Sasha goes digital…
That bit at the beginning of Word magazine where a dozen or so people list the books, CDs, DVDs etc that they really like (whether old or new), always turns up a few surprises and top tips.
Sasha (not normal Word material) has a bit this month, in which he announces that - despite having 35,000 12″ singles, he’s soon going to be giving up on vinyl to go completely digital, thanks partly to a bit of software/ hardware called Final Scratch, which allows you to control digital music files via a standard turntable/ mixer set up. Seems fantastic, although, personally, I’d prefer something that could do away with turntables all together (and not require two sound cards…which, I accept is impossible, if you want to preview as well).
Seems certain that that global status symbol, the record box, is going to be replaced with a laptop.
He also recommends a French site that I (in my ignorance) have never seen before: http://www.d-i-r-t-y.com: heaving with streamed dance mixes from all your favourites (and fortunately, with full track listings) . Strangely, but gratefully, he recommends Air’s Western Songs, which has the amiable French electric Maestros remixing such classics as Duelling Banjos and Lee Hazelwood’s My Autumn’s Don’t Come. As Sasha says..”it tells you a lot about where they’re at right now”.
Oh, and he (Sasha, that is) is also very into Grand National at the moment - and discovering Neil Young and Dylan having missed them first time round. I look forward to the re-mix of Blood in the Tracks.