Airdrawndagger [Import, from UK]

Sasha's debut album, Airdrawndagger, has surely been one of the most long-awaited records in the history of music. Ever since this good-looking Chester boy burst into the DJ mainstream in 1991, he's alluded to a full-length artist album in the works, and the few compositions that saw the light of day--notably, his excellent Xpander EP--were enough to demonstrate his prodigious production talents. Despite the inordinate wait, Airdrawndagger will not disappoint: building on the cavernous, progressive trance sound of Xpander, Sasha pushes the envelope into new digital realms without ever losing his trademarked subtle touch. There are whispers of every global dancefloor sound here, from Sheffield to Detroit, Berlin to Rio--but ultimately, Airdrawndagger is intended as much as an outlet for Sasha's eerie, filmic synth excursions and heavenly ambient drone pieces as it is for simple dancefloor suss. "Dremples" and "Mr Tiddles" are ambient headphones-friendly numbers, faintly reminiscent of laid-back electronica experimentalists such as Plaid or early Autechre, but the prog-technoid stomp of "Fundamental" and the breakbeat trance of "Wavy Gravy" should be more than enough to keep Sasha's raving constituency stoked. No tacky celebrity collaborations, either--Airdrawndagger is a rare, admirable trance-floor treat. --Louis Pattison

One of the Biggest Dance Albums of 2002, 'airdrawdagger' Avoids Pure Dancefloor Fodder in Favor of a More Understated, Almost Chilled Out Approach. It Melds his Love of Breakbeat and Soundtrack Work and Plays Tribute to Some of his Biggest Influences. True Turntable Artistry.