Sasha is the definitive trance DJ.

When you say, "trance", probably the first name that most people will come back with is "Oakey" but, although I have to acknowledge Paul Oakenfold's tremendous skill and technical ability, Sasha is the "better" DJ to me.

Why? Well, DJing is not just about having the ability to mix two tracks together well. Any idiot (well almost, and yeah, I'm one of those idiots!) can do that, it is so much more.

What should a good DJ have? Well, a love of dance music for a start, and I believe, a love of one particular genre, and some sort of integrity that prevents him from jumping on the commercial band wagon and playing a set full of some god-awful Euro-cheese just because it happens to be popular.

Technically, Oakenfold can do things you wouldn't believe, Sasha can too, but I just think that from a technical standpoint, Oakey is that little bit better.

It's just a shame that Oakey sold his soul...

Sasha has always remained true to what I would call "real trance", you know, the underground, it's not a term that I like to use, but there's not really a better description.

I could use the word "Progressive" but I think that the progressive style is more what his partner in crime, Diggers (John Digweed) has going on.

What I associate Sasha with more is dark, deep, melodic trance. The type that makes you close your eyes and lose yourself, makes you more than want to move, makes you HAVE to move, without really thinking about it.

The type that makes you throw your hands up during the breakdowns, and go wild when it comes back up....

As you can probably guess, I have something of a love of trance.

Of course the thing with trance is that it is, by it's very nature, rather repetitive, and if you don't play it right, it can get quite boring. It's all in the presentation,
the track selection, and the mixing, and Sasha is just THE best at presenting the music, at least within the trance genre anyway.

His track selection is just, well, it is just so right, a lot of people talk about "energy" within music... all dance music (careful what you define as dance music here! Steps do not do dance music, they do intolerable cheesy-pop) is energised, and it's the job of a DJ to create a flow... build it up slowly, and then just let it all come flooding out at the right moment... to tease a crowd and keep them on edge...

If you're not a DJ or hardened clubber, then you probably have no idea what I am talking about right now, but believe me when I tell you that Sasha is the best controller of musical energy that it has ever been my privilege to listen to.

Sasha is the man who first made me want to take up DJing... you listen to what can be done, and it just makes you want to do that yourself.

Of course I don't even come close to mixing like him... if I could, then I wouldn't be sat here typing now would I? I'd be out touring the world, or doing my residency at Twilo!

But you know, if I could do one set like he pulls regularly at Twilo, then I'd be very, very happy!

Sasha's not my favourite DJ... simply because I prefer the kind of stuff that John Digweed is playing right now...

Luckily for me though, Sasha and Diggers are a long running partnership, and when you put them together, and you add John's tight, confident, cool control to Sasha's creativity and ability to excite, then you have something very, very special.

Sasha has been called "God" by many, and without wanting to blaspheme, there is a good reason for that...

If you can see him play live, don't pass up the chance. If you can get to see him and Diggers play live together.... make damn sure you go see them!