Sasha- Chechen Suicide Bombers Nearly Killed Me

"I was staying in Moscow's National Hotel just before Christmas when two Chechen suicide bombers blew themselves up right outside the hotel. I was in bed at the time asleep, about sixty or seventy feet (20 metres) from the explosion."

Chatting down the line from his West London home, Sasha sounds calm as he recalls the moment he almost got blown to bits on his latest visit to Russia.

"The whole room shook, it blew in all the windows of the hotel reception, I think five people were killed in the attack," he continues.

"I ended up staying in the hotel room for 24 hours, because they kept setting off little explosions all day; I didn't realise they were those controlled explosions, it really felt like Moscow was under attack."

Global terrorism issues aside (he also narrowly escaped a bomb in Israel the last time he was there) the legendary acid house hero turned definitive superstar DJ is back with a new compilation CD to promote, Involver, which he's just produced for Global Underground.

His first in six years, the CD includes specially remixed versions of tracks by the likes of Felix Da Housecat, Ulrich Schnaus and The Youngsters in keeping with his recently professed interest in the new musical style of 'punk-house-electro'.

"I'm just distancing myself from that sound that was previously attached to me; that progressive sound that really doesn't hold much interest for me anymore," Sasha confirms.

"I keep getting sent all these records by producers that sound like they were made six, seven or eight years ago and they're not very exciting listens."


Skrufff (Jonty Skrufff): It's been six years since your last mix CD, you must get offers every month, why is now the right time for another one-

Sasha: "What happened was that the Airdrawndagger album took up so much of my time that everything else went on hold whereas now just felt like the right time to be doing one; I'd spent most of 2002 on the road touring Airdrawndagger and wanted to do something that was the next step on."

Skrufff: You're well known for perfectionism with your DJing and music making, are you similarly particular with mix CDs-

Sasha: "There's a fine line between perfectionism and being slow and a pain in the ass, and deadlines are something I never previously worked well to though now I think I'm responding to them really well. The stuff that we did in the last ten days before this mix album was finished; when we were really under pressure, is probably my favourite stuff on the album; they were spontaneous decisions to try things and they all worked. I've realised this recently that the worst thing I can have is any kind of open-ended deadline. I need to be constantly setting myself mini deadlines within deadlines to get things finished."

Skrufff: You said in a recent interview 'I love that punk-house-electro sound', how's that affecting your DJing-

Sacha: "The nature of my DJ sets is changing from that smooth linear mixing style that we perfected in the Twilo days, when we'd be going on for ten hours, playing long, long sets. I don't have a residency like that anymore or an outlet to play that kind of music and, to be honest, that music doesn't really do it for me any more. I liked those dark minimal sounds back then because I had a place every month to go and play them and they really worked at Twilo and it fitted the club. But I think right now, I'm playing shorter sets of music that's much more mashed up and eclectic.

I've got nothing against mixing perfectly still but the nature of the songs means it's different. I'm also ditching vinyl and CDs to go out on the road using my computer and that's going to allow me to mix anything with everything. I'm still interested in pursuing the perfect mix but I think the sounds I'm now throwing into that mix are becoming broader."

Skrufff: Have you paid much attention to the electroclash phenomenon-

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