Not many DJs are lucky enough to be born with a name that so easily and credibly lends itself to the profession. Born in Vancouver, Canada all Sage Ellie had to do was to drop the last name add those two magical letters to start the mind-blowing journey that has taken him to where he is today.
“I dream and think in music, there’s always a beat in my head”. It’s unknown if that seed that developed into a perpetual cerebral rhythm is the result of his father, who is also a DJ, or his close friends whose ubiquitous presence in the house and tech scene so heavily influenced Sage, but whatever the case it has been and is generating an abundance of triumphs and fame in his musical career.
His emotional connection to his music and intuitive understanding of his audience turned Sage into one of the most in demand resident DJs in Vancouver. Whether it was Switch Saturdays at the Red Room, Stereotype Fridays at Celebrities or his 5 year stint at Substance Saturdays at Gorg-O-Mish, just to name a few, Sage became a fixture of the west coast music scene. He sums up the key to his popularity and success succinctly “if I couldn’t dance and sing along with my music, I wouldn’t be playing it…there are only two important things about a DJ, the music and the crowd”.
Local renown quickly turned into worldwide celebrity and acclaim as Sage began playing internationally by bringing his unique sound to the US and Mexico, both broadening his horizons as an artist and giving him the extraordinary opportunity to perform alongside such industry icons as The Crystal Method, Paul Oakenfold, Deadmau5, Steve Angello, Gareth Emery, Marcus Schulz, Sharam Jey, Judge Jules, Cedric Gervais, Umek, Adam K, Utah Saints, and Satoshi Tomile, among others.
With his work and talent recognized and supported by industry greats like Paul Oakenfold, Cosmic Gate, Dubfire, TyDi, Shawn Mitiska, Gai Barone, Flash Brothers, Ashley Walbridge, and Mastiksoul, Sage never looked back. “I realized that I had what it takes to make it on a world stage”. He has watched his renown intensify with features on radio shows including “Search of the Sunrise” with Richard Durand, “Solaris International” with Solarstone, and the eminent and reputed Ministry of Sound.
Not one to rest on his laurels or let go to waste a good opportunity to reach fresh ears with a love for his inimitable sound, Sage has ambitiously taken on his own radio show, “Open House Sessions”. Available to an international audience via Internet radio stations the show also has a permanent home every Thursday and Saturday night on Thailand’s RadioBee 98.2FM Pattaya as well as on Thursday nights on Athens, Greece’s Trance Radio 102.7. Always with an eye on new markets and mediums Sage also produces a monthly podcast “Eclipse” which focuses on his passion of deeper house and tech house sounds.
Even while working on all his side projects Sage still finds time to create new ear candy to keep his masses happy. His current work on progressive house has culminated in a string of new releases with Black Hole Recordings and Progressive Grooves that have been making waves all their own. All one needs to do is flip on “A State of Sundays” with Armin Van Buren, “Planet Perfecto” with Paul Oakenfold, or “In Search of Sunrise Radio” with Richard Duran to hear his latest tracks.
That same unstoppable drive has recently taken Sage from his home base in Vancouver to Gran Canaria, Spain, the European heart and sound laboratory for the ever-advancing deep/tech/house scenes. Having reached a plateau in Vancouver and inspired to confront new challenges, take in the sounds, feelings, and nightlife of a new culture, and to reap the opportunities and experiences of a new market, Sage is pushing himself to grow further as an artist to provide his musical message to the world.
His latest brainchild is his newly launched label Restricted Recordings. As 2012 progresses the label has lined up for its fervent fans several forthcoming deep and tech house releases that promise to redefine and evolve the genre to mind-blowing new places. The label also serves as an outlet where Sage is channeling the more profound and reflective side of his sound, something with “a more sensual groove and feeling, sexy, funky and deeper”. But not to worry, Sage is still “just as comfortable playing a deep underground set at 5 a.m. as a party with 1000s of people, I’m versatile enough to cater to any crowd”. Even while exploring his deeper side Sage will actively continue producing and DJing the progressive house he loves.
Simply stated, why all the blood, sweat, and tears? Why all the long hours and sleepless nights in the studio? What exactly is the drive that pushes someone to make, play, and live this music? “It’s that transfer of energy between the crowd and the DJ—it’s the highest high in the world”.