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Features Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! DJ talk with Psyrenzo ahead of his debut set at Tribal Village, the Steelyard this Friday 14th January 2022! TENZO aka Overdrive talks freely about launching his new act which will be showcased at Tribal Village, Steelyard on 14 January 2022! A long overdue catch up with JourneyOM ahead of his next Tribal Village party this Friday 14th January 2022 at the Steelyard, London!

Awry with John Askew Reported by HarderFaster / Submitted 23-06-05 00:12 Producer, dj, record label owner and A&R for Discover and Discover Dark, Kiss FM radio show dj and self confessed raver and clubber, John Askew is a breath of fresh air in an industry that often thrives on — well — air that is sometimes very unfresh indeed! In the two years since he was last featured on HarderFaster it appears that karma is finally taking its course and even more good things are coming his way, starting this Friday with his monthly residency at The Gallery that kicks off a summer where John plays at some of the top parties around, including the Rotterdam Street Parade and South West Four on Clapham Common. But why pay lip service when the man himself can say it so much better? Ladies and gentlemen, meet John Askew... Given the state of your memory when you were last interviewed on HarderFaster by Tanya Daley in 2003 (you said that after what you’d done to your brain over the last 10 years you could barely remember where you parked your car!), I’m a bit nervous to ask too much about your past straight off the cuff! To start getting those cogs turning, what have been the highlights of the last two years for you since you were last featured on HF? Hmmm, that’s a tough one. There have been quite a few. I guess the overall winner, would have to be the album I am working on at the moment. Although there have been some incredible gigs all over the place, I think this album has really given me the chance to make music beyond the usual Askew sound and for me that has been massively refreshing. As a raver from way back, do you now consider yourself a raver or a clubber? Do the words have political significance to you? Or is it really all ‘just a disco, darling’? [Was it Tony de Vit who said that?] That does sound like a de Vit saying doesn’t it! I think there is a distinct difference between the two because at raves or free parties no money changes hands for those wanting to attend. Therefore the people organising them tend to be genuinely passionate music lovers whereas in some cases (not many, but some) you meet club promoters who clearly do not give a fuck about the music but are just keen to fill their wallets. I like to think I am a bit of both — a raver and a clubber. You grew up in the countryside. Do you think this inspired you musically from a young age, or do you think you’d have found music regardless? What are your sources of inspiration these days? I’m not sure, I guess living in the country might have given you less chances to be exposed to music, but luckily I grew up in a house that was always filled with a variety of sounds. My older brothers were big on everything from Kraftwerk to Bauhaus and The Smiths while my dad was a massive Pink Floyd fan and my sister I recall was a always playing stuff like Midnight Oil and early Elton John. I happened to be sat with a group of friends at school who were planning to buy instruments with the intention of starting a band. I already played the flute, so was eager to ditch it in exchange for something a little louder. Inspiration for new material I get from all kinds of places – from films, books, from other producers — anywhere and everywhere. There’s a 3rd CD on the album and the stuff on it I’m trying to write based on past experiences, as opposed to writing stuff with the single intention of getting people on the dancefloor, so there’s tracks on there that have been inspired by all kinds of shit. John Askew @ becomeone For those who don’t know you, how would you describe your sound? Has it changed and evolved much in the last ten years or so that you’ve been djing? Well it’s got a lot slower from ten years ago. On my radio show each week I play a classic track from my archive and it’s amazing digging out your old favs to find that they are not only around 160 or 170 bpm, but that you recall playing them on +8. Anything over 145 these days gives me heart pains. You used to be in a rock band and have said that djing appealed to you as it gave you a way to perform without having to rely on other people. Surely djing can be unpredictable at times too?! Have there ever been moments when you wished you had a band to cover for you? Do you reckon djing is the ultimate guitar solo? Good question. I’ve never wanted anyone to cover for me in any way and I’ve never felt uncomfortable behind the decks to the point of wanting someone else to take over. The less memorable gigs tend to be due to shit sound equipment or poor numbers through the door, but if there are 10 people on the dance floor going nuts then I’ll happily keep going till I’m “removed”. If anything the only thing I hate about djing is the fact that every gig isn’t an 8 hour set! What do you think of the recent trend for guitars in psy trance? Would you ever consider playing guitar in a psy trance band? No I wouldn’t. I have my own band now (with all the old crew from 15 years ago!) which is so exciting, but playing guitar to psy stuff is not for me. Nine times out of ten when it is done, it doesn’t work at all, but there are exceptions to this rule. The first track of the new Oforia album Headed for Infinity is amazing and that has some really cool guitar in it. The same goes for ‘Techno Windows’ on Astrix’s last album Artcore. We’ve both interviewed Astrix, who’s presently one of my favourite artists (see ‘Askew interviews Astrix’ @ http://www.djjohnaskew.com/news.php). How did this come about? What do you think of his latest Psychedelic Academy 2 CD? What’s your favourite Astrix track? Are there any plans afoot for collaboration? I don’t think so, but maybe one day. I’m a big fan of Astrix’s sound, along with a number of other artists on the Hom Mega rosta. I had Astrix do a mix on my radio show and was going to interview him, but according to the boss at Hom Mega, his English isn’t amazing so to avoid any embarrassing silences on air, I emailed my questions so that they could be put on my site instead. My fav Astrix track is definitely ‘Tweaky’. I like the new mix album and it’s nice to have a bonus CD of unmixed stuff as well. You’re resident at the Gallery & MOS. How have these clubs shaped your career? What do you say to jaded clubbers who now find the likes of MOS too commercial and Turnmills too packed on a Friday night? Well I only really play from MOS abroad since my residency at MOS in London ended nearly two years when I joined The Gallery, so I wouldn’t be able to comment on that, but in terms of Turnmills — I would rather be partying in a packed club than an empty one. Yes is can get a bit sweaty and crammed on the dancefloor, but there’s always plenty of space elsewhere to chillout or have adventures. You’ve played with some of the world’s top djs at the word’s best clubs and produced some incredible records. What have the top moments in your career been to date? Playing at Final Frontier at Club UK in Wansworth, MOS at the Dome NYE 2001, the main room at Cream’s 11th Birthday in Liverpool, Creamfields a few years back, touring the far East and Australia…. John Askew @ The Gallery Your diary says that you’re in the studio this Saturday 25 June making an album http://www.djjohnaskew.com/diary.php). Won’t you be a bit knackered after playing at Frisky in Northampton then the Gallery in London? When do you hope to have the album finished and what is your vision for the finished product? Do you have any particular concept in mind? Some of the best inspiration I get is when I’ve just got home from a gig. You have that fresh image in your mind of what sounds worked etc etc. At the moment, the album is planned as a 3 CD release. The first will be a collection of my fav Askew singles with a few new ones as well. The 2nd CD will be a live mix album with crowd noise etc. — which I am recording at The Turnmills on August 19th. And the final CD will be a collection of all kinds of different stuff which I think some people will enjoy and others will find deeply disturbing! Wait and see! You’re playing at the Rotterdam Street Parade on Saturday 13 August. Have you been to Parade like this before? What’s the scene in Europe like compared to the UK? Do you think you’ll play a different set in Rotterdam to say, Poland the next night, then The Gallery the following Friday. That’s quite a schedule by the way! The scene in Europe varies depending on where you are, but Poland for one is absolutely rocking at the moment with loads of big festivals and 10,000+ capacity club events. It’s a fucking buzz playing in places like that where it is so new and so fresh. I do try and vary my sets as much as possible, but if you are away all weekend and you have three gigs, there are obviously going to be killer tracks that you want to play in each of the sets. With regards to the street parade, I haven’t been to this one before although I have attended similar events. I’m really looking forward to this as it’s my first time playing in Holland ever! You play a regular radio show on Kiss FM. Have you always been into radio or did the djing come first? It must be incredibly different djing in a radio booth to a club. Do you miss being able to read the crowd, or does it give you more freedom if you can’t see or hear any immediate feedback? You do get feedback. People are texting or emailing their feedback all the time. Radio is a different concept to club djing. I love it because I get to play all kinds of music that I love but that I wouldn’t have the chance to play in clubs. It’s not really about reading the crowd on radio in the same sense as it is a club. I like to think of it as one of those nights where you have some mates round your house and you play them records through the evening that you love and that you think they will also like… while talking endless shit. That’s how I see my show — sharing great records with close friends. As A&R for Discover you must come into contact with loads of new talent regularly. Who has impressed you recently? John O’Callaghan is consistently rocking. In fact we’ve just had a week together in my studio doing a new track called ‘Game Over’ which is a belter. There are loads of amazing producers out there at the moment — I love the sound Narthex is making, as well as Alex Morph, Inertia, Probspot, Greg Downey…. You’ve recently launched Discover Dark. How is this going to be different from Discover? Do you have any releases in the pipeline we should know about? Well it’s going to be the darker end of things. Some techno, some dark, driving ‘heads down’ trance. You should defo check out the Narthex remix of the new Arc in The Sky single ‘Kissed’. It’s truly amazing. As a label owner, what are your views on the vinyl vs cd debate? Can you ever imagine a day when your labels don’t make vinyl any more? How much vinyl do you tend to play in your average set compared with cd? To be totally honest I don’t play much vinyl any more at gigs. But the thing is, I do prefer the sound of vinyl in clubs. It’s so much fatter and warmer. But the problem is, half the stuff you play isn’t on vinyl yet, so you have to make that sacrifice. I’m sure sooner or later vinyl will become a thing of the past. I’ve accepted that now and am waiting to see what happens. Either way, as a label we will still be releasing the music that we love – in one format or another. John Askew @ becomeone In the last couple of years you’ve travelled all over the world. What event have you enjoyed djing at the most? And the least? Do you usually prefer big festivals or smaller more intimate venues? Definitely smaller intimate events. Don’t get me wrong, I do love playing festivals, but when the crowd are so far away that you only get eye contact with maybe 20 people at the front….. I don’t know, for me my ideal gig is in a club around 800 or 2000 capacity with a fucking drilling sound system and good set up in the booth. If the sound and light are right and the crowd are up for it then everything else is a footnote. Your mix CD on the latest Trance Republic compilation is getting rave reviews. How did the CD come about? Was it difficult to choose the tracks? Is it? Cool!! :0) Where have you seen them? I’ve been stuck out here in the countryside for months now working on this bloody album so I’ve lost touch with everything that’s going on in the press. That’s nice to hear. There’s not much to tell really, Steven at the label is an old friend who has always supported my sound (thank you!) and so when he asked if I wanted to mix a CD I was obviously up for it. It wasn’t difficult to find material for it, but it was tricky deciding which tracks to leave off as there were loads of belters around at the time. You’re playing in the Heat arena at SW4 on Saturday 27 August after Privilige in Ibiza the previous night. Please tell me you’re not going to get messy and miss the plane?! Will you go straight from Ibiza to Clapham Common or try and make it home for a nap in between? Do you plan on sticking around to party after your set? If so, are there any artists playing you hope to check out? I’m a big Carl Cox fan so it would be great to see him play and John 00 is a good mate and he always rocks it for me so would be great to check him out. Actually you have nothing to worry about, I’m not in Ibiza the night before, it’s actually Privilige in Sunderland!!!!! I hope to be able to hang about for a little bit after I play, although I have another gig in Bristol I think later that evening. Either way — I’ll see you at the front! You’re back at your residency at the Gallery this Friday night (24 June). What sort of set can we expect? Is it true that playing in the booth @ Turnmills is how you’d imagine driving a spaceship? I’ve never heard that one before, and if indeed that was something I did say, I would assume it was something that was picked out of a barrage of bullshit babbled incoherently from a dark Turnmills corner one night while experiencing some form of realization. As you do. In terms of what to expect, I am going to use kick drum punishment to personally violate every last person on the dance floor. And I hope they will enjoy it!! Finally, what’s the most important thing you’ve learnt in a decade of djing? Don’t ever forget what it is that you are being paid to do: putting records on record players. I feel massively privileged to make a living out of doing this. I’m being paid to do what was essentially my hobby for many years. That gives me a hard on every time I wake up. I passionately/actively/ openly resent the DJs who behave like arrogant rock star cunts when in reality many of them are lonely, untalented losers. Thanks for your time John! Afraid I can’t make the Gallery this week as I’ll probably be knee deep in mud @ Glasto, but looking forward to seeing you at SW4! Have fun!!!!! My pleasure. See you at SW4 for a beer or 2! Thanks to all at HF. Photos courtesy of Joeyxx and Stix from the HarderFaster archive and Tom from Cypher Press. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By HarderFaster: HarderFaster Awards 2016 - The results are in! HarderFaster Awards 2014 - The results are in! Lashes, Dimples and the Brighton Music Conference HarderFaster Awards 2013 - The results are in! HarderFaster Awards 2012 - The results are in! The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments: From: onthebass on 23rd Jun 2005 08:39.45 Wicked interview John has always been one of my favourite producers. Always produces the goods IMO From: Richard Launch on 23rd Jun 2005 11:51.38 Good stuff, loving Discover Dark label. From: otterluvin on 23rd Jun 2005 12:00.40 LOVE this man....good interview HF. From: K.A.R.L. on 23rd Jun 2005 14:27.21 Saw this guy play a few years ago and was totally blown away. Top dj & producer. Still play The Door in my sets now..... From: BottleofWater on 23rd Jun 2005 15:57.17 Great interview, he is a wicked DJ and a top chappy to boot. From: Jurrane on 23rd Jun 2005 17:52.27 A true breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale scene. One of my favourite producers and a great DJ. He's bang on, as well, about Arc In The Sky: 'Kissed' (Narthex remix) - a genuine jaw-dropper of a track and Tune Of The Year contender. From: Matt Smallwood on 23rd Jun 2005 19:01.21 Quality read! Love the stuff he plays but never met him before, seems like a top lad! From: Lee Osborne on 24th Jun 2005 00:32.11 Wicked Dj! gonna be having him down at Bedlam soon!!! Bwoy From: Lorenzo Barrero on 24th Jun 2005 18:48.22 Quality dj, wicked producer, wicked radio shows on Kiss 100...John Askew never fails to deliver! From: Lunar chic on 24th Jun 2005 19:18.10 Legend. From: Nikki S on 25th Jun 2005 10:57.01 Wicked interview. Awesome DJ & Producer. I'm loving the Trance Republic cd and I've thrashed to death a live recording of 3hr set he played in LA . . it's proper tehcno trance, havin it large! From: Mariella on 28th Jun 2005 10:00.43 This man is sitting in the number one spot of my top three dj's at the moment... Is there anything he cannot do?? What a STAR! - and such a nice bloke too!! Really loved this interview, love the show on Kiss, love CD3 on Trance Rep and he absolutely stole the show at Seriousworld II!!! Keep up the good work John!! From: Ali Wilson on 29th Jun 2005 16:49.46 Wicked stuff, a true pro! From: maliksta on 6th Jul 2005 11:52.34 Big Props to mr. Askew..See you at South West Four. From: littlemissgenki on 9th Jul 2005 01:07.15 well that should learn me, I was literally knee deep in mud @the time!

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