Born in Vienna, Roman Astra learned to play the piano at the age of six. At fourteen he picked up the guitar and later trained to sing. He started to learn to play the Sitar sixteen years ago and gradually developed a taste for and some skills on other exotic instruments too. Astra mostly plays original music but enjoys covering some of his favourites which he rearranges with his quirky humour.

There are beer bottles, hubcaps and telephone books used for percussion, different basses, a Sitar, Guitars, an Esraj (Srilankan Violin) or a Pipa (Chinese Lute) to be heard. A couple of vocalists make sure all the possibilities for harmonies are covered.

A mix of mesmerising drones and funky grooves make sure that the audience is an active part of the performance and there is always time for some tongue-in-cheek humour.

Astra’s music has been played on local FM radio stations and is distributed by Big Fish Music. He had positive responses from the producers of the ABC’s World Music programs and his work is currently forwarded to record and promotion companies. Beside his love for rhythms and grooves there is also a strong aspect of ambience in some of Astra’s work. His atmospheric recordings are certainly reminiscent of Brian Eno, Michael Brooks or some of Ry Cooder’s music. So it is no surprise that the local film industry is increasingly showing an interest in Astra’s recordings.