So what's been happening in the world of Sasha Carassi?
I've a lot on at the moment, it's an exciting time both creatively and professionally. Even though I'm busy I'm making a point of chilling out which allows me to focus on work and life in equal measure.
What was your highlight of 2010?
Receiving constant support from Adam Beyer has been great, and getting a chance to début on his Drumcode label with my double ep Hypercombo was the pinnacle.
Where were you playing at Christmas and New Year?
I'm an Italian traditionalist so Christmas was spent with my family and my girlfriend Rosa. For New Year, I played in Austria, in Graz at the Dom in Berg. The atmosphere was magical, it was a great night!
What's been the most banging Scottish gig/venue to date?
I've never been to Scotland to play in a club... Club 10-86 on 29th January will be my "first time" and I'm looking forward to it.
Who is your DJ who inspiration?
There are many good DJs that I respect and appreciate. Adam Beyer and Joseph Capriati (who is a good friend), I have praise for both of them as innovators, but I lend freedom of expression and originality to my own music.
Where does your musical inspiration come from?
I started to produce House music in the '90s and also I liked Break beat, but I was always fascinated by the harder side of electronic music. I think I found my greatest musical expression only in the last year, obviously I don't reject anything, all experiences have matured me artistically.
When in the studio do you have a roadmap to work to or is it a completely fluid process?
To be honest, my productive work in the studio has never been set as a roadmap, or rather the ideas are always born in a natural way and developed through the creative process. I like to work this way, playing with ideas and having fun with it, is the most rewarding way of working.
How would you describe the music you create to someone who's been hiding in a cave for years?
Imagine a funk band playing in a factory amidst a hive of activity, using the sounds of machinery... gears and hot pressed iron.
Are you still an analogue man or are you all digital?
I love analogue but I'm totally digital now, it's more easy and a lot more useful.
What do you think is happening with music these days?
There is an invasion of non-professional producers taking away valuable space for people who have been working professionally for years, I think it's a bad thing as it devalues the scene instead of promoting it.
What do you think is different these days in comparison to when you started out?
Yes it is very different! Years ago it was much slower, there was attention to detail, now it's all very frantic, the rhythms are fast and if you let go it risks falling behind.. it needs to run .. ..
You've been very busy, doing some great work, what do you do to chill out and relax?
I work 12 hours a day practically, its very difficult to cut a bit of time to relax. When I leave for the gigs I always try to stay one more day, when it’s possible, to rest and to distract me a little bit ..
Mp3... What do you miss about vinyl record shopping, or do you miss record shopping?
Unfortunately I have not entered a record store for several years ..I think years ago it was like a second home to me.
What are your favourite labels of the moment?
I'm not being presumptuous but right now I love the sound of my label Phobiq .. I see it as the mirror of my musical taste ..
Who are the new producers coming through who you think are worth listening to?
I really like Tom Laws, who is not really "new" but I've started to play his stuff recently and I think his tracks are really deadly. Also, keep an eye on my friend Bodyscrub and the young Raditz Room.
What's your top tune of the moment?
I could mention 100's, a track I play and always excites me a lot is my remix of Slam "Collecting Data" which will be released on February 7 on Paragraph Records in Scotland.
What was the first record you bought (no matter how embarrassing)?
I don’t remember whether it was Jovanotti "Yo" in 1989 or MARS - Pump Up The Volume.
What's your favourite tune of all time?
Really hard to choose only just one tune.. I think "A Walking Contradiction" by Adam Beyer is one of the milestones of techno music but I could give you another 1000!
For Djing... Do you use vinyl or CDJs or a laptop set up with some form of controller-ism?
I’m still very tied to using turntables and alternating vinyl with Traktor more or less gives me that same magical feeling..
What advice can you give to anyone starting out as a DJ?
To be humble and do not want everything at once. Life is made of steps and talent is always rewarded!
Whathave you got planned in the near future?
I have some future releases on Drumcode and MB Elektronics, in the next few months I'll have EP's being released on Rekluse, Weave and Phobiq, with remix work for Alchemy, Paragraph and Soma... you could say I'm very busy perhaps not much sleep!
On the gig front, I will play a lot in Europe. The next date is of course in Edinburgh on 29th January, at Club 10-86.
Roma – ITA
Stuttgart – GER
Naples – ITA
UKRAINE
Geneva – CH
Glasgow - UK
Amsterdam - NL
Vienna - AUT
Frankfurt - GER
Montpellier – FRA…
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