However, for Angus Murphy, an international flight to Fiji proved to be a life-changing experience that extended far beyond sub-par peanuts and insufficient leg room. At that time, he was an acoustic artist playing gigs around his hometown of Canberra, blissfully on his way to tropical festival Your Paradise in 2014. When he scored an airplane seat next to Alison Wonderland – who, back then, was Australia’s breakthrough dance queen – she showed him some sessions on Ableton as they flew over international waters.
The flight inspired Angus to switch lanes, adopting the Amastro moniker and a focus on electronic music. That initial, impromptu meeting with Alison Wonderland turned out to be a Godsend – he released his first EP in 2016 and has picked up gigs at Splendour In The Grass and also alongside Sticky Fingers, LDRU and Paces. Things even came full circle when he returned to Your Paradise in 2016 as a performer, joining the likes of Skrillex and Slumberjack.
Now, Amastro is gearing up for the release of his sophomore EP, and we’re premiering the first single ‘Don’t Let Me’ featuring Sara Flint. After getting a riveting live debut at last weekend’s Courtyard Party at Ivy, fans have been itching for the real thing – and here it is, in all of its the studio quality glory!
It’s clear that Amastro has re-channeled his musical background fully into the track, which sees him use horns, synths and a slow-burning vocal performance alongside Sara Flint. It’s a heartfelt duet which can still get the dancefloor rumbling, and a promising sign of what’s in store for the EP. Amastro will be playing at Groovin The Moo in Canberra, so listen to ‘Don’t Let Me’ below and prepare to witness it live: