John Askew

John Askew is a British DJ and producer from the United Kingdom working in tech trance, trance and electronic music. He begins as a guitarist in local rock bands, then changes direction after attending a rave in Cornwall in 1993 and takes up DJing.

Early career

After turning to decks, he practises for up to six hours a day before making his club debut at Woody's in North London, a venue associated with acid house. He later plays a rave in Wiltshire, which leads to a residency with the Wiltshire sound system Code Red. That residency gives him regular sets to large outdoor crowds and helps establish his name on the underground circuit.

His early sound draws on melodic German trance and harder, more percussive techno from artists such as CJ Bolland and Jeff Mills. When Code Red parties move from fields into clubs under police pressure, he begins warming up for techno names including Billy Nasty and Dave Angel. He also plays Universe's Final Frontier alongside Paul Oakenfold and Carl Cox.

Radio and club work

Askew builds a reputation through guest slots and residencies in the South of England and beyond, with appearances in Slovakia, Denmark, Sweden, France, Ireland and Amsterdam. His debut set at The Extreme Club in Bratislava is broadcast on national radio in Slovakia, and the experience shapes his later interest in radio. He appears on BBC Radio 1 and hosts his own show on London's Kiss 100.

He holds residencies at The Gallery, Cream and Ministry of Sound, and later becomes a resident at Ministry of Sound in London for two years, playing extended end-of-night sets. He also tours with Universe, playing 21 gigs in one month alongside artists including Carl Cox, Timo Maas, Danny Rampling, Danny Howells, Way Out West and John "00" Fleming.

Production and labels

His debut single, "Vellum", appears in 2001 and is followed by a long run of releases and remixes. He issues music through his own Discover label and works on remixes for labels including Duty Free, Ministry of Sound, Euphonic and Paul van Dyk's Vandit. Discover also releases records by The Thrillseekers, Ralphie B, Pablo Gargano, Kyau vs Albert, Backbeat and others.

In 1999 he forms Shimmy Recordings with Bristol techno DJ Simmer. He later steps back from running Discover to focus on Kompressed Recordings, and he has remixes planned for Kompressed, Discover, Lost Language and Fundamental Records in Holland. His production style is described as combining euphoric melodies with hard, punchy beats.

Style and aliases

Askew works across tech trance and trance within electronic music, with a sound shaped by both melodic and tougher techno influences. The named acts Cartel and AA Meeting are associated with him as members or project names.