Sasha
Hollow Sun
Last Night on Earth
Considering that the current progressive house revival has now been going strong for several years, it’s interesting that Sasha—the artist responsible for some of the genre’s most timeless releases—hasn’t really been embraced by the crowd that’s now salivating over every new release from labels like naff, Kalahari Oyster Cult and Butter Sessions. It’s not that DJs in that cohort aren’t happy to play old Sasha records, but outside of a special back-to-back session with Young Marco at last year’s Dekmantel festival, the man himself is rarely seen in the more tastemaker-driven corners of dance music.
In fairness, that might be Sasha’s choice. Having long ago ascended into the superstar tier, the UK native certainly doesn’t need to cater to the hipster set, and it’s a good bet that his DJ fees are simply too high for even middle-tier bookers to seriously consider. At the same time, one could reasonably expect a bit more reverence for the guy, especially during a time when the culture is all but obsessed with revisiting (and, let’s face it, repurposing) the sounds and aesthetics of the ’90s and early 2000s.
Maybe Hollow Sun will turn the tide. A new two-tracker on Sasha’s own Last Night on Earth imprint, it’s easily the best record he’s made in years (decades?), and though it may not reach the same heights as stone-cold classics like the Xpander EP and his “Scorchio” collaboration with Underworld’s Darren Emerson, it exists in a similar sonic universe. Sun-drenched and tastefully textured, both “Hollow 25” and “Hollow 24”—which are essentially two iterations of the same track—unfold at a relatively leisurely pace, the steady kick drums largely serving as a foundation for Sasha’s filtered chords and billowing melodies.
Of the two songs on offer, “Hollow 25” is the more urgent cut, and the one that weaves in a bit of gurgling acid. Yet it’s on “Hollow 24” where Sasha most closely resembles his vintage best, cranking up the bliss as his cosmic synth tendrils elegantly twist and twirl. While the tune does drift toward the trance zone, it does so without indulging in the formulaic melodrama (e.g. the hands-in-the-air drops) that often characterize the genre’s biggest anthems. In other words, “Hollow 24” is big but never brash, and it’s also a sign that when it comes to top-shelf prog, Sasha still has some gas left in the tank. Let’s see who notices.