditionsNorthern Exposure: Expeditions is a 1999 progressive trance mix album by Sasha and John Digweed. The UK release was featured on INCredible whereas the United States edition was released by Ultra Records...
(1999) - CommunicateCommunicate (mix album)Communicate is a mix album by Sasha & John Digweed.-Disc one:#Jaimy & Kenny D. - "Like A Bitch" – 8:23#Eric Clapton - "Get Lost " – 6:04#Sven Väth - "Barbarella " – 10:11...
(2000) - Renaissance: The Mix Collection (10th Anniversary Edition) (2004)