News & Reviews

BASS: 'Delta Heavy' documentary follows Trance duo Sasha & Digweed on tour

Shortly before dissolving their partnership on the turntables, Tance DJs Sasha & Digweed packed dozens of arenas the U.S. in 2002 in what was effectively the duo’s farewell to an American audience. Nostalgic fans can relive "one of the most important DJ tours ever to hit America" on February 7 when System Recordings releases Delta Heavy, a documentary on their final days together.

Ben Turner produced and directed the documentary, which is being released in DVD catalogues, and takes the viewer behind the scenes of the largest DJ tour ever mounted in America. It includes over an hour of live footage and interviews plus bonus materials with Sasha, John Digweed and co-creator/opening DJ Jimmy Van M. Visiting all corners of the States in 2002, the tour was attended by more than 85,000 people in six weeks and was voted by the American public as Best Event at DanceStar USA 2003.

"This DVD takes you from the middle of the dancefloor to backstage and into the world of Sasha and myself across America on a scale that had not been done before and has not been recreated since," said John Digweed. "This really captures every aspect of a DJs life and then some."

Sasha & John Digweed are often viewed as the single biggest performers to buoy dance music into national popularity in the mid 1990s, using their monthly residency at New York City club Twilo as a launching pad to fuel interest across the nation.

Kicking off spring 2002, Sasha & John Digweed’s Delta Heavy Tour’s 31 live dates raised the bar for large-scale electronic music events with an ambitious schedule and technical production. Warped Tour creator Kevin Lyman, who wanted the tour to echo his rock concert efforts, added touring sound, lighting, staging, laser and video production utilizing the designers at Imaginary Forces, rephlektor incorporated noted in an announcement.

In an added twist, videographers shot new material for each stop of the tour. For example, Sahsa & Digweed’s stop in San Francisco’s Cow Palace included video of the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges intercut with imagery of Tibetan monks and dancers. Documentary producer Ben Turner said that extra creativity is also reflected in the documentary.

"The Delta Heavy tour was a landmark moment for electronic music, and it was my ambition to simply shine a light on the creativity that was going on in that period," he said.

John Digweed continues playing Trance music across the globe, including a legendary one day show in Brighton, England, with Fatboy Slim that drew 250,000 people. He also produces fresh tracks and released a solo album Stark Raving Mad. Sasha meanwhile has put out two downtempo electronica albums including his Grammy-nominated Involver, and had a residency at New York City club Crowbar for several months in 2005.

< Back to News & Reviews Home