The problem is like any career path. You can aspire to do something and be passionate about it in the beginning, but most people reach a point where the shine wears off. In an ideal world, you would jack it in and just do something else, but if it is tied into the maintenance of your lifestyle, you’re gonna have to ride the waves where sometimes it is bearable and other times a massive ball ache. In Sasha’s case, he started his DJ career when it was a lot simpler and all about doing something that was about the ethos of rave. Now it is so commodified with social media stats, ticket sales etc etc it just makes it all about the business side.
This is based on the very limited things he said in interviews, but my guess is that after years of caning it and being in a high pressure career with huge demands on your time, that he had bouts of depression and anxiety that forced a review of his life and a reconciliation that it is just something he had to do if he wants to maintain his career, even if he would rather be doing something else musically.
I’ve dipped out of dance music a few times but I was able to because I don’t rely on it for my income. There’s a linked question about whether you should trot out mediocre crap if your heart isn’t in it, but I suspect that unless the bookings and demand for him dried up, he will keep it going.
