Airdrawndagger

Sasha

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 6, 2002)
• Original Release Date: July 2, 2002
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Kinetic Records
• ASIN: B00006BXG5
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (160 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #13,915 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > Dance & Electronic > Trance

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Embracing neither the rampant guest appearances favored by the Chemical Brothers, nor the blatant, pop-flavored pandering of recent work from Paul Oakenfold and BT, Sasha's first studio full-length mimics the up-down-up pattern of a classic trance mix. As closely associated as he is with John Digweed, Airdrawndagger illustrates their different tendencies: Digweed is most comfortable with sinister, subterranean grooves, while Sasha is always threatening to float over the dance floor. Accordingly, Airdrawndagger's head is firmly in the clouds, but it's also a clever mish-mash, convincingly melding electro and ambient sounds with occasional four-on-the-floors, like "Bloodlock" and "Golden Arm." Tracks like "Mr. Tiddles" have a warm facility with machines worthy of a Depeche Mode, as Sasha transforms the grandiose, operatic pretensions of trance into a quick and potent chunk of dance pop. The brooding "Cloud Cuckoo" starts off in a similar vein before building itself up into a wash of overlapping beats and sweeping melody that recalls Sasha's Xpander EP. Throughout the record, Sasha stretches himself in the right directions, pulling off the trick of sticking to what he does best while summoning up the creative juice to make Airdrawndagger just new enough to be fascinating. --Matthew Cooke

From URB Magazine
OK, I admit it: I was so ready to hate all over this thing. The "long-awaited" artist album from a superstar trance DJ? (And yes, I do have a touch of the "trance sucks" bias in me.) Expecting a static collection of anonymous superclub claptrap, imagine my surprise when it not only doesn't suck, but is, well, good. There, I said it. I like Sasha's damn album. It's this sweeping, epic sea of soundtrack-ready segues that play like old Depeche Mode B-sides ("Mr. Tiddles"). It has songs called "Mr. Tiddles." I mean, come on!

But this isn't a joke. "Magnetic North" slowly rises like Tangerine Dream turned vanilla sky before flipping into a quick meditation on New Order. When "Cloud Cuckoo" comes off like Pink Floyd aping Underworld (complete with a Robert Planet sample), I know something's definitely going on here.

When our young charge finally deigns to drop a beat, he does so with an unexpected flair. First there's the drunken breaks of "Immortal," then the narcoleptic drug-step of "Fundamental." Soon it's all reversed synth lines and head-trip sound effects (albeit with a beat) on "Boileroom." It's not until the heart of "Bloodlock" that Sasha finally gives up the ghost, exploding into a torrent of the uplifting melodies and airy ecstasy that made him famous. Settling down into a contemplative Vangelis mood ("Requiem"), his point has been made in spades. I might not be waving glow sticks at the man anytime soon, but I won't be afraid to give him props for an impressive artistic debut.

Scott Sterling

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fire your psychiatrist and listen to this album., October 7, 2004

By	J. File (Newport Beach, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

To even try to describe the gravity of emotion and that this album exudes is absolutely impossible. Sasha has clearly done something that few artists are ever able to accomplish. He has painted a very powerful expression of soul and emotion that enters your ears and soaks deeply into the fibers of your spiritual canvas. Not to sound nauseatingly esoterical, but when I first listened to this album, it was as if I became privy to a new cosmic level of music appreciation. This is music that does not require the nostalgic associations of one's environment to produce emotion. On its own, every timeless note and arrangement builds deep inside of you, painting an extraordinarily haunting feeling that seems to be so parallel with others, yet so indescribable and personal at the same time. Is this album incredible? No doubt about it. Is this album the cure for all the problems of the world? Of course not. Does this album contain something incredibly unique and positive? Absolutely, and that's why it's totally worth checking out.

22 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, August 8, 2002

By	Matt Ford (Venice, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Sasha's new album is brilliant, and a superb testament to the unique skill, vision, and sophistication of this genre-defining artist. A calculated departure from his definitive high-energy, club-friendly sets (GU San Francisco and GU Ibiza both come to mind), Airdrawndagger is a somewhat subdued yet extremely vivid journey through lush, unseen places. Sasha masterfully controls a complex and diverse web of finely-crafted, richly-textured layers, often exploring the interplay between opposing sonic elements (biological and mechanical, restraint and fluidity, aggression and calm, etc.)

The album starts out mellow and simple and slowly builds to a menacing, bio-mechanical crest, after which it resolves into a warm, satisfying ending. At times the material can be a bit challenging, as probably only half the tracks will lend themselves well to a club environment. But the ever-changing, ever-evolving sounds and rhythms never get slow or weak; similarly its intense and aggressive moments never become abrasive, anthemic, or cheesy. Throughout the album there is an overwhelming sense of sophistication and control, though the music never feels contrived or suppressed. Airdrawndagger grows and breathes as if alive, and at times seems like it actually might be.

In some ways Airdrawndagger is reminiscent of the recent work of other leading electronic artists - it's beautiful, intellectual, and subtle like Charles Webster; it's highly personified, organic, and playful like Richie Hawtin; it's deep, hazy, and sinister like John Digweed. But ultimately this is a truly original work, an unprecedented blend of power, control, vision, and restraint. Sasha has moved us a step or two forward on the evolutionary scale of modern music.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A stunning debut from an allready amazing dj., August 12, 2002

By	Jarrod Leda (Tarentum, Pa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Anyone familiar with electronic music has allready heard of Sasha. From his constant dj work with(and without) John Digweed, to his writing tracks for sony's 'Wipeout 3' psx game, to his amazing global underground 'Ibiza', he has helped define what trance , and 'electronic' music can be. In 1999 he released the Xpander Ep and created a classic. Now with 'Airdrawndagger' he has upped the ante for his debut full length of original material. This album is both diverse and consistent with his sound. The beats are very tight, while the sonic tension of his dj sets resonates throughout. There are more than a few nods to classic Orbital, and even a bit of bjork can be heard in the atmosperic 'Magnetic North'. Much of the middle is served up through breakbeats as opposed to 4 on the floor, producer Junkie XL keeping the low end tight as the synth ebbs and flows over top. The songs themselves often dont follow typical song structures, and quite often I found myself wondering what twist the track(and indeed the album) would take next. The 2 ending tracks 'Golden arm' and 'Wavy Gravy' are nearly bittersweet pop with the sonic attention to detail only Sasha could produce. Throughout his trance origins shine, but in that muted afterhours way of referencing but never going back. I have listend to this so many times allready, and rarely have I heard such a MUSICAL quality over these types of beats.. this album is fresh enough to almost be something... dare I say...New. If you are tired of the same old club mixes, this just may be the answer.