Sasse headlines the Egg London!
Finlander now located in Berlin, Sasse has been DJ-ing on the electronic music scene since the early 90s, running one of the first house clubs in Finland with his first releases on Sähkö/Puu as Freestyle Man considered a milestone in the Scandinavian house sound and the original 12”s are still very much sought after.
In 1996 he started Moodmusic with the first release, “Sasse Presents…”, a 4 track EP with influences from NYC and Detroit house. Instantly creating a havoc on European dance floors, the following releases put Moodmusic on the map of recognized house labels with the distinctive sound and top-notch A&R abilities of Sasse and his close-circuit artist roster. In 1999 Sasse located to Frankfurt to start a residency at the famous Robert Johnson club, with his highly successful “Finnish First“ nights running from 2000-2003.
In 2005 Sasse built his beloved BlackHead Studios with companions Ewan Pearson and Filippo “Naughty” Moscatello where he made his first artist album “Made Within The Upper Stair Of Heaven” and released on Moodmusic in 2006 to critical acclaim with the singles, “Soul Sounds”, “Loosing Touch” (featuring the distinctive vocals of Kiki) and “Up To You” making waves on dance floors around the globe.
In 2007 a special collaboration called “It’s All True” between Tracey Thorn and the production team of Sasse, Darshan Jesrani and Ewan Pearson was featured on Tracey’s last album, “Out Of The Woods”. Over the last 5 years, the success of his productions and remixes has seen him DJ at some of the finest House clubs worldwide as well as his bi-monthly residencies at Berghain/Panorama Bar and Weekend in Berlin.
His 2nd studio album “Toinen” including the single “Break Up” enjoyed major underground success and Sasse is currently touring his Moodmusic label which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. Catch him at Berlin Berlin on Saturday April 2nd in the Save Us Records room alongside Andrea Ljekaj and Vonda7.
Sasse Interview
What can party people expect from your set, styles and sounds at the BERLIN BERLIN Egg party ?
I will play a selection of my favourite new tunes at the moment, inspired by the coming summer season so it will be hypnotic and groovy yet uplifting vibes all the way.
Do you have any secret weapons you can share with us ?
I do, but would they be secret if I told you LOL 🙂 Actually I’m going to premiere a few tunes from the forthcoming Ed Ed compilation called ‘Eclectic 01’ on Moodmusic which has been getting extremely nice DJ feedback.. As well as my forthcoming EP on My Favorite Robot with a Lehar Remix.
Can you tell us what’s new for the new year in terms of productions, remixes, projects etc etc ?
I have been quite busy in the studio on the first months of the year, so I’ve got plenty of unreleased music to play out. So when I’m not mixing and mastering productions from other people I intend to be on the road all summer long. My label Moodmusic will as well turn 20 this year so we’ve got a massive tour in the works, and I’m looking forward to playing a bit more this year.
How does playing in London, especially @ Egg London compare to other cities or countries, and do you count London as one of your favourite spots?
Indeed, I’m really looking forward to play Berlin Berlin as London is a special place and I’ve had amazing times playing at Egg Ldn. It’s a different vibe from let’s say Berlin but I do love the people attending the club and that their crowd really know how to party.
How does it feel to have been working in House/Techno for the last 20 years or and what are you proudest moments/memories ?
Well there are soooo many good memories 🙂 I’m in a fortunate situation that I’m able to live and work on music which I love. This is something which is not easy nowadays, but luckily I started early on and am able enjoy what I do. There are so many talented artists out there and it’s a very tough business.
How do you manage to keep it fresh, new and vital? Is it a case of pressure as DJ/Producer to always be one step ahead in the house/techno scene?
I just play music I love. Luckily my taste changes and goes with the flow. You’ve got to be inspired by old and new and try to extract your sound out of the overflow of releases and implement these impulses into your music selection. I believe running a label and a recording studio is helpful as well, as you have a fresh pool of talented artists around you which tend to inspire you.
What was your first break and first big record and did it set you on your path?
When I released my first vinyl releases in the mid 90s it was a big step in my career to get internationally recognised, but I guess my big break came with the 2005 release ‘Soul Sounds’ as Sasse on Moodmusic which was somewhat of a hit and has since become a bit of a classic I guess. It was still the good old vinyl times and it was a great experience to sell over 10k copies of one record. Nowadays vinyl has become such a limited, specialist product it’s a very different game.
You grew up in Finland and then moved to Germany in 1999. how much of an influence did the neighbourhoods around you have on your path towards music? Were there any other major influences such as key people, DJ’s, producers or clubs etc ?
It was a very different scene in Finland back then. There were a few producers and djs and the parties were small. When I moved to Germany at the end of the 90’s I experienced and played for the first time, proper clubs like Robert Johnson, Tresor and Ostgut. it was a kind of eye-opener and I soon realised there was no way back.
The first generation of DJs like Sven Väth, Westbam or Ata influenced us all of course, but the most rewarding was just the sheer amount of possibilities when it came to clubbing in general. You could go out on a Tuesday or Thursday and have a great time till early morning, this was unheard of in Finland back then (and still is).
So what does the future hold for you?
I’m looking forward to our Moodmusic 20 Years tour which kicks off in March, and sees us travelling most of the year. And when I’m not touring I intend to stay locked in the studio.
And before you leave us, can you tell us something you think we should all be listening to before we head out the door to the Berlin Berlin party on Saturday April 2nd at Egg London ?
You should check out the latest release on Moodmusic which is Def Mike’s ‘Kenzo’EP and is a beautiful mixture of club orientated tunes mixed with melodic elements and analog warmth.
Sasse headlines the SaveUsRecords Room at the Berlin Berlin party on Saturday April 2nd alongside Vonda7 and Andrea Ljekaj, and joined by Chalet Club’s Aquarius Heaven, Frag Maddin and The Das and Sisyphos residents Jonty Skrufff, Fidelity Kastrow and Juli.N More. East London’s Homostash crew go head to head with the Pornceptual performers and all happening at Egg Ldn. More infowww.egglondon.co.uk
