U.K. talent Daxson holds a unique place in the modern trance world. Touring and making music for a variety of labels like Coldharbour and Black Hole since 2017, the Manchester-based DJ/producer has created a diverse mix of tunes that has livened up the scene.
From 2018’s powerful “Blackcard,” which fused melodic trance with tough techno elements, through his uplifting 2022 Face the Future album to 2025’s hypnotic collab with JKult, “Beyond Belief,” Daxson (aka Dan Dobson) hasn’t stopped producing genre-topping tunes.
As he readied his latest single, the celestial “Aurora,” on Bebé Recordings, Daxson connected with DJ LIFE and we discussed his career and his musical pathways.
DJ LIFE: Musically, what were your first influences, the ones that impacted what you’re doing now?
Daxson: It was when I discovered the trance that was released in the early 2000s and late 1990s. I just had a passion for trance music from an early age. Later in life, when I moved to Manchester, I rediscovered the genre, embracing the music scene in the city. From there, the passion grew into an obsession with a long journey learning to make the music I loved.
DJ LIFE: How does a Northern lad become so mad for trance?
Daxson: I would listen to trance compilation CDs when I was on family holidays. Trance music and amazing scenery is a nice recipe. Later, when I moved to Manchester, trance events were on pretty much every week somewhere in the country.
DJ LIFE: Why do you think trance fans are so dedicated? What is it about the music and the scene?
Daxson: Trance is a genre you feel. I think people resonate with it because it has the ability to change your mood for the better. It becomes a part of your life.
DJ LIFE: How did you begin your DJing? What gear did you get and what were your first gigs like?
Daxson: My first decks were Gemini belt-drives. My first gigs came some years later. I quickly became a resident at Rong in Manchester when it was at Venus nightclub. I learned my craft in these years, from playing my first set in Room 2 to warming up the main room before the brand moved to Victoria Warehouse, a much bigger venue, where again I got plenty opportunities over the years playing to thousands. The residency gave me a lot of experience behind the decks, for which I’m very grateful.
DJ LIFE: When did you begin to create music yourself? At what point did you become confident with your productions or remixes?
Daxson: I studied music production at Manchester MIDI School – now School of Electronic Music. During this course, I had access to their studios, which I took advantage of, using them every week day. I didn’t become confident with my productions until artists I looked up to started to play them in their sets.
DJ LIFE: How did you pursue your career in music? What worked best for you in getting your first breaks?
Daxson: Pretty much putting all my eggs in one basket and working every day towards my goals, whilst not giving up. I had a somewhat fortunate turn of events quite early on. Towards the end of my Music Production Course, I crossed paths with the promoter of Rong, as I was leaving the college one day. It turned out he was looking for someone to share his studio with while I was searching for one to use after the course ended. This eventually led me to become a resident at Rong, as well as leading me to my studio, which I still have today.
DJ LIFE: From your main studio gear, what’s your DAW? Monitors? Vital hardware? Fave plug-in?
Daxson: I use [Apple] Logic 11 to produce. I have been using ADAM Audio A7X monitors since around 2015, but last week switched to Genelec 8040B – I’ve have wanted these for a while. I was using my [Access] Virus TI2 for many years, but since upgrading my MacBook, I’m no longer able to use it. However, these days, I prefer the soft synths – [Xfer Records] Serum 2 and [Reveal Sound] Spire are my go-to plug-ins.
DJ LIFE: Do you have a routine for creating music? Is there a process that works best for you?
Daxson: For me, it’s always writing the main melody or creating an idea for the breakdown at first. Once I have that, it’s easier for me envision how the rest of the track should sound before I start to produce it.
DJ LIFE: How do you approach collaborations? How do you choose people to work with?
Daxson: I’ve recently done a collab with Craig Connelly, for example. He came to me with an idea, then we spent a day in my studio producing it. Then we took the stems to his studio where we went over the mixdown and changed some of the intro/outro elements. We’re both really happy with how it’s turned out and excited to start playing it in our sets.
DJ LIFE: Which producer/remixers are you appreciating these days and why?
Daxson: I’m really inspired my some of the hybrid techno producers right now, like HI-LO and Space 92. They’re releasing really interesting tracks that have a lot of energy.
DJ LIFE: Creatively, how did you approach “Beyond Belief,” your latest single with JKult? It’s got some really overwhelming sounds. What was that process in the studio?
Daxson: Thank you. For this collab, I teamed up with Jake Holt, who is an incredibly inspiring guy. He is a blind producer and doesn’t let that stop him from writing and producing music. He came down the studio one day and he was playing melody after melody, some already-known tracks and some that he was creating after being inspired by what he had just played. We spent an hour or so going through different sounds, then writing melodies inspired by the sounds. Once we had the main riff, the demo version was produced in the same day. After that, we used Dropbox to share the project. I’d work on it all day, then Jake would work on it through the night. Over the course of a few days, the track was pretty much done.
DJ LIFE: In the DJ booth, what gear do you use? How would you describe your style of DJing?
Daxson: Pioneer decks and mixer, simple. I prefer to edit tracks and play a set that’s straight to the point to keep the energy going.
DJ LIFE: Which DJs do you admire and why?
Daxson: It’s no secret that I’m a big admirer of Markus Schulz. He knows how to read a room and play a set to whatever crowd is in front of him – and his marathon open-to-close sets are legendary.
DJ LIFE: What are three favorite nightclubs anywhere in the world and one sentence as to why?
Daxson: Amnesia in Ibiza. I’ve yet to play here, but for me it’s the No. 1 club in the world – so much history and nostalgia about the place. Everyone should experience standing underneath the ice cannon, while you are on the dancefloor at Amnesia. Also, Epic in Prague… I recently played there for the first time and the club definitely lives up to the name. And, of course, there’s Ministry of Sound in London, my favorite club in the U.K.
DJ LIFE: How about festivals?
Daxson: Transmission Festival in The Netherlands. It’s one stage and they always bring the biggest production with visuals, lasers, fire, CO2, dancers, etc. It’s run by a very passionate team who put everything into their events – it’s an experience for everyone. EDC in Las Vegas – that’s my favorite festival in the U.S. And then there’s Creamfields, which is my favorite festival in the U.K.
DJ LIFE: What’s the summer schedule looking like?
Daxson: After Miami for the F1 weekend, I’m also playing at Bauhaus, Houston, and Vixens in Fort Lauderdale. Then, it’s back to Europe for Rong in Malta before coming back to North America for shows at Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis, E11even in Miami and New City Gas in Montreal.
DJ LIFE: What are three tracks that are always in your “DJ box” and why?
Daxson: “While We Wait” and “When Tomorrow Comes” are two tracks that I love to play in my sets. They were written at two pivotal times in my life and mean a lot to me. Veracocha’s “Carte Blanche” always goes off – it’s one of my favorite trance classics.
DJ LIFE: If you had advice for an up-and-coming DJ/producer, what would it be?
Daxson: Be, polite, professional and productive. Make goals, and work on them every day.