NTE Presents John Askew

NTE return with a huge night of the very finest in Tech & Uplifting Trance. 

We welcome VII head honcho and Trance titan John Askew to the Toon as he brings his exquisitely tuned expertise to the NTE stage with what promises to be an absolutely slamming headline set! 

He is joined by the massively talented North East Trance purveyors Sean Truby & DKH!

They’ll be supported with full vigour as always by our NTE residents!

This one will be insane 

NTE Presents John Askew

Featuring:

💥 John Askew (Extended Set)

💥 Sean Truby

💥 DKH

💥 NTE Residents

📅 Saturday 17th April

🕖 8PM - 2.30AM

📍 The Powerhouse, Newcastle

SIGN UP ON SKIDDLE FOR EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO THE EARLY BIRD TICKETS, THESE ARE LIMITED AND GUARANTEED TO SELL OUT SO DON’T MISS THEM! 

TICKETS GO ON SALE ON MONDAY 16TH NOVEMBER AT 9AM

🎫🎫🎫

The Artists ⇓⇓⇓

DKH

DKH is a Trance and Progressive DJ/Producer from Sunderland, UK, known for his energetic yet melodic sound. Blending driving rhythms with deep, atmospheric elements, he delivers sets that connect easily with both club and festival crowds.

In 2024 and 2025, DKH played major UK festivals, including Creamfields and Lost Minds Festival, and has supported some of the biggest artists in electronic music. 

As a producer, his tracks have been released on respected labels such as Allen Watts', High Voltage Recordings and Paul Van Dyk's, Vandit Alternative, marking him as a rising name in the scene.

Sean Truby

From the heart of the UK’s North East, Sean Truby has emerged as one of trance music’s most electrifying forces. As half of the powerhouse duo Solis & Sean Truby, he’s carved a distinct sonic identity that blends emotional depth with high-octane energy—earning accolades from the genre’s elite including Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Markus Schulz, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and Gareth Emery.

Sean’s meteoric rise began with the breakout of a series of bangers, which dominated download charts and earned repeated airplay on most of the top stations. Since the splitting of the duo, Sean now releases all his own material on various quality labels and continues to help others achieve the sound they want via his music production business.

With the Newcastle-based ghost-writer and melody magician being responsible for tracks and riffs on almost every major trance label in the world, including Armada, Vandit and Black Hole, Sean’s productions have consistently pushed boundaries. Whether remixing legends like Mark Sherry and Mauro Picotto or crafting originals that light up ASOT stages, his music resonates across continents and dance floors.

With a relentless drive and a passion for innovation, Sean Truby continues to shape the future of trance—one euphoric banger at a time.

John Askew

John Askew is one of the most celebrated and respected tech-trance producer/DJs in the world. Over the last three decades his high-octane music and powerful live performances have captivated fans on all corners of the globe. He is one of only a small number of trance DJs who has recorded an Essential Mix for BBC Radio 1, a rare accolade for an artist in this genre area. 

From his early days signed to Discover Records where he released hits including The Door, Fade To Black, Vandalism and Chime, John has gone on to deliver a plethora of big singles, remixes, albums and compilations for the coolest labels in the scene – including VII, Armind, Armada, FSOE, Subculture, Vandit, Perfecto Fluoro, Skullduggery, Black Hole, Captivating Sounds, Euphonic, Pure Trance, WAO138 and more…... 

John’s VII label collective is one of the most forward-thinking entities in trance, it exclusively releases music from the seven artists signed to it (Simon Patterson, Will Atkinson, John Askew, AA Meeting, Greg Downey, Orkidea and Activa). VII is also a highly successful events and clothing brand. 

John’s recent singles, including those on his own VII label, act as a perfect showcase of his high energy sound. Aces Hi, Running In The Dark, Mezcal, Push It, These Dogs Trust No One, Midnight Oil, Raven, A Million Stars, Black Coffee, Escapism……these are the tracks that truly define the trademark sound of John Askew. 

As well as selling out shows in London, Manchester and Amsterdam, the VII collective have also hosted stages at a number of the world’s hottest Festivals including Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas, Luminosity, EDC Orlando, Creamfields, Nature One, UNTOLD, Unkonscious Thailand and Croatia, Paradigm Festival, Freaky Deaky, . VII’s annual show at the E1 warehouse in London, is one of the hottest tickets in trance calendar and a global gathering for discerning trance fans that travel from across the planet to attend. 

In 2021 John released his 13th mix compilation – Dusk Till Dawn. This double album sat at number 1 on the Beatport main album chart for five weeks – eclipsing all house and techno albums released during that same period; a testament to the formidable sound and popularity of VII.  

John is deep into finishing work on his highly anticipated 3rd artist album. The first single “Aces Hi” was released on Armin van Buuren’s Armind and it marked John’s 8th Beaport number 1. The new album promises to showcase a futuristic soundscape that includes some exciting collaborations with Shelby Merry, Manika, Lyonheart, Rufus and more. The album will be released in September on Black Hole Recordings. 

In 2019 John teamed up with legendary producer and friend Activa to form a new live act, AA Meeting. This completely live entity features a perfect fusion of their two distinct sounds. Fast, euphoric, melodic trance aimed at the peak time. Their debut live appearance – closing out the Saturday night of Dreamstate So Cal 2019 left fans and peers blown away, as did their closing set at last year’s VII London. Their debut singles, Summit, Air and Fly mark only the beginning of what’s to come from this Power Trance duo. The highly anticipated new single, The Road Ahead, drops in March. AA Meeting will perform a headline slot at this year’s Transmission event in October. 

John’s new Hard Trance alias Nothing But Rockets show’s off the faster 90’s inspired side to his music love. The debut single – Kobayashi has just been released on Will Atkinson’s Victims Helpline imprint.   

Previously…

John’s debut artist album “Lower the Tone” (released 2006) was a diverse and meticulously compiled 3xCD box set that featured killer new music as well as an explosive live performance recorded at The Gallery Turnmills in London where John was resident. The album received critical acclaim in the press including features in DJ Mag and Mixmag.  

In 2008 John released his second artist album “Z List Uber Star” which was met with complimentary reviews in Mixmag, M8, DJ Mag, IDJ, Harder Faster and more. 

John has mixed multiple compilation albums most recently “Dusk Till Dawn” and “VII Vol I” (both for VII) and before that “Resident” for Subculture. He has also recorded and released three live albums - recorded in London, Beirut and Los Angeles. 

Pete Tong asked John to do an Essential mix for BBC Radio One. A rare honour and one that confirmed John’s status as a member of the global DJing elite.

For two years (09 / 10) John hosted London’s flagship trance radio show on legendary London FM station Kiss 100.  

From exclusive residencies at 2 of the World’s most influential clubs (The Gallery, and Ministry of Sound in London) to a constant stream of high profile guest slots playing the coolest dancefloors and festivals around the world, John is now enjoying the fruits of over twenty years hard work. 

John has performed at many of the world’s best festivals including: Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas, Dreamstate So Cal, Luminosity, Creamfields, A State Of Trance, BAT Buenos Aires, Trance Energy, Unkonscious Festival, Subculture Melbourne, Nature One Festival, EDC Orlando, ASOT Mexico, Uncharted Festival, SAMC, UNTOLD Festival…..  

In the beginning…

After spending most of his teens playing guitar in a variety of local rock bands, John Askew’s musical alliance was suddenly disrupted when he attended a rave in Cornwall in 1993. He was transfixed by the immense power and emotional impact that electronic music seemed to posses. He rapidly swapped his beloved Les Paul for a pair of decks and so began his journey into DJing. 

In 1994 John made his club debut at the notorious North London 80’s Acid House venue – Woody’s. A few months later he blagged himself a slot at a rave in Wiltshire which in turn led to a residency for the then infamous Wiltshire based sound system “Code Red”. This position gave John the opportunity to regularly play to thousands of underground revelers that would loyally make their way out into the countryside every weekend to party in the open air. His sound was influenced by a mixture of tough melodic German dance music that was fast putting Frankfurt (and DJs like Sven Vath and DJ Dag) on the map as the epicenter of the global trance scene. He also drew influences from the harder, more percussive sounds that artists like CJ Bolland, Westbam and Jeff Mills were pioneering. In many interviews over the last two decades John has quoted CJ Bolland’s groundbreaking album “The 4th Sign” as being his single biggest influence in determining / defining his sound. 

At the end of 1995 overwhelming pressure from the police led the organisers of the Code Red parties to move their events from the fields into licensed clubs and venues. With this move John started warming up for a host of top international techno names such as Billy Nasty, Dave Angel and Dave Clarke. He quickly established a name for himself and was subsequently booked to play a number of other underground nights including Universe's legendary Final Frontier at Club UK where John rocked the decks along side a plethora of big names including Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and John’s biggest DJ hero of the time DJ Dag. 

The next 5 years brought John residencies and guest slots at some of the hottest club nights in the South of England, including the infamous UFO Club which hosted debauched parties for thousands of party people every weekend at the picturesque Longleat Country Estate. 

In 1999 John teamed up with Bristol's most respected techno DJ, Simmer, to partner on the formation of Shimmy Recordings. Having this platform to start producing and releasing records gave John a presence beyond the local scene. He fast developed the nucleus for what would later grow into his trademark sound, combining melancholic melodies with hard punchy drums and aggressive percussion. 

In 2000 John was asked to be the resident for Universe’s (of Tribal Gathering fame) “Sorted” tour. In one month John played 21 gigs across the country along side many of the world’s finest DJs including Carl Cox, Orbital, Timo Maas, Danny Rampling, Danny Howells and Way Out West……

On NYE 2000 John rocked the main stage to 20.000 people at Ministry of Sounds’ infamous London Dome event. His technical wizardry on the decks in front of this massive crowd led Ministry to offer him a residency at their world famous club – Ministry of Sound – London – where John was resident for 2 years. 

John’s end of the night 3 hour sets in Ministry’s “The Box” main room were legendary and often had those capacity crowds rocking long past their official 8am closing time. In 2001 John was signed to Discover Records where he also took on the role of head A&R – soon after signing young up and coming talent John O’Callaghan, Bryan Kearney, Sean Tyas and Greg Downey….. 

In 2003 Danny Newman (owner of London’s coolest electronic music venue Turnmills) heard John play and immediately asked John to become an exclusive resident for The Gallery – the flagship night for Fridays at Turnmills. Accepting the offer did not require much persuasion. 

Soon after John Began touring heavily, making and releasing his sounds and so the story continues…

This will be a massive night of Trance. Get involved!