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Sasha - Global Underground 009: San Francisco
ARTIST: Sasha
TITLE: Global Underground: San Francisco
RELEASE DATE: February 16, 1999
DURATION: (Disc 1)73:44, (Disc 2)73:34
LITTLEJESUS, CUSTOMER
With much anticipation, the Boxed Boys have finally re-released Sasha's first Global Underground set and I am forever grateful. Both discs begin with similar intros written by Sasha himself and slowly blend into a trance with more body and sustenance than any I have heard. The track selection is paramount with Sasha adding various acetate and unreleased material into the mix.
After attending my first rave-with the bassbins still ringing in my head-I purchased the original Northern Exposure at a local record store. Ever since the first note there has been no doubt in my mind that Alexander Coe (aka Sasha) and John Digweed are the world's most talented DJs.
Before hearing his San Fransisco set, I was convinced that Sasha's brightest moment was the second disc of his set in Ibiza. Then I heard GUOO9. There is no point during either CD when I hear a weakness. In addition to Sasha's (as usual) flawless mixing, I feel that this is the CD where is track selection skills are best exhibited. In no other circumstance have I been moved to the words, "Oh my God" except by some of the mixes present on this album.
There was a point in time when I thought that any person with a shred of intellegence and at least one ear, after enough practice could DJ as well as any professional. Yet, after hearing Sasha weave his pristine music throughout my mind, I can say that he is one of the few exceptions to the rule. Sasha = Diety.
CHRISTOPHER CULVER, CUSTOMER
I bought GU013: IBIZA by Sasha before I heard this San Francisco retrospective and believed wholeheartedly that nothing could approach the divine mixing and superb track selection of IBIZA. Boy was I wrong. Sasha's SAN FRANCISCO Global Underground retrospective is every bit as good as IBIZA, and it tends to reflect a live club performance better than the for-the-headphones design of IBIZA.
Opening with a sampled conversation with some half-insane street bums, the first disc moves into the quiet, sly groove that is stereotypical for the first CD of any GU release. Here, however, Sasha's mood-creation is so effective that I cannot pick out highlights, because he brings you into his world with his enchanting track selection.
Disc Two, however, is nothing short of explosive. Opening with another conversation with street bums, Sasha pounds the bass with Narcotik's "Blue" and lifts the listener to a new level of awareness with Illuminatus' "Hope." The highest point of the album is tracks 8-10, Paraglider's "Change Me" sandwiched between two Breeder tracks, the screaming "The Chain" and the epitome of trance "Twilo Thunder." When the bass suddenly falls away about 1/3 of the way through "Twilo Thunder" and there is nothing by spacey sounds in an immediate emotional blow, I'm always can appreciate why trance and progressive house form the best music on Earth. And why Sasha is without a doubt the best DJ on Earth.
GU009: SAN FRANCISCO. Sasha shines again. Get it now!
[email protected], CUSTOMER
I, too, first began my Sasha GU experience with the second disk of Ibiza; how can you resist a compilation with a BT acetate. I was amazed all the way through. Eventually, I meandored over to disk 1 and learned the true meaning of "progressive" (with his cool slow burning sexy style of 'Deep Progress', 'The Deep Edge', and Humate's mix of 'Feel so High') quickly gaining strength until 'My lexicon, Move!, and his 3 minute + creation that is the mix between Stage One (actually Two), and Sacred. I remember hearing this for the first time, and literally feeling changed.
Then I discovered the San Francisco sets, which until I really gave a full ear to, I never really understood its potence. Like Ibiza, Disk 2 was attention getter to the sf sets, cleverly starting with the Narcotik cut, ("be aware of every sound..") Blue gives way to Hale Bopp, one of the most glittery and deep progressive trance cuts which will drop you in an emotional mindscape if you let. This beautifully melts into Oliver Lieb's mix of hope... this pattern continues through the rest of the disk and by the time 'Moving thru your System' is half way given up to 'The Mission', you realize the man who mixed this is a genius.
Disk 1, took some time for me to grasp completely, but I now believe that this is the most amazing hour of continuously mixed electronic music to ever be recorded, period. Freaky Chakra's 'Platform' is an quirky offbeat, but extremely well produced track, and perfect to start off a set defining what it feels like, from Sasha's point of view, to be an SF clubber. Other great tracks, Van Bellen's mix of 'Protect your Mind', the impossible to find anywhere else 'Resurrection' by Classified Project, and Slickmick's "my body is bouncing everywhere" 'Lecture'. The mix of 'Blue stream, Empress II, and the Incisions mix of 'Bulgarian' is especially amazing in that Empress II never plays by itself. The overlapping of the kick drums of Empress II and Bulgarian gives a rush that you will feel anywhere; home, backyard, car, anywhere.. The last section of Bulgarian is an actual production created by Sasha himself, where the Housey-ness explodes into a deep barren wasteland of watery distorted chants, deep dark synth, and a bassline giving a futuristic groove impossible to experience elsewhere. The next 2 tracks are mixed to lead one to believe the male and female vocal of each respective track are arguing with each other, trying to place the blame for who destroyed the world around them. The next song 'Im Free' is the rebuilt world, a little different then before, almost crazy with screaming vocals and the craziest (yet it brings a smile to my face) bridge of a song ever. The next mix into 'Anomaly' is purposely off key (nevertheless goes perfectly with each other) to ensure the 'Uh-Oh, its next' effect. At the time, this song was unreleased and had everyone crying for the beautiful synths and to die for vocal. But like I said, What else can you expect from BT but the best.
Anything by Sasha, whether it is a dj mix album, or original work is worth hearing over and over. This is the all time no exception.
TRACK LISTING
(Disc 1)
1. Intro - Street Bums
2. Platform - Freaky Chakra
3. Solid Space Business - Attaboy
4. Protect Your Mind - DJ Sakin & Friends (Van Bellen mix)
5. Resurrection - Classified Project
6. Resurrection E.P. - Medway
7. Lecture - Slickmick
8. Blue Stream - Sneaky Alien
9. Empress II - Funk Function
10. Bulgarian - Travel (Incisions remix)
11. Soul To Bare - Joi Cardwell (C Hornbostel remix)
12. Everything's Not You - Quivver (Quivver's Space mix)
13. I'm Free - Morgan King (William Orbit mix)
14. Anomaly (Calling Your Name) - Taylor (Albion mix)
(Disc 2)
1. Intro - Sasha
2. Narcotik - Blue
3. Hale Bopp - Der Dritte Raum
4. Illuminatus - Hope
5. Clarkness - Dave Kane
6. Acoustic Principles - Eclipse 8
7. Psionic - Mana
8. The Chain - Breeder
9. Change Me - Paragliders
10. Twilo Thunder - Breeder
11. Movin' Thru Your System - Jark Prongo
12. The Mission - DJ Tomcraft
13. I Dream - Tilt (Tilt's Resurrection mix)
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