Before selling out major venues and launching his own electronic music festival, John Summit was working in accounting in Chicago while producing house tracks outside office hours. Six years after his breakthrough single “Deep End,” the American DJ has released two studio albums, built the Experts Only label and developed an international touring career. His 2026 CTRL ESCAPE arena tour marks another major chapter in that transformation.
From Chicago’s House Music Scene to the DJ Booth
Born John Walter Schuster on July 29, 1994, in Naperville, Illinois, John Summit grew up close to Chicago, a city whose influence on house music would become central to his artistic development.
As a young music enthusiast, Summit became interested in electronic music through live performances and Chicago’s club culture.
Artists such as Green Velvet, Gene Farris and Derrick Carter helped shape his understanding of house music, while clubs including Spybar introduced him to a scene where underground electronic music remained closely connected to the city’s cultural identity.
Summit later attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning a bachelor’s degree in accountancy in 2016 and a master’s degree in 2017.
During his university years, he also began DJing at bars and student events, gaining experience performing for different audiences.
Despite his increasing interest in music production, his first professional career followed a very different direction.
After graduating, Summit joined Ernst & Young, working as an accountant while dedicating his evenings and weekends to developing tracks and performing DJ sets.
The demands of the two careers eventually became incompatible.
In 2019, after losing his accounting job, he decided to concentrate on electronic music full-time.
At that stage, there was no guarantee that DJing would provide him with a sustainable career.
“Deep End”: The Track That Changed Everything
The major turning point arrived in 2020 with “Deep End,” a tech house production released through Defected Records.
The track combined a prominent bassline, minimal rhythmic elements and a distinctive vocal sample, reflecting the club-focused style Summit had been developing.
Initially shared independently, the recording attracted attention through social media and DJ livestreams during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Defected subsequently released the track, helping introduce Summit to a wider international electronic music audience.
In July 2020, “Deep End” reached No. 1 on Beatport’s overall sales chart.
The achievement was particularly significant because Summit was still establishing himself as an international producer.
With clubs temporarily closed in many countries, the success of the recording took place largely through online listening, DJ support and digital music sales.
Summit continued producing during the pandemic, spending an extended period working from his family’s home while developing new material.
Rather than relying exclusively on one successful record, he used the following years to build a more extensive discography.
Building His Reputation Through House and Tech House
Following “Deep End,” Summit released a series of recordings that expanded his presence in electronic music.
His 2021 releases included “Human,” featuring Echoes, and “Sun Came Up,” a collaboration with electronic duo SOFI TUKKER.
“Human” became his first No. 1 on US dance radio, demonstrating his ability to combine club-oriented production with melodic vocal songwriting.
In 2022, “La Danza” became another significant release, incorporating a Latin-influenced rhythmic approach into his house sound.
As international nightlife reopened after the pandemic, Summit’s touring schedule expanded rapidly.
He began appearing regularly at major electronic music festivals and club events, moving from smaller DJ bookings to larger international stages.
His musical identity remained strongly connected to house and tech house, although he gradually introduced more melodic and emotionally driven elements.
That evolution became particularly apparent with one of his most successful collaborations.
“Where You Are” and the Rise of John Summit
In March 2023, Summit released “Where You Are,” featuring British singer-songwriter HAYLA.
The recording marked an important development in his career.
Combining progressive electronic production with a prominent vocal performance, the track reached audiences beyond the traditional tech house community.
Its melodic structure and emotional lyrics made it particularly effective in large festival settings.
The single became one of the defining recordings of Summit’s catalogue and helped establish a musical direction built around the relationship between club production and songwriting.
He continued collaborating with HAYLA, releasing “Shiver” in 2024.
Together, the two songs demonstrated a more expansive approach to electronic music, incorporating euphoric melodies and vocal arrangements alongside his established rhythmic production.
This shift helped Summit reach different electronic music audiences without entirely abandoning the house influences that had shaped his earlier recordings.
Experts Only: Building a Record Label and Event Brand
Alongside his production career, Summit developed an independent music business.
In 2022, he established Off the Grid, a record label and events project that would later become Experts Only.
The brand was created as a platform for releasing electronic music and organising performances beyond Summit’s individual DJ bookings.
Its catalogue has included artists such as Max Styler, Layton Giordani and Devault, reflecting different approaches to contemporary house, techno and melodic electronic production.
Experts Only also developed into an international events operation.
Its activities have included specially curated shows, mountain destinations and large-scale productions designed around the brand’s musical identity.
One of its most significant milestones arrived in September 2025, when Experts Only Festival debuted at Randall’s Island in New York City.
According to organisers, the two-day event attracted more than 50,000 attendees.
The festival returned on September 19–20, 2026, with an expanded three-stage programme featuring artists from different electronic music genres.
Experts Only represents a central element of Summit’s broader career: his transition from a producer releasing music through established labels to an artist responsible for his own releases, talent development and event programming.
“Comfort in Chaos”: His First Studio Album
On July 12, 2024, John Summit released his debut studio album, Comfort in Chaos, through Experts Only and Darkroom Records.
The twelve-track project represented a significant step beyond the singles-focused approach that had defined much of his earlier career.
The album featured collaborations with HAYLA, Kaskade, Sub Focus, Elderbrook and other artists.
Its musical direction explored the relationship between energetic dancefloor production and more introspective songwriting.
Tracks such as “EAT THE BASS” maintained his connection to house music, while “Where You Are,” “Shiver” and “Go Back” reflected his expanding interest in melodic and crossover electronic styles.
The album debuted at No. 39 on the Billboard 200.
Its release coincided with major live performances, including a June 2024 headline show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Summit also appeared at Coachella and EDC Las Vegas that year, further establishing his presence across the American festival circuit.
CTRL ESCAPE: A Second Album Inspired by His Former Life
In 2026, Summit returned with his second studio album, CTRL ESCAPE, released on April 15 through Experts Only and Darkroom Records.
The release date was deliberate: April 15 is traditionally Tax Day in the United States.
For an artist who previously worked as a certified public accountant, the timing connected the album directly to his professional past.
The thirteen-track project reflects on the contrast between corporate working life and the freedom he associates with music.
Musically, CTRL ESCAPE expands beyond his earlier house productions.
The record includes “LIGHTS GO OUT,” “WITH ME” featuring Julia Wolf, “CHICA 305” with Colombian artist Feid, and “ALL THE TIME” with The Chainsmokers and Ilsey.
Other collaborations involve artists including Devault, Julia Church, Rohaan, LAVINIA and KILIMANJARO.
The album moves between tech house, melodic electronic music, drum and bass influences and alternative vocal arrangements.
Its stylistic variety reflects Summit’s increasingly broad approach to production.
Instead of building the entire project around one club-focused sound, he explored different musical environments while maintaining a connection to dance music.
Ibiza, International Festivals and the Expansion of His Career
The development of Experts Only has also changed Summit’s relationship with major international club destinations.
Following earlier appearances at Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza, he launched his first Ibiza residency in 2026.
John Summit Presents Experts Only took place at [UNVRS] across nine Monday nights between June 1 and July 27.
The programme featured guests associated with house, melodic techno and other electronic styles, reinforcing the brand’s role as a curated music platform.
His international touring career has also included major appearances at Coachella, Tomorrowland, Lollapalooza and other large festivals.
These performances represent a substantial change from his early years playing local bars and smaller clubs around Chicago.
While his music remains rooted in electronic dance culture, the scale of his current productions increasingly resembles that of major international touring acts.
John Summit in 2026: From Arena Tour to Los Angeles
October 2026 marks another important stage in Summit’s career.
Earlier this month, he returned to the University of Illinois, where he discussed his transition from accountancy to music and reflected on the work required to establish his career.
His current CTRL ESCAPE North American tour includes performances across Canada and the United States, with stops at major arenas in cities including Chicago, Miami, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Brooklyn.
The tour will also visit California in December.
Following two scheduled performances at Oakland Arena on December 4 and 5, Summit is set to headline the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on December 12, 2026.
The concert, presented by Insomniac, will bring his current touring production to one of Southern California’s best-known entertainment venues.
For Los Angeles’ electronic music audience, the performance provides another opportunity to experience Summit’s developing live concept on a large scale.
It also illustrates the commercial expansion of an artist whose career began in local house music venues less than a decade ago.
From Accountant to Independent Electronic Music Entrepreneur
John Summit’s career illustrates how success in contemporary electronic music can develop across several interconnected areas.
His breakthrough originated with a club-focused production, but his subsequent growth has involved songwriting, independent releases, festival performances and the creation of a record label and events business.
From “Deep End” to CTRL ESCAPE, his musical output has expanded while his original connection to house music remains part of his identity.
Experts Only has given him a platform to develop projects beyond his own recordings, while his increasingly ambitious live shows have introduced his music to much larger audiences.
As he approaches his December performance in Los Angeles, Summit’s career reflects a wider development in electronic music: the growing ability of DJ-producers to build independent brands that operate across recorded music, festivals and major concert venues.
What began as a passion pursued after long days in an accounting office has become an international career shaped by production, touring and an increasingly independent approach to the music business.
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