Twitter | SOUNDCLOUD | Instagram | Youtube | Bandcamp | Twitch

Astro Mega

A sample-based producer, Astro Mega (Toronto) finds inspiration in everything he hears, from old jazz records, to the boogie of the 1980s, and also the tranquil nature of reggae music. He describes his sound as “gritty, dusty and straight from the crates,” which informs his aesthetic of being heavily reminiscent of early 1990s hip-hop. “I’m just raw with it,” the producer says. 

While many of today’s producers prefer heavy synths and muted drums, Mega goes in the opposite direction, utilizing soulful samples and hard-hitting boom bap straight from the Golden Era of rap. It’s almost as though Mega uses his beats as a way to reminisce. “Back when I was growing up, hip hop was so pure,” he says. “From watching it on TV or listening to it on college radio, it was just so good”. 

Influenced by more than just hip hop, Mega is also a fan of R&B groups like Loose Ends and Groove Theory. The first vinyl record he bought was by jazz band RAMP. The melodic sounds of these groups are incorporated into Mega’s beats as well, with beats that can support R&B melodies just as well as gritty lyrics.