Live Review: Sasha, Marko Lakucha & El Dario

Aging punters showed their dedication last Friday at Villa, turning out to see the 'First DJ Pin-up' return. Reports are that Perth was just a warm-up for Sasha's Sydney and Melbourne five hour sets the following nights, but none-the-less it was still an 'ear blistering' treat hear him smash it out for his house to trance journey. Locals Marko Lakucha and El Dario warmed the decks and the modest crowd nicely in preparation for the main event with their minimalistic but committed pulse, which acted as an appetizing entrée for the night in store.

Sasha (aka Alexander Coe) was welcomed to the booth with a roaring ovation from the 'true believers'. It was all about the music from the very start with Sasha keeping his physical profile in near darkness as his openers had done and just relied on his music to define his presence. As expected the night was a journey through the Welshman's long and varied career from the defining days of house with his partner in crime John Digweed on Renaissance and Northern Exposure I & II, to his lesser understood original release Airdrawndagger from 2002.

On the second level of Villa the atmosphere was incredible with the floor and the lights reverberating every beat. One of the great things about Sasha's incredible skill is his ability to play incredibly complex productions that on the surface sound quite simple. The driving beats and seemed never-ending as the slowly built into a crescendo and a final harmonic change signifying a change. 

If there was a downside for the evening it was Sasha's adventure into proggy and vocals driven trance for way too long in the second half of the set. Now before all the unicorn riders form a flying posse and have me locked up in a prison at the end of some rainbow …I like vocals as much as anyone. It was just on this occasion it kind of broke the mood.  This gripe aside, the final half hour of the set was a grinding melodic assault to the senses, which was the equal of the chrysanthemum going off at the end of a sky show. Hats-off to Progress Inn for stepping in and picking up the mood post fallout.