www.sashworld.com

Surely, in the pop-universe, anything is possible, but the fact that someone from Nettetal near Mönchengladbach, in Germany could start a worldwide career is perhaps a little unbelievable, but true! The fact that a boy from Niederrhein started producing hits which circle the whole planet, from clubs to charts is one of the biggest success stories of German pop music history. Now, after seven years of huge success, and 16 million CDs sold internationally, all the hits are now together compiled onto one album, SASH!- The Greatest Hits / Encore Une Fois. All the songs on the album have entered many charts all over the world, many making top ten positions. SASH! Entered into a business-class league of charts where normally only Madonna, Ricky Martin or U2 would dominate.

Front man Sascha Lappessen was born in June 1970 in Nettetal near Mönchengladbach, Germany. At the tender age of six, Sascha had joined a football team called SC Lobberich. At twelve he scored 65 goals in just one season and he received an attractive offer from Borussia Mönchengladbach, but his father put a stop to this professional soccer career by refusing to take his son to training sessions several times a week. Sascha spent a lot of his free time at home, and spend most of it with playing around with an organ, which he had received as a present at nine years old. Smart and sassy, he soon discovered that he was able to improve his pocket money with his musical talent. Every year he went on a skiing holiday with his parents and he found out to his delight that the other hotel guests would pay huge tips as soon as he started playing little songs on his organ. After professional training as power electronics engineer, Sascha worked as a light-jockey and disc-jockey in a big club in Germany. Soon he met his future production partners; Thomas Alisson and Ralf Kappmeier.

The first song in 1994, produced by these three friends was called CARECA-INDIAN RAVE. After minor success they met up again one year later and started a new song under a new name. SASH! was born. The first single IT'S MY LIFE was released in 1995 and straight away became a club hit all over Europe. The big break, however came with ENCORE UNE FOIS in 1996. A perfect mix from progressive house, trance beats and of course pop sounds. After this one hit came one after the other: ECUADOR, STAY, LA PRIMAVERA, MYSTERIOUS TIMES, MOVE MANIA, COLOUR THE WORLD, ADELANTE, JUST AROUND THE HILL and WITH MY OWN EYES.

The SASH! team has worked with many different vocalists such as Boy George, Sarah Brightman, Adrian Rodriguez, Shannon, Tina Cousins and Dr. Alban. They have also used many different languages like Spanish, French, Italian and African. SASH! has not only been successful in Europe, there has also been great success in the USA (diverse number one hits in the Hot 100 Billboard Dance Charts), in New Zealand, Russia, Australia, South Africa and Japan. The reputation of SASH! has meant many famous artists like Jean Michel Jarre, 2 Unlimited, Todd Terry, OMD and Kylie Minogue have asked if SASH! would remix their songs.

Now after seven years of SASH!, arrives the latest album. The Name is S4! SASH! Now, there is a new SASH! Album out ( S4! SASH! ) with three singles: "Ganbareh"(World Cup 2002 Song), "Run"(feat. Boy George) and "I Believe"(feat TJ Davies). So we are not only going to be dancing this year to the songs, watch out as well for them being played on the radio and watch the videos on TV. But as ever, in the tradition of all big producers, Sascha Lappessen still is a person who doesn't like VIP parties, the glamour & fame, no, he enjoys the perfect form of glory, living in silence, in his new house with swimming pool and sauna, but not in London, New York or Monte Carlo, ...he still lives in Nettetal.