John Askew: 30 Years on the Frontline of Tech-Trance

John Askew’s journey into electronic music didn’t begin in a polished studio or at a flashy festival, it started at a rave in Cornwall in 1993. One night was all it took to swap his electric guitar for turntables, setting him on a path that would eventually reshape the harder edge of trance music. What followed was decades of digging deeper, pushing harder, and refusing to follow the rulebook.

From spinning acid house at underground parties in London to launching the influential Discover Records in the early 2000s, Askew helped carve out the space we now know as tech-trance. Along the way, he introduced the world to now-household names like John O’Callaghan and Sean Tyas. But Askew wasn’t interested in chasing trends, he built his sound on energy, emotion, and an unshakable sense of purpose.

Today, as the head of the fiercely independent VII collective, Askew is still doing things his way. His open-to-close DJ sets are the stuff of legend - unpredictable, high-octane journeys that can stretch for hours, keeping dancefloors locked in and emotionally wrung out. After three decades in the game, he still has plenty more to say and even more to play.

Your journey into electronic music began after a rave in Cornwall back in '93 pulled you away from rock guitar. What was it about that night that flipped the switch for you?

I think seeing a completely new way of playing in a room that didn’t need four or five other band members to make it happen - that certainly had appeal. It was also the first time in my life I took ecstasy and so in that I kind of became very aware of a unifying environment where everyone was on the same positive vibe and also, and I guess this was the most overwhelming part, I just completely lost myself in the rhythms of the music. It was a pretty profound experience for me and it changed my perception of a lot of things.

Your sound has stayed punchy and unapologetically tech-trance, even as trends shift. Have you ever felt pressure to go more mainstream, or has it always been about staying true to your sound? What's kept you grounded in that space all these years?

I’ve never succumbed to the allure that has drawn so many others. I’ve always loved the hard-edged sounds that sit between tech trance and techno, so I’ve never felt the need to start putting my name to anything cheesy or commercial. That would go against everything I stand for. Would you be happy if you went to a Metallica concert and they didn’t play metal?

I definitely wouldn’t! :-)

Let’s talk about labels. ‘Discover’ was a huge part of shaping the underground trance scene in the 2000s, and now ‘VII’ feels like a close-knit, future-facing crew. What were your goals when starting each label, and how do they differ in spirit? What do you look for in an artist before bringing them into the fold?

Good question. Discover was a label I started with Pablo Gargano and Steven Lo Presti in 2000 or maybe 2001. We were all based in South London. I was working at Ministry of Sound and we all became good friends and would spend a lot of time in Pablo’s studio in Brixton making music. That’s where Vellum, Are You Reading Me, The Door, Skylab all got made and those early records were the reason we decided to start the Discover label together.

I then left Discover later on when it had been sold to new owners and ran Perfecto / Perfecto Fluoro for many years, up until I decided to start my own label. Discover was a label I A&R’d but I didn’t have any part of it so after years of doing A&R for other people, I just wanted to do my own thing and not have to involve anyone else’s opinion.

What do I look for in an artist? I think a future-facing production that isn’t obvious or clichéd and a strong understanding of the balance between hard, energetic music and heartbreaking melody.

You're famous for those marathon sets that go five hours and beyond. What is it about the extended format that keeps you coming back—and how do you keep the vibe evolving through it all?

I adore playing long sets. I think it gives you such freedom to play music from so many sources, genres, years, scenes and styles. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of spending 3 hours building a room from the very first people arriving into the venue, nervously excited, getting their drinks and depositing their jackets… right through to four hours later when the place is packed and everyone is going nuts.

That period of building their trust, teasing them, working out the room, understanding what they’re into and then properly taking them on a journey, telling them a story that they won’t get anywhere else. It’s the same as watching a film or reading a book. The right story can really grab you by the heart or the balls and get right inside your head. That’s always the goal.

From warehouse parties in Argentina to the VII stage at Tomorrowland, your sets are always full throttle. How do you prepare for such different kinds of space and crowd?

A lot of record shopping, a lot of going through promos, a lot of hitting up all my producer mates to see what’s hot and fresh in their studios. Trying out new demos for the label that you’re thinking of signing. I’m constantly on the hunt for music that I hope nobody else has yet.

Your latest release, "Morning Star," feels like it was made for a sweaty, no-lights-afterparty deep in the underground. What inspired this bit of madness in the studio?

You’re exactly right. This track was made in Wales in early January during my annual writer retreat, when I take my studio to a remote corner of the country, turn off my phone and get lost in music for two weeks. It's driving tech with subtle overtones of Psy Trance and techno. It has these pitch rising elements that never stop ascending in the background, which gives the feeling that the track is always building up to a crescendo. It’s one of my favourite tracks to play and I love it.

You've mentioned being a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to production. How do you know when a track is actually finished, or do you ever? What was that process like with "Morning Star"?

I try to be a perfectionist but don’t always achieve that so I think to get the sound as good as it possibly can be it’s usually a case of playing it out at gigs again and again and again, each time going back and tweaking the sonics for any deficiencies that you’ve been made aware of in those early plays.

Then, when I’m happy with it, I usually send it to Tom Porcell in Germany to master. He’s an absolute master of mastering and so I do about 80% of my final mixes/masters via him. Some tracks I do myself, like my recent remix of John O’Callaghan Pebble Beach. That sounds great everywhere, so I went with my own master.

You're celebrating 30 years behind the decks with a one-off 7-hour OTC set at Fabric this October for Liberation. It's going to be a night to remember. What can the Ragers expect from this milestone moment?

Yes, I’m pretty excited about this one. Between you and me, last year, 2024, was the real 30-year landmark as I bought my first decks in 1994. But 1995 was when I played my first proper gig so it still feels appropriate to recognise and celebrate the moment.

So for this set, I’ve been listening back to all the sets I’ve posted on Soundcloud - the earliest one dating back to 1996 - to essentially remind myself of the tracks that I adored and played the most through all the stages of my career. In doing that and also going through my extensive record/music collection, I’m compiling a folder from which the set will be drawn. It’s a real trip down memory lane and I’m very much looking forward to it.

What's exciting you the most about the current wave of Trance and tech-trance? Are there any rising producers you've got your eyes on right now?

Zach Zlov, Greg Downey, David Forbes and Will Rees. Those guys are all exciting for me tremendously.

Any fun projects, fresh releases, or upcoming gigs on the horizon that you'd like to share with Beatportal?

Yes, I think the most exciting gig on the horizon is Simon Patterson and my 7-hour b2b for WORK and 6 am in Los Angeles on 23rd August, and we’re also doing the night before in Toronto for Ozmosis. That weekend is going to be nuts. Last year’s show in LA was hands down the best gig I’ve ever had in the US. Unbelievable.

Also very excited about next year, which is VII’s 10th birthday. Lots of new music, albums, gigs planned to celebrate that.