Sasha - Fri 10/25 & Carl Cox/Justin Nichols

Sasha - Fri 10/25 & Carl Cox - Thurs 10/31 @ ROXY

Sasha BIO -- b. Alexander Coe, 4 September 1969, Bangor, Wales. "The First DJ Pin-up" (Mixmag) whose regular nights included Renaissance and La Cotta (Birmingham). A former fish-farm worker and grade 8 pianist, he moved from Wales to Manchester in the late 80s and began religiously attending the legendary Haçienda. He bluffed his way into his first DJ bookings and, via some of Blackburn's largest rave parties, soon became resident at Shelley's in Stoke, where he earned a formidable reputation. Mixmag even put him on the magazine cover with the words, "The Son Of God". After pioneering Italian house in 1989 and 1990 he made his name with a jazzy, garage-style as a remixer on projects such as Mr. Fingers' "Closer" and Urban Soul's "He's Always" and "Alright". Sasha moved to Deconstruction Records in 1993 in a three-album contract. Most had expected him to sign with Virgin Records following the success of his BM:Ex (Barry Manilow Experience) cut, "Appolonia", a double-pack 12-inch with a running time of over an hour, released on their Union City Recordings subsidiary. "Appolonia" originally emerged as an obscure Italian white label promo, and was a record Sasha played regularly at the end of his sets at Shelley's in Stoke without ever being able to discover the identity of its originators. As nobody could find out any further details he decided to re-record it himself.

The first result of the liaison with Deconstruction was "Higher Ground", recorded with production partner Tom Frederikse and vocalist Sam Mollison. He also provided a single, "Quat", for Cowboy Records. Sasha also signed a publishing deal with PolyGram Records in 1993, indicating that at last dance music songwriters were beginning to be taken seriously by the industry, rather than simply being regarded as short-term recording artists. As Sasha himself expounded: "I've plans for bigger things. I don't want to be restricted by the dancefloor. That's where my inspiration is, but I want to do something with a little more longevity than the latest number 1 on the Buzz chart". Subsequent crossover UK chart successes included "Higher Ground" (number 19, February 1994), "Magic" (number 32, August 1994) and "Be As One" (number 17, March 1996). Among his many other remix/production clients have been Ce Ce Rogers, Unique 3 ("No More") and soundtrack composer Barrington Pheloung. His association with Renaissance led to a long-standing partnership with John Digweed and they can often be found DJing together, both live and on compilation mix albums, under the banner Northern Exposure.

Sasha has also worked closely with BT, remixing his tracks and collaborating as Two Phat Cunts on Deep Dish's Yoshitoshi label. They also worked together on a remix of Madonna's "Drowned World", although Sasha remixed the tracks "Ray Of Light" and "Sky Fits Heaven" on his own. These remixes came about through Sasha's friendship with William Orbit, who produced Madonna's acclaimed Ray Of Light. Sasha remains one of the world's highest-profile DJ/producers, fulfilling numerous bookings around the world. He has recently launched his own DJ and artist management company, Tyrant. In 1999, he was voted number 3 in the UK's DJ magazine's Top 100 DJs in the world. He also released the highly acclaimed mix set, 013 Ibiza.

Carl Cox BIO -- b. 29 July 1962, Oldham, Lancashire, England. Cox is one of the UK's best loved DJs, his reputation for playing up to 14 sets a week and being a permanent fixture on the circuit is well known. He became a full-time DJ in 1985. After serving an apprenticeship as host to a thousand private parties, he eventually graduated to weddings and finally clubs. He helped pioneer the house scene in Brighton in the late 80s, and was highly involved in the development of acid house. He played at the first night of the Shoom club as well as other famous clubs such as Spectrum and Land Of Oz. He was the first to introduce a "third" deck into a set at the 1989 Sunrise show. Cox remains a great advocate of European techno and house, which forms the basis of most of his live sets, and his celebrity fans include Laurent Garnier, whose Wake Up nightclub he says is his favourite venue. As his popularity grew, it became inevitable that he would release a record of his own. Following his 1991 hit single, "I Want You (Forever)" (UK number 23), he attempted to woo the airwaves with "Does It Feel Good To You".

His first "mix" album arrived on the React Music label in 1995. Cox is also the managing director of Ultimate Music Management and MMR Productions. Cox continues to tour relentlessly all over the world, playing at major clubs and festivals. He has residencies at The End in London and at Twilo in New York City. In 1998, his single "The Latin Theme" was praised by the critics and a club success, and his "Essential Mix" on the UK's BBC Radio 1 won the "Essential Mix Of The Year" award at the Muzik (UK magazine) Dance Awards. The album Phuture 2000 was released in June 1999, and Cox was voted number 2 in the UK's DJ magazine's Top 100 DJs in the world. His exhausting DJing schedule took in Asia, Malta, Ibiza, Amsterdam, Berlin (the Love Parade), Zurich and the UK (including Creamfields, T In The Park, and Glastonbury). A US tour was rounded off by two gigs on New Year's eve, at Home in Sydney and Honolulu in Hawaii.