John Digweed Sasha - Vol 2Sasha Digweed (13 tracks) +Album Reviews

Sasha + John Digweed's Finest 2 Hours!

philippio | Middletown, Connecticut United States | 01/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I would have given this set 5 more stars but there aren't enough stars to give! Diggers and Sasha start out real slow with the melodic sounds of smooth, liquid cool ambient (Gus Gus' Believe and a Chicane Mix of Furry Phreaks' Soothe) which teleports you to an idyllic Ibiza in the afterhours ! And then, before you know it, gargantuan trance monsters in the likes of Gus Gus' Purple and Lost Tribe's Distance Voices are gracing the two dj's decks! A very pronounced mix of Hybrid's Symphony will colour your mind and alter your consciousness as the first cd climaxes to a sweet end. But don't worry, the second disc picks up where the first left off and delivers an energetic suite composed of Speedy J's Fusion, Humate's 3.2, and Sven Vath's Accident in Paradise. I guarrantee that Sasha and Diggers will have you in a tranced out frenzy by the time LSG's Netherworld comes alive (it's a stretched, fuller mix than on Oaky's Resident set). The last climax on the second cd is attributed to an elaborate and fiery Mantra remix of Art of Silence's Teach Me. This whole journey into ambient trance is so smoothly bridged by the two master dj's mixing abilities which seem to hold your hand as they guide you from one song to the next! The box has a mix guide on it which shows the interlacing of the tracks and all the transitions on a graph-type map! So if you weren't so sure whether the Northern Exposure sets were worth the price, let me tell you, I have all three European releases and they are all excellent, especially this second one!"

DIGWEED & SASHA'S FINEST HOURS

B. Lynch | USA | 07/06/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Let's get the major points out of the way early here: THIS CD IS OUTSTANDING; as good as trance gets, anywhere, anytime, by anyone. If your only exposure to John Digweed and Saha has been the "Global Underground" series CD's, then you have not heard either Digweed's or Sasha at their best. Even people who don't enjoy trance or techno may enjoy this one (Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, and Tangerine Dream fans, listen up).In what has become 'standard' trance fashion (although it was not established as such at the time this CD was initially recorded), the set starts out with very ambient pulsating tones that build into melodic trance and then metamporphose into full blown dance nirvana. To date, this is the definitive "John Digweed" or "Sasha" CD. But since both are DJ's, and not writers or producers (like The Chemical Brothers) who spin other people's music, and mix other people's tunes together to create their 'sound', as opposed to writing their own material, the quality of the CD's tehy put out depends largely on the quality of the music they have been able to listen to and their skill at re-mixing & blending it together. This CD shows an exceptional level of skill at both, suggesting that both Digweed & Sasha have good ears for tunes. They also display a great sense of pacing and timing: unlike many trance/techno CD's this one never gets monotonous & boring because of excessive repetition, nor does it sound puerile because the DJ's keep mixing unrelated genres together too quickly to establish a good groove (mood, tone, feel, etc.).Like any great trance, electronica, or techno release, this one works as both dance and listening music. All the more reason to pick it up.I am not sure what the title "Northern Exposure" has to do with the music, since neither my travels in far northern Canada, nor repeated listens to this CD, evoke memories of the other. It seemed that northern Canada featured country & western (if anything at all), and there was nothing particularly high-tech about the arctic, aside from the devices I carried, and the helicopters. Perhaps it's a thing between Sasha & Digweed. If it's a private joke, I hope they'll let us in on it some day. But that's the only 'disconnect' or non-sequitur connected with this CD. The music iteslf flows effortlessly from song to song. Some songs that you think you know are transformed into whole new listening experiences by the remixing here. Strandouts include the 2 custs from GUS GUS ('Believe' and 'Purple'), a radically remixed version of FURRY PHREAKS 'Soothe', LOST TRIBE's 'Distant Voices', 'Netherworld' by LSG, and climaxing with a must-have remix; ART OF SILENCE's 'Teach Me'.Finally, let me say that the mega-cynic in me wonders if these sets are truly "live". I doubt it very much, and suspect that they are carefully crafted, tracks are re-recorded many times, and that there are lots of never-heard missteps that go into making CD's like "Northern Exposure", but who really cares? Would you really want to hear a "live set" with all of its imperfections anyhow? Probably no more than you'd want to hear a 'one take' version of any other great music. But however they're made, and however many overdubs, re-takes, re-re-mixes, etc. are done, this CD is a standout in a genre that had become flooded with "good, but so what, it's just like 100 others" musical offerings. Excellent piece of work for dance and trance: BUY THIS, YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

A piece of art.

gab | Achrafieh, Leb | 05/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are looking for an "Ibiza" (Sasha) or "Hong Kong" (Digweed) CD style don't pick this one. If you want a spiritual, strong emotional experience, lay down, put the CD on, the volume high, then close your eyes: "Bon voyage". I guarantee you a journey. You have to hear the CD from the first track to the last one. It's a mixture of different styles (you will never recognize the remixs). But at the same time, all the tracks put together constitute a very fluent and homogeneous mixing. The more you hear it, the more you will appreciate the genius of Sasha & Digweed in this incredible piece of art.
Believe me in a decade, this set will be a classical for electronic music, and will always seem fresh and timeless.
CD 1 begins with a superb remix of Gus-Gus' Believe, and goes on, on the same pace: mysterious, lovely, deep and groovy.
CD 2's beat is stronger, but takes on where the first started, as perfect. I just want to mention that all the Northern Exposures sets are different and can't be compared. So don't expect an "Expedition" or "Communicate" kind of music.

In fact, this CD is different from all what you have already heard, and will surely be a special one. If you know something close, I beg you to tell me."

Perhaps the greatest DJ mix ever?

Jia | Portland, OR | 09/18/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While this statement may go against popular belief, Northern Exposure 2 is superior to the original Northern Exposure. While neither mix on NE2 quite matches the majestic quality of CD1 of NE1 (but then again, what does?), both mixes are classics in their own right whereas CD2 of NE1 was comparably weaker when compared to other mixes in the NE series.

The first CD is a gorgeous down tempo/break beat mix in the same vein as the first CD of NE1. The mood and atmosphere is different however. Whereas NE1 CD1 was earthy, organic, and spiritual, the first CD of NE2 is jazzier, funkier, more melancholic, and near the end, more euphoric. The mix starts off phenomenally with an ultra chilly mix of Gus Gus' "Believe", which perfectly segues into Chicane's mix of Furry Phreaks' "Soothe". After we're transitioned with Violet's "Burn The Elastic", we're treated to the less memorable funky breaks of Prana's "Geomantik" and Acoustic Hoods "Cycle Of Time". Frontside's "Dammerung" brings a more serious tone back with its beautiful melancholic melody, which sets up for the mixes first and last 4/4 numbers, and also the most amazing numbers on the whole album. The trickling melody of Doi-Oing's "Blue" is perfectly blended with a superb live version of Spooky's classic "Little Bullet". The live version included here is even better than the original with washing synths and several layers melody that bring the album to it's first peak. While both of the tracks are amazing in their own right, this is a case where the expert DJ mixing of these two tracks creates something that is greater than the sum of it's parts.

Having already reached heaven 8 tracks in, the funky breaks of Uberzone's "Botz" is dropped bringing the mix back to the earth before slowly climbing back up with some of the most euphoric electronic tracks ever recorded. The tinkley melody of Fluke's "Reeferendrum" builds perfectly into Lost Tribe's gorgeous "Angel" (incorrectly listed as "Distant Voices" on the back cover), which out of nowhere turns into Gus Gus' mid-tempo masterpiece, "Purple". The final track, Hybrid's "Symphony" is perhaps the most emotional electronic music I've ever heard. A perfect closer to a near perfect mix.

The second CD is the more danceable of the two CDs, with some of the best progressive house tracks of the era/ever. Opening with Cygnus X's "Positron" (incorrectly listed as "Superstrings" on the back cover), a lush, bouncy, euphoric mood is instantly created, only to be torn down by the stabbing melodies and abrasive percussion of Speedy J's "Fusion". Humate's classic "3.2" is mixed in creating a dark, atmospheric sound, that melds perfectly with William Orbit's/Spooky's remix of Sven Vath's techno classic "An Accident In Paradise". The Light's "Panfried" and Third Man's "Solar Cycle" keep the beat steady, before the duo really turn up the energy with L.S.G.'s "Netherworld". The Jules Vern mix heard on this album is the best version of the song I've ever heard emphasizing the best elements of the song, and creating a hard hitting progressive house floor-filler. Taucher's melodic "Waters" is perfectly mixed in holding the peak created by "Netherworld" to over ten minutes of sheer electronic bliss. "Teach Me" by Art Of Silence is a serene break from the energy, but we're soon brought back to 4/4 floor-stomping energy with Transa's anthemic (and somewhat formulaic) "Enervate", before slowly closing with the trance inducing groove of Armin's "Blue Fear".

The weak moments on CD1 are when the mix goes for the more abrasive, funky numbers, but in the scope of the album as a whole and in terms of setting up the more serious melodic songs, they work. CD2 on the other hand, while more immediately accessible and overall consistent, it is ultimately less resonating than it's counterpart. Still, as a whole, this is the strongest entry in the Northern Exposure series, and an essential for any electronic music fan's library."

Just to clear some things up

Jim Galligan | Denver, Co United States | 04/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The title Northern Exposure refers to a club night in England. They were really like a series of parties.I used to have this classic two disk set, however it was stolen when my car was broken into. I never got over that. I have purchased disk one seperatly, as thats how the disks were sold in the U.S. It has an amazingly timeless quality and captures that moment right before trance broke on these shores.Disk one is the "warm-up" down tempo affair. Ironically its best served while comming down.These are Classics. If you like electronica, you really should have these in your collection. You just should."

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