Summary

Liam McNamara, known as ASTOR, brings a unique story of blending a full-time finance career with an emerging path as a DJ and producer. Based in New York City, he describes how his love for progressive house grew from festival experiences and artists like Avicii, Calvin Harris, and the Chainsmokers. For ASTOR, music follows cycles, and he believes the melodic, euphoric energy of progressive house is ready for a resurgence in the global scene.

Originally pursuing music as a hobby after completing his CFA exams, ASTOR quickly evolved from curiosity to club performances. His breakthrough came when he was offered the chance to open for Julian Jordan, followed by opportunities to share the stage with Hardwell and Nicky Romero. These early shows fueled his commitment to production, supported by mentorship from Mikey Ferrari, who guided him from the basics of Ableton to creating professional tracks.

With releases like Storm, Holding Tight, and most recently Stars, ASTOR has demonstrated consistency in hitting his yearly release goals. He explains how regimented schedules, daily practice, and goal setting allow him to balance demanding work with music creation. His success on Revealed Radar with Holding Tight marked a major milestone, proving that persistence pays off even while self-releasing.

ASTOR also shares his experience at Afrojack’s Wall Pro Academy writer’s camp during Tomorrowland, calling it an inspiring and transformative moment that pushed him further. Looking forward, he aims for bigger festival stages while staying grounded with small club sets, always focused on connecting emotionally with his audience through melody and energy.

Topics

0:06 - ASTOR introduces his background and passion for progressive house

5:17 - Balancing finance career with music and discovering creativity

9:28 - Breakthrough gigs opening for Julian Jordan, Hardwell, and Nicky Romero

13:28 - Setting annual production goals and self-releasing music

18:56 - Creating and signing Holding Tight to Revealed Radar

24:12 - The unexpected success of Storm and streaming growth

27:37 - Stars release and vocal-driven production process

33:42 - Experience at Afrojack’s Wall Pro Academy writer’s camp

38:03 - Goals of playing larger festival stages while valuing clubs

41:15 - Backstage encounters and inspiration from established artists

Connect with ASTOR

• Instagram: @astormusicofficial

 

About  ASTOR -

Diving deep into the realms of Progressive House, Electro House, and Big Room, ASTOR emerges as a vibrant force in the electronic music scene. Influenced by titans like Martin Garrix, Nicky Romero, and Alesso, he crafts soundscapes that offer an escape into a world of exhilarating melodies and drops. 

A finance professional by day, his pivot from festival-goer to DJ and producer during the pandemic marks a bold pursuit of passion. With memorable openings for legends like Hardwell and Nicky Romero, ASTOR’s journey from DJing to producing has been remarkable. 

Following 2024 debut tracks like Fly Alone and Storm, ASTOR landed a release on Revealed Radar with Holding Tight, further cementing his rising status. 

With more music on the way for 2025, he’s on a mission to unleash the power of music to evoke freedom and euphoria—proving that when you dare to ask “What if?”, anything is possible.

https://www.astormusicofficial.com/

https://astormusic.komi.io/

https://www.instagram.com/astormusicofficial/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/3My8e3DuKpRo0uhuIX5lpR?si=5SRuSl7HSfKBwuJHEowD1A

 

About The DJ Sessions -

“The DJ Sessions” is a Twitch/Mixcloud "Featured Partner” live streaming/podcast series featuring electronic music DJ’s/Producers via live mixes/interviews and streamed/distributed to a global audience. TheDJSessions.com

The series constantly places in the “Top Ten” on Twitch Music and the “Top Five” in the “Electronic Music", “DJ", "Dance Music" categories. TDJS is rated in the Top 0.11% of live streaming shows on Twitch out of millions of live streamers.

"The DJ Sessions" is listed in the Feedspot directory as one of the Top 60 EDM Podcasts.

It has also been recognized by Apple twice as a "New and Noteworthy” podcast and featured three times in the Apple Music Store video podcast section. UStream and Livestream have also listed the series as a "Featured" stream on their platforms since its inception.

The series is also streamed live to multiple other platforms and hosted on several podcast sites. It has a combined live streaming/podcast audience is over 125,000 viewers per week.

With over 2,700 episodes produced over the last 16 years "The DJ Sessions" has featured international artists such as: Matt Staffanina, The Midnight, Felix Sama, Jens Lissat, BT, Plastik Funk, Redman, Youngr, Dr. Fresch, Ferry Corsten, Robert Owens, Darude, Herbert Holler, Meecah, YORK, Martin Jensen, Sevenn, Amber D, Joey Riot, Drove, Martin Trevy, Thomas Datt, Siryuz & Smoky, Simon Shackleton, SurfingDJ's, Jacob Henry, Rïa Mehta, Vintage & Morrelli,  Joachim Garraud, Mizeyesis, Drop Out Orchestra, Dave Lambert, Tom Wax, Kenn Colt, <a href="https://www.thedjsessions.com/podcast/nathassia-aka-goddess-is-a-dj-on-the-virtual-sessions-presen