TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
TuneAttic: find music, know music
John Askew

John Askew is a British trance DJ and producer.  Renowned for his tough edged Tech-Trance sound Askew also runs the influential record label Discover, which launched the careers of John O’Callaghan and Sean Tyas.  Askew also hosts a monthly radio show.

John Askew scales of success
John Askew timeline

John Askew Playlist

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'Intimate Strangers'
(FSOE Recordings 2010)
'Z List Uber Star'
(Discover 2008)
Residency @ The Gallery, London

Early Years: 2000 to present

Although John Askew released two tracks as half of Simmer and John Askew in 2000 and 2001, his first solo release was ‘Vellum’ (Discover) in 2002.  The high tempo, tech rhythm and dark pads and lead set out the blueprint for the edgy Tech-Trance that Askew would become known for.  ‘Vellum’ was also the first release on Askew’s own label Discover.   

Over the following years Askew continued to forge his sound and establish himself on the UK DJ circuit, including landing a residency at London’s the Gallery.

In 2006 Askew released his first original artist album ‘Lower the Tone’ (Discover) and the following year he recorded a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, a sign of his growing success.  At the same time Discover records grew in influence, most notably breaking two of trance’s bigger names: John O’Callaghan and Sean Tyas.

Askew released a number of tracks with John O’Callaghan, including two singles ‘Buenos Aries’ and ‘Moments’ in 2007 under the alias Cartel for Armin van Buuren’s Captivating Sounds label.

By the latter part of the noughties Askew’s style had begun to edge into the progressive side of trance, though still retaining the tough Tech-Trance edge, as seen on tracks such as ‘Fade to Black’ (Discover 2008) and ‘Bad Apple’ (Discover 2009).  Alongside his own productions Askew has remixed extensively, including numerous remixes for Paul van Dyk on the German trance legend’s Vandit label.

Askew released his second artist album 'Z List Uber Star' in 2008, again on his own Discover label.

Askew hosts a monthly radio show that is syndicated to stations such as Digitally Imported and Slinky Radio and City.  He is also part of the electronic band Drum Cult.

John Askew is an established DJ and producer at the tougher end of the trance spectrum.  Though he has a loyal following and is highly respected by fellow DJs he has never quite managed to break through to a mainstream following.  His record label Discover however is hugely influential and has launched the careers of Sean Tyas and John O’Callaghan.

As a teenager John Askew played guitar in local rock bands until he went to a rave in Cornwall in 1993 and from that moment decide to become a DJ.