Sasha Foam Interview I NuNorthern Soul Artist Q&A
- Phat Phil Cooper
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
Lisbon-based DJ and producer Sasha Foam makes his NuNorthern Soul debut with Memoria, a six-track EP built around movement, melody, atmosphere and a quietly futuristic sense of escapism.
Already known for his monthly radio show Search of Esmerelda, Sasha Foam has developed a sound that moves freely between dancefloor pressure and more open, reflective spaces. His productions draw on a broad palette of influences, but always retain a strong emotional pull: colourful synth work, memorable musical motifs, layered instrumentation and grooves that feel equally at home on a long road, an open-air terrace or a late-night dancefloor.
Following releases for San Francisco’s Dream Chimney, including 2024’s Ilha Especial and its accompanying remix EP, Memoria finds Sasha Foam arriving at NuNorthern Soul with a fully realised collection that feels both spacious and detailed.
The EP opens with ‘Curious’ which featured in the NuNorthern Soul Summer Selections Six EP, a low-tempo chugger driven by gently undulating TB-303 acid lines, bubbly synth bass, locked-in drums and deep, eyes-closed chords. It sets the pace for a record that is never in a rush, but always moving forward.
‘Dos Coelhos’ shifts into more horizontal territory, pairing dubby bass, soft acoustic guitar, warm keyboard riffs and loose, head-nodding rhythm. It is a track with proper morning-after energy: sun through the window, slow movement and nowhere urgent to be.
On ‘Serpentine’, Sasha Foam brings a little more weight through punchier breakbeat-style drums, spacious electronic textures and gorgeous piano motifs. Deep, melodic and quietly euphoric, it sits somewhere between synth-pop, Balearic nu-disco and widescreen electronic listening.
‘Dreams’ heads further into cosmic territory, with fluid riffs, cascading synths, post-IDM drum programming and a throbbing sequenced bassline creating a more inward-looking mood. ‘Suave’ follows with a warm analogue glow, fluctuating between yearning ambience, melodic uplift and a gentle, sun-faded dancefloor feel.
The EP closes with ‘Nostalgia’, bringing warm bass, shuffling electro breaks, bittersweet chords and waves of intergalactic synths together with rising and falling acid lines. It is a fitting conclusion to a release that feels rooted in memory, while still looking forward.
Memoria is Sasha Foam at his most confident: patient, melodic, atmospheric and built for listeners who like their dance music with depth, warmth and room to breathe.
Early support from a whole heap of NuNorthern Soul friends and family including Sean Johnstone, Neil Diablo, Jason Boardman, Leo Mas, Andy Wilson, Steve KIW, Chris Howler, Marshall Watson plus many more.
Where are you in the world right now, and what does a typical day look like when you’re making music?
I’m currently living in sunny Portugal, in Lisbon. There isn’t really a specific day or moment dedicated to making music. I see it more as a form of meditation — something I turn to whenever I feel the need to ground myself and bring some order to the chaos of thoughts and emotions. In that sense, music is the best remedy for me.
Do you remember the first piece of music that genuinely stopped you in your tracks?
I remember the first mix that revealed a side of music I hadn’t heard before — Mix number 2 by Zhora Veremeev (½ of Olta Karawane) for Iskrennyaya Muzyka.
If we’re talking about a single composition, I’ve long been a fan of the short piece that plays at the very end of The Simpsons credits. Every time I hear it, I think it’s genius. It’s the shortest fully formed composition I’ve ever heard — with an intro, a main theme, and an outro.
How would you describe your sound to someone hearing you for the first time — without using genre labels?
Something between 1970 and 2070 — slightly dreamy.
What usually comes first for you: a feeling, a rhythm, or a melody?
Interest comes first. Rhythm, melody, and everything else appear naturally during the process. The most important thing is to place as few expectations on it as possible and to keep creating with curiosity. Music loves experimentation too — it gets curious as well.
What draws you to the NuNorthern Soul world, and how does it align with how you approach music?
I’m drawn to the approach to sound — the sense of story and atmosphere. That way of thinking feels very close to how I relate to music myself.
Is there a particular time of day, place, or state of mind where your music feels most at home?
It can happen at any time, but most of all during travel — long journeys and extended roads.
What are you listening to at the moment that might surprise people?
At the moment, there isn’t anything in particular that would really surprise people.
When someone finishes listening to your music, what do you hope lingers with them?
A sense of hope for a brighter future.
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