Exclusive Interview: Astronaut
As the time draws near for world-class EDM acts like Astronaut to hit the Electric Love stage, we had the chance to explore the minds of the self-proclaimed Eggplant genre musicians. Check out what they had to say about their DJ histories, their inspirations, and the funniest sign they've seen in the crowd.
Electric Love: Do you have any collaborations coming up?
Astronaut: We've been working with some cool producers lately! But, we can't say who at the moment in case the tracks don't get finished :)
Electric Love: Do you have any new releases to anticipate this year?
Astronaut: Yes we do! and maybe a new video too... When we're ready to announce the next release our Facebook and Twitter will be the first place that we post.
Electric Love: How would you describe your presence online? What elements of your personalities come through via social media?
Astronaut: Me and Dan like to goof around a lot online and make people laugh. Our Twitter feed is usually full of eggplant emojis and memes... sometimes we might post some music too ;)
Electric Love: What would be your go-to synthesizer? What would be your go-to plug-in?
Astronaut: Massive is something we've always used and probably always will. There are some other really cool synths out there like FM8 and Serum but we really like the way you can route everything on Massive.
Electric Love: Where is your favourite place to perform in the world?
Astronaut: Perth in Australia is one of my favorite places to play. There's always a really great crowd and city is awesome.
Electric Love: Do you prefer writing music on the road or in the studio?
Astronaut: In the studio is always better because we're usually together and it's easier to focus. It's fun to start tracks when we're on our own but its always better to be in the studio vibing on an idea together.
Electric Love: When did you start DJing?
Astronaut: I started DJ-ing when I was about 9. I remember connecting two Sony Walkman CD players up to a really broken 4 channel radio mixer that my Dad used to own and trying to beat-match tracks without using a pitch slider. The love for dance music came further down the line though...
Electric Love: Do you play any other instruments?
Astronaut: Dan used to play drums and I was really into guitar going through my teens. Learning a instrument from an early age definitely helped but I always wish that i learnt piano instead!
Electric Love: Who was your main mentor when you were first learning?
Astronaut: I used to chat to a drum and bass producer called 'TC' a lot when we first started making tunes. What I like about Tom is that he's brutally honest with everything that we make... Sometimes it's really good to just cut all the shit and tell it how it is so you can learn from that.
Electric Love: Which producer are you most inspired by?
Astronaut: Rob Swire.
Electric Love: Where do you see yourself in the next year?
Astronaut: Hopefully on a beach in Hawaii, drinking cocktails from a Pineapple :)
Electric Love: What is the funniest sign you've seen in a festival crowd?
Astronaut: Just a picture of John Travoltas face.
Electric Love: What are you looking forward to about playing Electric Love, a small festival in the heart of a beautiful valley?
Astronaut: As Monstercat's based in Vancouver, we're looking forward to partying with all of those guys!