ASTR is the solo project of American
electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
R&B vocalist Zoe Silverman, originally formed with producer
Adam Pallin
Adam Pallin, also known by his stage name 1-900, is an American record producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He was the producer/programmer half of the pop duo Little Jackie with Imani Coppola. His production and songwriting often blend ...
. Their debut EP, ''Varsity'', was named the twentieth best album of 2014 by ''
Spin''.
Their second EP, ''Homecoming'', was released in 2015.
History
ASTR formed in 2013 after meeting at a
yoga class.
Producer Adam Pallin was previously one half of
Little Jackie
Little Jackie is an American musical duo consisting of Imani Coppola and Adam Pallin. Little Jackie, which derives its name from the 1989 hit song "Little Jackie Wants to Be a Star" by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, released a hit single in 2008 called " ...
alongside
,
who had a top-twenty hit with "
The World Should Revolve Around Me" in the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
in 2008. Zoe Silverman is the daughter of
Tom Silverman
Tom Silverman is an American entertainment executive. He is most notable for founding the pioneering hip-hop and electro-funk music label, Tommy Boy Records, now known as Tommy Boy Entertainment.
Early life and education
Silverman grew up in W ...
, the founder of
Tommy Boy Records.
In their earliest press coverage, ASTR were described as "mysterious" and left unnamed, and then briefly referred to only as Zoe ASTR and Adam ASTR.
A 2013 interview with ''
The Village Voice
''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, th ...
'' revealed their identities, explaining that the duo had not wanted to disclose their real names in order to "distance themselves" from their backgrounds.
Their debut single "Operate" was released through Tommy Boy Records in May 2013, followed by a second single "Razor".
The duo also played several sets at
CMJ Music Marathon
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
in the autumn.
ASTR later released a cover of
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
's "
Hold On, We're Going Home
"Hold On, We're Going Home" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, featuring the R&B duo Majid Jordan. The song was produced by Noah "40" Shebib, OVO Sound's Majid Jordan and Nineteen85, and it is the second single from his third studio album, ' ...
", which was a breakthrough hit on
Hype Machine and compared favourably to the original.
In 2014 ASTR released their debut six-track EP, ''Varsity'', on 21 January via
Neon Gold Records
Neon Gold Records is a New York City-based boutique record label founded in 2008 by Derek Davies and Lizzy Plapinger.
Initially operating as a vinyl-only singles label, Neon Gold has launched the debut releases and international careers of ma ...
.
Spin later named it their twentieth best album of 2014.
ASTR performed at
SXSW for the first time in March 2014, and were praised as an "aural threat" by ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
'' in May. ASTR also created a new song, "Hold On Me", exclusively for DJ
Annie Mac's blog, and released a remix of
Charli XCX
Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...
's "
Boom Clap" in the summer. ASTR were the first act to sign for the new independent
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...
300 Entertainment
Theory Entertainment LLC, doing business as 300 Entertainment, is an American record label founded by Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, Todd Moscowitz, and Roger Gold. The label's roster includes acts across multiple genres such as hip hop, rock, pop, e ...
.
ASTR released their second EP, ''Homecoming'', on November 6, 2015.
The track "Activate Me" was produced by
Darkchild
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), also known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won multiple Grammy Awards. Among hi ...
. Silverman described ''Homecoming'' as "nostalgia pop" with lyrical themes around "industry sexism".
ASTR toured nationally in the month of the release. A remix of
Carly Rae Jepsen's "Run Away With Me" was released in the summer of 2015, and a standalone single featuring
Mick Jenkins titled "It's Over" was premiered by ''
Billboard'' in September. ASTR also performed at
Governors Ball in June 2015.
ASTR released a new single, "Bleeding Love", in March 2016.
References
{{Authority control
Musical groups from New York City
Musical groups established in 2013
2013 establishments in New York City