DJ Deep Dive – JohnWilsonDJ

For over a quarter of a century, Dundee-based DJ John has been filling dancefloors and digital airwaves with his signature blend of uplifting Trance and infectious energy. From his early days spinning 90s vinyl imports to navigating the global Twitch DJ community, his journey is a testament to the enduring power of electronic music.

Every DJ has an origin story, and for John, it started in the 90s with the dial tuned to local station Tay FM and Radio 1. Captivated by legendary tastemakers like Judge Jules, Paul Van Dyk, and Dave Pearce, he began hunting for tracks in the HMV import section. “One day, I decided to try the decks,” he recalls.

Twenty-six years later, that curiosity has blossomed into a lifelong passion.

His technical evolution perfectly mirrors the history of modern DJing. Starting on a basic Homemix 2-channel CD setup, John leveled up to Pioneer CDJ800s before making the digital leap to Serato Pro with a DDJ-SX2, eventually landing on his current Rekordbox XDJ-RX2 setup. But while the gear has changed, the core mission has remained the exact same: providing a fun, unforgettable experience for his audience.

The Sound of the Underground (and the Mainstream)

If you ask John to describe his DJ style in a single word, he doesn’t hesitate: “Fun.”

While he is a versatile Open Format DJ capable of reading any room and leaning into crowd requests during his weekend residencies, his heart belongs to Trance. His musical journey saw him start in the Trance scene, pivot to House for eight years, and eventually return to his uplifting Trance roots, a genre he hasn’t looked back from since.

Today, his sound is perfectly encapsulated by tracks like Factor B’s Sea Of Thoughts. He’s a massive champion of Uplifting Trance, heavily inspired by mainstays like John O’Callaghan and Bryan Kearney, whose tracks never leave his playlists, and Craig Connelly’s vocal anthems. For those looking for fresh talent, he points to Cold Blue as an artist to watch.

John’s sets are built on instinct. “I normally pick a BPM and start from there, building up to uplifting Trance,” he explains. But he’s also not afraid to throw a curveball. Fans of his sets know he loves dropping a “cheeky mashup that nobody knows.” His most notorious trick? A mashup of Martin Garrix’s festival anthem Animals that drops unexpectedly into Old MacDonald Has a Farm. “People’s faces are priceless,” he laughs.

Finding a Digital Home: Twitch and The Saturday Stream Team

Like many performers, John’s trajectory shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. After facing constant copyright cut-offs on Facebook Live, a friend suggested he try Twitch. It was, in his words, “the best thing I did.”

Streaming offered more than just an audience; it provided a global community. It pushed him to practice more, making him a sharper DJ. It also led to some of the most memorable moments of his career—including the time he was raided by the official A State of Trance (ASOT) channel, flooding his stream with 664 viewers and allowing him to make connections all over the world.

But streaming can also be exhausting, and John is candid about facing burnout. His saving grace came in the form of The Saturday Stream Team (TSST). Joining the established raid train reignited his motivation.

“Joining the team has been a blessing,” John notes, reflecting on how the collective helped him get back into the groove. “Building a fun-based community with like-minded folks makes it great, and mixing with others helps me and everyone else grow.” Watching TSST evolve and expand week over week has become one of his favorite aspects of his digital career. For anyone on the fence about joining a raid train, his advice is simple: “Do it, have fun, and enjoy yourself.”

Beyond the Decks

There is more to John than just his musical ear. Outside the booth, the half-Maltese DJ is an avid gamer, traveler, and TV watcher. While he’s ticked off major bucket-list achievements like playing in Ibiza, he still dreams of taking his sound across the Atlantic to play in the United States.

He’s also highly active in his local community, currently helping a friend launch an innovative business called Tedband. The project produces wearable wristbands containing crucial medical details, designed for festival-goers and holidaymakers. If someone gets lost or has a medical emergency, the band ensures that their loved ones can be contacted immediately.

Looking ahead to the rest of the year, John is focused on gaining more exposure and taking his Trance sets to bigger physical stages, including a highly anticipated return to London’s iconic Cyberdog at the end of September. (Just don’t expect him to start releasing his own tracks anytime soon—he tried music production and happily admits, “It just wasn’t for me.”)

Whether he’s packing a local dancefloor or dropping Craig Connelly remixes to a global Twitch audience, John’s philosophy remains rooted in resilience and joy. It’s a mindset heavily inspired by the best advice he’s ever received: “There are always going to be tough times, but keep your head up, don’t give up, and things come good in the end.”

You can catch John live and listen to his latest mixes by finding him on Instagram, Twitch, and SoundCloud.