Astyria

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On her latest album From the Ashes, Astyria rises from the ashes as she paints epic medieval soundscapes with her booming voice mixed over cutting-edge musical production. The juxtaposition of these distant fantastical past and contemporary music colliding yields for an intense and addicting listen that’s unlike anything else. It’s almost as if Astyria transported back to the ancient medieval times with a synthesizer, electronic drum pad, and her hauntingly gorgeous voice and began to write songs for both war-mongers and romantics of the middle ages. Whether it’s the slow-chugging build of anticipation on “Wildest Dreams” or the mesmerizing and ethereal vocals on “Illuminate” - there’s always deep emotion and memorable sonic moments seamlessly woven throughout From the Ashes. The imaginative and cinematic music uses elements of dark-pop to establish an ethereal ambiance that builds onto itself and evolves naturally. Like a good fantasy tale, From the Ashes instantly transports listeners to an ancient world or an entirely different universe altogether. With ... [ more ] On her latest album From the Ashes, Astyria rises from the ashes as she paints epic medieval soundscapes with her booming voice mixed over cutting-edge musical production. The juxtaposition of these distant fantastical past and contemporary music colliding yields for an intense and addicting listen that’s unlike anything else. It’s almost as if Astyria transported back to the ancient medieval times with a synthesizer, electronic drum pad, and her hauntingly gorgeous voice and began to write songs for both war-mongers and romantics of the middle ages.

Whether it’s the slow-chugging build of anticipation on “Wildest Dreams” or the mesmerizing and ethereal vocals on “Illuminate” - there’s always deep emotion and memorable sonic moments seamlessly woven throughout From the Ashes. The imaginative and cinematic music uses elements of dark-pop to establish an ethereal ambiance that builds onto itself and evolves naturally. Like a good fantasy tale, From the Ashes instantly transports listeners to an ancient world or an entirely different universe altogether.

With such grandiose music, it’s always interesting to learn how song ideas originate. For Astyria’s unique creative process, less is more.

“For this project, we started most of the songs with a simple instrumental loop. Usually that consisted of a piano and drum party,” Astyria says, “From there, we’d start to come up with interesting melodic motifs. Sometimes the lyrics came before the melodies and vice versa. I think in the beginning stages of a song it’s really important to allow yourself some creative freedom so you’re not limiting your options. As the process progresses, then you can start identifying structure and form and be more intentional.”

That’s what makes Astyria’s music so impressive, it’s extremely wide-ranging and ambitious, yet always has a core idea that connects everything together. Astyria’s intoxicating voice and lyrics shine over the top of intense drum patterns and gigantic synth chords. There’s an authentic sense of confidence and fearlessness in Astyria’s music, which is an energy that she hopes listeners can tap into when listening.

“There’s a sense of determination and independence in these songs that is inspiring. I hope people can play these songs to themselves they decide to go after something they want and feel that they are more than capable of success,” Astyria says. “It has been such an empowering experience for me to play a part in creating something so cinematic.” [ less ]