Astra “I Got Into EDM When I Was 15 And I Really Looked Up To Swedish House Mafia At The Time”

2019 is finally on and as a dance music fan, everybody is well aware of how this year is going to be super crucial for the industry. Lots of albums and lots of music. We can also see a new trend shaping up.

The global dance music is changing and we can also see how India is finally catching up with the trend. And who knows it might become the leader for the Electronic Music Industry.

With all that happening there are so many producers from India who are killing it with their music.

We are definitely not going to miss any chance to promote these talents, so we interviewed “Astra”an upcoming Indian and Producer.

Signed to Hardwell’s imprint “ASTRA” is the next biggest producer in India right now.

What made you decide to get into music production and which artist has been your inspiration?

Ever since I was been a kid I have been fascinated with the idea of composing original songs and production was a way for me to do it independently on my laptop. I got into EDM when I was 15 and I really looked up to Swedish House Mafia at the time. I was obsessed with the energy and emotion in their music. As soon as I discovered them, I started venturing into EDM and making tracks in Logic Pro X.

What do you think about the future of EDM in India and what were the struggles you have faced during your journey so far?

I think there has been significant growth in the number of producers in India who are passionate about music and there’s definitely a lot of emerging artists to look out for in the coming years. With festivals like SUNBURN growing bigger every year I think EDM has grown in popularity with India’s youth. In my early days as a producer, I really struggled with balancing my school work and music during High School. It was hard to stay motivated during exam season but it taught me a lot about time management and discipline so in hindsight I’m glad I went through it.

Your sound is really fresh compared to many Progressive House tracks released
nowadays. What is your creative process and what are your views on the future of the genre?

I think what got me to this sound was a lot of trial and error and experimentation which led me to my roots as a guitarist. I try to incorporate my guitar in every song I write because that’s what sets me apart from most Progressive House producers. The song usually starts with me playing around on the guitar until something sticks. Then I build a rough idea on Logic with chords, basslines, and Percussion. For me, capturing the idea is the most important part, then the sound design, mixing, and post-production.

This year, you got to collaborate with Suyano for your track – “Brothers In Arms” which got a release on Hardwell’s label – “Revealed Recordings”. What was the inspiration behind the track and how did you get in touch with Suyano for the track?

I started writing this song in 2016 when I just had a melody and chord sequence in Logic. I made several versions of the song later in 2017 when I found the project file on my Hard Drive. After working on the song for some time, I felt it could have a more aggressive punch and so I decided to send it to Suyano because his unique sound design would take the song to another level. He got back to me soon after I sent him the demo and then he tweaked it till it was perfect and sent it to Revealed for release.

You are well known for your ‘Progressive House’ sound, can we expect you to
experiment with different genres/sounds in the future?

Absolutely. You can expect a lot of new sounds from me this year. I’m working on a lot of 80’s retro sounding music fused with EDM. I’m trying to make as much fusion music as possible because It always makes things interesting as a musician. I will still release a lot of progressive house but I think the new direction I’m heading in is far more exciting and something people haven’t heard before.

What do you hope to accomplish in 2019?

I really want to develop my skills in mixing and sound design for my new style and get to a point where I am confident in my abilities as a producer. My ultimate goal would be to become a part of the STMPD family because they have an incredible team and have a similar vision as I do. I also want to explore new avenues such as film scoring, DJ’ing and working towards my concept live set, with visuals, live guitar playing, and EDM.