ASTER (Korean: 아스터; real name — Choi Min-woong, 최민웅; born September 19, 1990, in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) — is a South Korean DJ and electronic music producer. After beginning his career on Seoul's club scene, he gradually moved on to major festivals, solo concerts and international releases. His music combines electro house, progressive house, festival EDM, bass house and elements of electronic pop music.
ASTER has performed at World DJ Festival, EDC Korea, S2O, Waterbomb and other major Asian festivals, and has collaborated with Firebeatz, BlackCode, VIVID, Robbie Rosen, BBGIRLS, Sonnet and Alan Shirahama. A separate part of his work is connected with the ASTER MUSIC project, through which the artist and DJ NEO release long-form mixes, live sets and EDM versions of popular Korean songs.
Among ASTER's studio releases, particularly notable tracks include «CHAMPAGNE», «Move On» with Firebeatz, «Till The Stars Come Out Again» with BlackCode and Heleen, «Hurricane» with BlackCode and Robbie Rosen, «Gucci Boy», «123 MUSIC» with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz, and «Never Gonna Be» with Alan Shirahama.
Early Years and the Path into the Club Industry
Choi Min-woong did not enter electronic music through academic training or a fully equipped home studio. His early years were connected with ordinary club work: lighting, technical tasks, venue preparation and other responsibilities far removed from the DJ booth.
ASTER has said in interviews that during one period he worked more than ten hours a day for around 400,000 won per month. When stable work in Korea was difficult to find, he spent some time in Yanji, China.
This experience proved more important to him than any formal courses. Working inside nightlife venues, he saw how a club night actually functions: when the mood of the crowd changes, how lighting interacts with music and why the same track can work differently in an empty room and a packed one.
Gradually, technical work gave way to his own performances. ASTER's DJ career began in 2013. One of his first venues was Seoul's Club Magnum.
During his first years, he released very little original music and concentrated on DJing. His sets were built around electro house, mashups and the most energetic club music of the period.
Seoul Club Scene
By the middle of the 2010s, ASTER was already performing regularly at prominent venues in Seoul.
In 2015, he was a resident DJ at Club Octagon, one of the best-known clubs in Gangnam. At different points, his career was also connected with Arena, Bound, MADE, HIVE, BUTTON, MASS and other venues.
Residency work shaped a significant part of his later DJ style. Unlike a festival, where a set often lasts around an hour and requires a quick move toward the strongest tracks, a club night forces a DJ to watch the room much more closely and adjust the music during the performance.
ASTER became accustomed to working with a large number of edits and mashups. A popular song could receive a different drop, a faster rhythm or an entirely new EDM arrangement. This principle would later become characteristic of his online mixes as well.
At the same time, his first international trips began. In 2015, he performed in China, then started receiving invitations from Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries. Later, Japan, Australia, Canada, the United States and European destinations were added to his touring geography.
Festival Period
The next step was performing at major electronic music festivals.
ASTER began appearing at World DJ Festival, Spectrum Dance Music Festival and other Korean events, gradually moving from club rooms to audiences of many thousands.
In 2019, he performed at EDC Korea. For an artist who only a few years earlier had been playing in Seoul clubs and still did not have a large original discography, appearing on the Electric Daisy Carnival lineup was an important point of growth.
The festival format also changed the way he played. ASTER began using shorter transitions, more recognizable vocal fragments and sharper shifts in dynamics. While a club set could develop gradually, a one-hour festival slot demanded rapid emotional peaks.
At the same time, he did not abandon longer performances and continued combining both models — club and festival.
First Original Tracks
Despite several years of professional DJing, the production side of ASTER's career developed more slowly.
In 2017, the name ASTER appeared on KASIA Compilation Vol.1 with the track «Escape».
A more notable original release was «CHAMPAGNE», released on August 14, 2018. The recording featured a vocalist credited as 雨, while RAVI was one of the songwriters and producers.
ASTER also took part in writing, arranging and producing the track.
«CHAMPAGNE» is important primarily as the point after which ASTER gradually stopped being only a DJ playing other people's music. Over time, his own releases began to occupy an increasingly large place in his festival sets as well.
First Solo EDM Concert
In November 2019, the ASTER EDM Concert was held in Seoul.
The concept differed from a typical club night: ASTER wanted to test whether an electronic DJ in South Korea could draw an audience to a standalone ticketed concert where the DJ was the main artist of the evening.
The event sold out.
For ASTER himself, the format had another meaning. He has repeatedly said that he wanted to separate EDM from the stereotype that DJ music must necessarily be associated only with nightclubs and alcohol.
The solo concert became one of the first steps toward a broader audience — people who could listen to electronic music without necessarily going to clubs.
ASTER MUSIC and NEO
ASTER developed the same idea together with DJ NEO through the ASTER MUSIC project.
The channel was built around long DJ mixes, performance recordings, themed selections and EDM versions of popular songs.
The format worked particularly well because it did not require listeners to understand the club scene. Someone could play an hour-long set at home, in the car or during a workout and gradually become familiar with the music ASTER would normally play at a festival.
The beginning of these mixes often featured familiar K-pop or pop songs in new versions, before the set gradually moved toward harder electro house, bass house or festival EDM.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this direction became especially important. While festivals and clubs were closed, ASTER continued publishing mixes and livestreams, and ASTER MUSIC significantly expanded its audience.
Later, ASTER and NEO began appearing together not only online but also at festivals and on studio releases.
2020–2021 Releases
In 2020, ASTER released «Melody», followed a few days later by «Boom Bang» featuring Asid.
These tracks were still close to the Korean club EDM scene: short vocal phrases, a direct drum pattern and a drop designed primarily for a festival sound system.
In 2021, the catalog became more diverse. On March 3, ASTER and HAECHI released «Back», a darker and more bass-heavy track.
On July 9, one of the most notable international collaborations of that period appeared: «Move On» with Dutch duo Firebeatz.
Instead of maximally dense festival EDM, the artists chose a more restrained house rhythm and a full vocal structure. For ASTER, this track became his first major step beyond the familiar Korean EDM environment.
In November, «Till The Stars Come Out Again» followed with BlackCode and vocalist Heleen on Revealed Recordings. The track is closer to melodic progressive house and is built around a long emotional progression rather than a short festival drop.
In December, «Future Love» was released on Sub Religion Records. By this period, it had become clear that ASTER in the studio could sound much softer and more melodic than in his most energetic DJ sets.
2022: International Labels and Vocal Projects
In 2022, ASTER continued alternating Korean releases with international collaborations.
In February, he joined forces with VIVID for the single «Selfish» on Smash Deep. In July, «Fine Again» was released with South Korean singer Sonnet.
«Fine Again» arrived after the return of major festivals and had a noticeably brighter mood than many of ASTER's club tracks. Here, the electronic production primarily serves to support the vocal song.
On August 11, ASTER and JERIDE released «E:ku». Both musicians took part in writing and producing the track.
Later that same month came the more direct electro-house track «Blaze» on Generation Smash.
On September 30, ASTER worked again with BlackCode. The single «Hurricane», featuring vocals by Robbie Rosen, was released on MAXXIMIZE under Spinnin' Records distribution.
As a result, Korean vocal electronica, festival house and international progressive EDM all coexisted in his catalog within a single year.
KCON Saudi Arabia and Moving Beyond EDM Festivals
In 2022, ASTER performed at KCON Saudi Arabia.
For his career, the appearance was especially interesting not because of the size of the stage but because of the audience. KCON is primarily focused on K-pop, so a significant part of the crowd had not come specifically to see an electronic DJ.
ASTER would later repeatedly choose exactly these kinds of events. His goal was not only to play for people already familiar with EDM, but also to introduce electronic music to audiences at pop and K-pop festivals.
Gucci Boy
May 8, 2023 saw the release of «Gucci Boy» featuring Emetsound and Asid.
The track is built around a short vocal hook, an elastic bassline and an energetic drop. ASTER and Jeiff took part in writing and producing the track.
«Gucci Boy» gained additional popularity through TikTok, Reels and other short-form video platforms.
For ASTER, it was an important example of how a club track could find a second life outside the festival environment.
A separate remix pack later appeared, featuring versions by Atmox, B.A.S.E, Epiik, Arkins, Sixthema, Demixl, Pure 100% and other producers.
Blue Dragon Series Awards
In 2023, ASTER played the opening set at the Blue Dragon Series Awards.
The setting was very different from a typical festival: in front of him were actors, television presenters and representatives of the Korean TV industry rather than a dancing EDM audience.
ASTER later recalled the performance as one of the most nerve-racking of his career.
The very presence of a DJ set at a televised awards ceremony reflects the direction he had developed by that point: electronic music should work not only inside a specialized club environment.
Waterbomb
Waterbomb holds a special place in ASTER's live history.
He performed at the Korean editions of the festival series and later took part in international editions in Japan, Thailand, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Waterbomb combines EDM, K-pop and hip-hop, meaning its audience differs significantly from that of a conventional electronic music festival.
ASTER deliberately makes such sets more accessible: he uses familiar songs, K-pop edits and shorter transitions, then gradually introduces harder electronic music.
This approach differs from his sets at specialized EDM events, where he can move more quickly into bass house, electro house or hardstyle.
123 MUSIC with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz
On August 15, 2024, «123 MUSIC» was released — a collaboration between ASTER, BBGIRLS and Firebeatz.
The project brought together two sides of his career: the Korean pop scene and international EDM.
ASTER and Firebeatz were involved in creating the music and arrangement, while BBGIRLS performed the vocals.
Before its official release, the track was presented at Waterbomb Incheon, where the members of BBGIRLS made a surprise appearance during ASTER's set.
That same year, «Bape Like That» was released, created with Jeiff, who by then had become one of ASTER's regular studio collaborators.
DJ Mag The Next 50
In 2024, ASTER ranked No. 128 in DJ Mag's extended ranking.
This was not the main Top 100 DJs list, but the The Next 50 ranking, which covers positions 101 through 150.
ASTER appeared at No. 128 between Marten Hørger and Lizzy Wang.
For a South Korean EDM artist, this was a notable international mention, although the distinction matters: he was not part of the main Top 100 at the time.
How ASTER Builds DJ Sets
ASTER's approach to DJing was formed during his years of club residencies.
He rarely builds an hour around a single genre. Electro house may form the foundation, but bass house, bounce, progressive house, hardstyle passages and pop edits can all appear within the same set.
The main principle is changing the energy.
ASTER himself has compared a successful set to a roller coaster: if the music remains at maximum intensity all the time, the effect quickly disappears. For this reason, after several heavy tracks he may play a familiar vocal song, give the crowd a short emotional pause and then raise the energy again.
Mashups receive particular attention. A popular vocal may be placed over an entirely different instrumental, while a K-pop song may end with a festival EDM drop.
This structure is even more noticeable in his online mixes. The opening minutes are usually as recognizable as possible, while more niche electronic music appears only after the listener has settled into the overall rhythm of the set.
Influence of Zedd
ASTER has repeatedly named Zedd as one of his important influences.
He was particularly impressed by «Clarity», released in the early 2010s.
For ASTER, the track became an example of how EDM does not necessarily have to exist only as instrumental club music. An electronic producer can create a complete song with vocals, melody and a pop-song structure without abandoning a powerful festival sound.
This principle is clearly visible in ASTER's own discography. Alongside instrumental club tracks are «Move On», «Till The Stars Come Out Again», «Fine Again», «Hurricane» and other releases in which vocals form the central part of the composition.
2025
In 2025, ASTER continued actively releasing music through Initial Music Korea.
Among the releases were «Martini», «Get Naked» and «Game Over».
«Game Over», released on August 29, was created together with Jeiff, with both musicians taking part in writing and producing the track.
At the same time, ASTER continued his festival appearances, including Waterbomb, S2O Korea and EDC Korea.
By this point, his live work was almost completely independent of any single type of venue: he could perform at a specialized EDM festival, a K-pop-oriented event or his own DJ concert.
Never Gonna Be with Alan Shirahama
On October 10, 2025, ASTER and Japanese DJ and producer Alan Shirahama released «Never Gonna Be».
This was not simply a guest remix or an exchange of ready-made parts. Both artists are credited as songwriters, composers, arrangers, producers and mixing engineers.
The collaboration is also interesting geographically: it is a full-scale collaboration between representatives of the Korean and Japanese EDM scenes without the necessary involvement of a European or American intermediary.
2026 Releases
On February 6, 2026, ASTER released «Rumble». He wrote the composition himself and prepared the arrangement together with Jeiff.
In spring, the pace of releases increased significantly.
On April 3 came «OMG», followed by «Holy Moly» on April 9, «Rock Your Body» on April 17 and «AZAS!» on April 20.
In the credits for «Holy Moly» and «Rock Your Body», ASTER is listed not only as a performer but also as a songwriter, composer and arranger, while also taking part in mixing and mastering.
This clearly shows how much his professional role changed compared with the beginning of the 2010s. At that time, ASTER primarily worked with finished music as a club DJ; now he is capable of taking a significant amount of material from the initial idea all the way through to final production.
On June 23, 2026, «YAHO» followed, featuring JUNG Ent.
Musical Style
ASTER is most often associated with electro house and festival EDM, although his catalog is not limited to a single direction.
It also includes progressive house, bass house, bounce, electronic pop and heavier elements close to hardstyle.
The difference is especially noticeable between studio releases and DJ sets. In the studio, ASTER may record a melodic vocal track, while in a live performance he can move into a much harder festival drop only a few minutes later.
This contrast can be explained by his club background. For ASTER, genre purity matters less than how the music works within a particular performance.
He actively uses K-pop, international pop music and his own mashups. A song already familiar to the audience often becomes a bridge toward material listeners may never have heard before.
Korean Pop Music and EDM
ASTER does not draw a strict line between K-pop and club electronic music.
Popular Korean songs regularly appear in his sets as edits: the original vocals are preserved, while the beat, tempo and drop are rebuilt for a large dance sound system.
This approach has proved particularly useful at Waterbomb, KCON and other mixed-format festivals, where a significant part of the audience comes primarily to see singers and idol groups.
Instead of immediately forcing such an audience to listen to unfamiliar instrumental EDM, ASTER starts with accessible material and gradually increases the share of electronic music.
Later, this connection also moved into official releases, with «123 MUSIC» featuring BBGIRLS and Firebeatz being the most obvious example.
ASTER MUSIC and the Popularization of Electronic Music
For ASTER, his own career has long gone beyond simply releasing singles and performing at festivals.
ASTER MUSIC became a separate way of working with an audience. Through long mixes and live recordings, electronic music reaches listeners who may never go to clubs.
This also explains ASTER's appearances at televised ceremonies, K-pop festivals and other events traditionally dominated by vocal artists.
His strategy is fairly pragmatic: instead of waiting for a broad audience to come to the EDM scene, he brings electronic music to places where that audience already is.
Major Festivals and Performances
- World DJ Festival;
- EDC Korea;
- Spectrum Dance Music Festival;
- S2O Festival;
- Waterbomb and the international Waterbomb Tour;
- Don't Let Daddy Know Korea;
- World Club Dome;
- It's The Ship;
- KCON Saudi Arabia;
- Pandora Festival Bangkok.
Selected Releases
- 2017 — «Escape»;
- 2018 — «CHAMPAGNE»;
- 2020 — «Melody»;
- 2020 — «Boom Bang» — featuring Asid;
- 2021 — «Back» — with HAECHI;
- 2021 — «Move On» — with Firebeatz;
- 2021 — «Till The Stars Come Out Again» — with BlackCode and Heleen;
- 2021 — «Future Love»;
- 2022 — «Selfish» — with VIVID;
- 2022 — «Fine Again» — with Sonnet;
- 2022 — «E:ku» — with JERIDE;
- 2022 — «Blaze»;
- 2022 — «Hurricane» — with BlackCode and Robbie Rosen;
- 2023 — «Gucci Boy» — featuring Emetsound and Asid;
- 2024 — «Bape Like That»;
- 2024 — «123 MUSIC» — with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz;
- 2025 — «Martini»;
- 2025 — «Get Naked»;
- 2025 — «Game Over» — with Jeiff;
- 2025 — «Never Gonna Be» — with Alan Shirahama;
- 2026 — «Rumble»;
- 2026 — «OMG»;
- 2026 — «Holy Moly»;
- 2026 — «Rock Your Body»;
- 2026 — «AZAS!»;
- 2026 — «YAHO» — featuring JUNG Ent.
Creative Journey
ASTER came to making his own music only after several years of working within the club industry. First came technical duties and residency sets, then festivals, and only after that a regular studio discography.
That is why his approach remains primarily DJ-oriented: even his original tracks are often built around a specific crowd response, with vocals, pauses and drops arranged so that the track can be easily incorporated into a live set.
Over time, a more pronounced song-oriented side was added to this foundation. Collaborations with Firebeatz, BlackCode, Sonnet, Robbie Rosen, BBGIRLS and Alan Shirahama gave ASTER the opportunity to work not only with instrumental festival EDM but also with fully developed vocal tracks.
At the same time, ASTER MUSIC, Waterbomb, KCON and his own concerts expanded his audience far beyond the conventional club environment. As a result, ASTER today occupies a position characteristic of the modern Korean scene: he is simultaneously a festival EDM DJ, a studio producer and an artist working at the intersection of electronic music and mainstream pop culture.
ASTER (Korean: 아스터; real name — Choi Min-woong, 최민웅; born September 19, 1990, in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea) — is a South Korean DJ and electronic music producer. After beginning his career on Seoul's club scene, he gradually moved on to major festivals, solo concerts and international releases. His music combines electro house, progressive house, festival EDM, bass house and elements of electronic pop music.
ASTER has performed at World DJ Festival, EDC Korea, S2O, Waterbomb and other major Asian festivals, and has collaborated with Firebeatz, BlackCode, VIVID, Robbie Rosen, BBGIRLS, Sonnet and Alan Shirahama. A separate part of his work is connected with the ASTER MUSIC project, through which the artist and DJ NEO release long-form mixes, live sets and EDM versions of popular Korean songs.
Among ASTER's studio releases, particularly notable tracks include «CHAMPAGNE», «Move On» with Firebeatz, «Till The Stars Come Out Again» with BlackCode and Heleen, «Hurricane» with BlackCode and Robbie Rosen, «Gucci Boy», «123 MUSIC» with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz, and «Never Gonna Be» with Alan Shirahama.
Early Years and the Path into the Club Industry
Choi Min-woong did not enter electronic music through academic training or a fully equipped home studio. His early years were connected with ordinary club work: lighting, technical tasks, venue preparation and other responsibilities far removed from the DJ booth.
ASTER has said in interviews that during one period he worked more than ten hours a day for around 400,000 won per month. When stable work in Korea was difficult to find, he spent some time in Yanji, China.
This experience proved more important to him than any formal courses. Working inside nightlife venues, he saw how a club night actually functions: when the mood of the crowd changes, how lighting interacts with music and why the same track can work differently in an empty room and a packed one.
Gradually, technical work gave way to his own performances. ASTER's DJ career began in 2013. One of his first venues was Seoul's Club Magnum.
During his first years, he released very little original music and concentrated on DJing. His sets were built around electro house, mashups and the most energetic club music of the period.
Seoul Club Scene
By the middle of the 2010s, ASTER was already performing regularly at prominent venues in Seoul.
In 2015, he was a resident DJ at Club Octagon, one of the best-known clubs in Gangnam. At different points, his career was also connected with Arena, Bound, MADE, HIVE, BUTTON, MASS and other venues.
Residency work shaped a significant part of his later DJ style. Unlike a festival, where a set often lasts around an hour and requires a quick move toward the strongest tracks, a club night forces a DJ to watch the room much more closely and adjust the music during the performance.
ASTER became accustomed to working with a large number of edits and mashups. A popular song could receive a different drop, a faster rhythm or an entirely new EDM arrangement. This principle would later become characteristic of his online mixes as well.
At the same time, his first international trips began. In 2015, he performed in China, then started receiving invitations from Malaysia, Thailand and other Asian countries. Later, Japan, Australia, Canada, the United States and European destinations were added to his touring geography.
Festival Period
The next step was performing at major electronic music festivals.
ASTER began appearing at World DJ Festival, Spectrum Dance Music Festival and other Korean events, gradually moving from club rooms to audiences of many thousands.
In 2019, he performed at EDC Korea. For an artist who only a few years earlier had been playing in Seoul clubs and still did not have a large original discography, appearing on the Electric Daisy Carnival lineup was an important point of growth.
The festival format also changed the way he played. ASTER began using shorter transitions, more recognizable vocal fragments and sharper shifts in dynamics. While a club set could develop gradually, a one-hour festival slot demanded rapid emotional peaks.
At the same time, he did not abandon longer performances and continued combining both models — club and festival.
First Original Tracks
Despite several years of professional DJing, the production side of ASTER's career developed more slowly.
In 2017, the name ASTER appeared on KASIA Compilation Vol.1 with the track «Escape».
A more notable original release was «CHAMPAGNE», released on August 14, 2018. The recording featured a vocalist credited as 雨, while RAVI was one of the songwriters and producers.
ASTER also took part in writing, arranging and producing the track.
«CHAMPAGNE» is important primarily as the point after which ASTER gradually stopped being only a DJ playing other people's music. Over time, his own releases began to occupy an increasingly large place in his festival sets as well.
First Solo EDM Concert
In November 2019, the ASTER EDM Concert was held in Seoul.
The concept differed from a typical club night: ASTER wanted to test whether an electronic DJ in South Korea could draw an audience to a standalone ticketed concert where the DJ was the main artist of the evening.
The event sold out.
For ASTER himself, the format had another meaning. He has repeatedly said that he wanted to separate EDM from the stereotype that DJ music must necessarily be associated only with nightclubs and alcohol.
The solo concert became one of the first steps toward a broader audience — people who could listen to electronic music without necessarily going to clubs.
ASTER MUSIC and NEO
ASTER developed the same idea together with DJ NEO through the ASTER MUSIC project.
The channel was built around long DJ mixes, performance recordings, themed selections and EDM versions of popular songs.
The format worked particularly well because it did not require listeners to understand the club scene. Someone could play an hour-long set at home, in the car or during a workout and gradually become familiar with the music ASTER would normally play at a festival.
The beginning of these mixes often featured familiar K-pop or pop songs in new versions, before the set gradually moved toward harder electro house, bass house or festival EDM.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, this direction became especially important. While festivals and clubs were closed, ASTER continued publishing mixes and livestreams, and ASTER MUSIC significantly expanded its audience.
Later, ASTER and NEO began appearing together not only online but also at festivals and on studio releases.
2020–2021 Releases
In 2020, ASTER released «Melody», followed a few days later by «Boom Bang» featuring Asid.
These tracks were still close to the Korean club EDM scene: short vocal phrases, a direct drum pattern and a drop designed primarily for a festival sound system.
In 2021, the catalog became more diverse. On March 3, ASTER and HAECHI released «Back», a darker and more bass-heavy track.
On July 9, one of the most notable international collaborations of that period appeared: «Move On» with Dutch duo Firebeatz.
Instead of maximally dense festival EDM, the artists chose a more restrained house rhythm and a full vocal structure. For ASTER, this track became his first major step beyond the familiar Korean EDM environment.
In November, «Till The Stars Come Out Again» followed with BlackCode and vocalist Heleen on Revealed Recordings. The track is closer to melodic progressive house and is built around a long emotional progression rather than a short festival drop.
In December, «Future Love» was released on Sub Religion Records. By this period, it had become clear that ASTER in the studio could sound much softer and more melodic than in his most energetic DJ sets.
2022: International Labels and Vocal Projects
In 2022, ASTER continued alternating Korean releases with international collaborations.
In February, he joined forces with VIVID for the single «Selfish» on Smash Deep. In July, «Fine Again» was released with South Korean singer Sonnet.
«Fine Again» arrived after the return of major festivals and had a noticeably brighter mood than many of ASTER's club tracks. Here, the electronic production primarily serves to support the vocal song.
On August 11, ASTER and JERIDE released «E:ku». Both musicians took part in writing and producing the track.
Later that same month came the more direct electro-house track «Blaze» on Generation Smash.
On September 30, ASTER worked again with BlackCode. The single «Hurricane», featuring vocals by Robbie Rosen, was released on MAXXIMIZE under Spinnin' Records distribution.
As a result, Korean vocal electronica, festival house and international progressive EDM all coexisted in his catalog within a single year.
KCON Saudi Arabia and Moving Beyond EDM Festivals
In 2022, ASTER performed at KCON Saudi Arabia.
For his career, the appearance was especially interesting not because of the size of the stage but because of the audience. KCON is primarily focused on K-pop, so a significant part of the crowd had not come specifically to see an electronic DJ.
ASTER would later repeatedly choose exactly these kinds of events. His goal was not only to play for people already familiar with EDM, but also to introduce electronic music to audiences at pop and K-pop festivals.
Gucci Boy
May 8, 2023 saw the release of «Gucci Boy» featuring Emetsound and Asid.
The track is built around a short vocal hook, an elastic bassline and an energetic drop. ASTER and Jeiff took part in writing and producing the track.
«Gucci Boy» gained additional popularity through TikTok, Reels and other short-form video platforms.
For ASTER, it was an important example of how a club track could find a second life outside the festival environment.
A separate remix pack later appeared, featuring versions by Atmox, B.A.S.E, Epiik, Arkins, Sixthema, Demixl, Pure 100% and other producers.
Blue Dragon Series Awards
In 2023, ASTER played the opening set at the Blue Dragon Series Awards.
The setting was very different from a typical festival: in front of him were actors, television presenters and representatives of the Korean TV industry rather than a dancing EDM audience.
ASTER later recalled the performance as one of the most nerve-racking of his career.
The very presence of a DJ set at a televised awards ceremony reflects the direction he had developed by that point: electronic music should work not only inside a specialized club environment.
Waterbomb
Waterbomb holds a special place in ASTER's live history.
He performed at the Korean editions of the festival series and later took part in international editions in Japan, Thailand, Dubai, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Waterbomb combines EDM, K-pop and hip-hop, meaning its audience differs significantly from that of a conventional electronic music festival.
ASTER deliberately makes such sets more accessible: he uses familiar songs, K-pop edits and shorter transitions, then gradually introduces harder electronic music.
This approach differs from his sets at specialized EDM events, where he can move more quickly into bass house, electro house or hardstyle.
123 MUSIC with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz
On August 15, 2024, «123 MUSIC» was released — a collaboration between ASTER, BBGIRLS and Firebeatz.
The project brought together two sides of his career: the Korean pop scene and international EDM.
ASTER and Firebeatz were involved in creating the music and arrangement, while BBGIRLS performed the vocals.
Before its official release, the track was presented at Waterbomb Incheon, where the members of BBGIRLS made a surprise appearance during ASTER's set.
That same year, «Bape Like That» was released, created with Jeiff, who by then had become one of ASTER's regular studio collaborators.
DJ Mag The Next 50
In 2024, ASTER ranked No. 128 in DJ Mag's extended ranking.
This was not the main Top 100 DJs list, but the The Next 50 ranking, which covers positions 101 through 150.
ASTER appeared at No. 128 between Marten Hørger and Lizzy Wang.
For a South Korean EDM artist, this was a notable international mention, although the distinction matters: he was not part of the main Top 100 at the time.
How ASTER Builds DJ Sets
ASTER's approach to DJing was formed during his years of club residencies.
He rarely builds an hour around a single genre. Electro house may form the foundation, but bass house, bounce, progressive house, hardstyle passages and pop edits can all appear within the same set.
The main principle is changing the energy.
ASTER himself has compared a successful set to a roller coaster: if the music remains at maximum intensity all the time, the effect quickly disappears. For this reason, after several heavy tracks he may play a familiar vocal song, give the crowd a short emotional pause and then raise the energy again.
Mashups receive particular attention. A popular vocal may be placed over an entirely different instrumental, while a K-pop song may end with a festival EDM drop.
This structure is even more noticeable in his online mixes. The opening minutes are usually as recognizable as possible, while more niche electronic music appears only after the listener has settled into the overall rhythm of the set.
Influence of Zedd
ASTER has repeatedly named Zedd as one of his important influences.
He was particularly impressed by «Clarity», released in the early 2010s.
For ASTER, the track became an example of how EDM does not necessarily have to exist only as instrumental club music. An electronic producer can create a complete song with vocals, melody and a pop-song structure without abandoning a powerful festival sound.
This principle is clearly visible in ASTER's own discography. Alongside instrumental club tracks are «Move On», «Till The Stars Come Out Again», «Fine Again», «Hurricane» and other releases in which vocals form the central part of the composition.
2025
In 2025, ASTER continued actively releasing music through Initial Music Korea.
Among the releases were «Martini», «Get Naked» and «Game Over».
«Game Over», released on August 29, was created together with Jeiff, with both musicians taking part in writing and producing the track.
At the same time, ASTER continued his festival appearances, including Waterbomb, S2O Korea and EDC Korea.
By this point, his live work was almost completely independent of any single type of venue: he could perform at a specialized EDM festival, a K-pop-oriented event or his own DJ concert.
Never Gonna Be with Alan Shirahama
On October 10, 2025, ASTER and Japanese DJ and producer Alan Shirahama released «Never Gonna Be».
This was not simply a guest remix or an exchange of ready-made parts. Both artists are credited as songwriters, composers, arrangers, producers and mixing engineers.
The collaboration is also interesting geographically: it is a full-scale collaboration between representatives of the Korean and Japanese EDM scenes without the necessary involvement of a European or American intermediary.
2026 Releases
On February 6, 2026, ASTER released «Rumble». He wrote the composition himself and prepared the arrangement together with Jeiff.
In spring, the pace of releases increased significantly.
On April 3 came «OMG», followed by «Holy Moly» on April 9, «Rock Your Body» on April 17 and «AZAS!» on April 20.
In the credits for «Holy Moly» and «Rock Your Body», ASTER is listed not only as a performer but also as a songwriter, composer and arranger, while also taking part in mixing and mastering.
This clearly shows how much his professional role changed compared with the beginning of the 2010s. At that time, ASTER primarily worked with finished music as a club DJ; now he is capable of taking a significant amount of material from the initial idea all the way through to final production.
On June 23, 2026, «YAHO» followed, featuring JUNG Ent.
Musical Style
ASTER is most often associated with electro house and festival EDM, although his catalog is not limited to a single direction.
It also includes progressive house, bass house, bounce, electronic pop and heavier elements close to hardstyle.
The difference is especially noticeable between studio releases and DJ sets. In the studio, ASTER may record a melodic vocal track, while in a live performance he can move into a much harder festival drop only a few minutes later.
This contrast can be explained by his club background. For ASTER, genre purity matters less than how the music works within a particular performance.
He actively uses K-pop, international pop music and his own mashups. A song already familiar to the audience often becomes a bridge toward material listeners may never have heard before.
Korean Pop Music and EDM
ASTER does not draw a strict line between K-pop and club electronic music.
Popular Korean songs regularly appear in his sets as edits: the original vocals are preserved, while the beat, tempo and drop are rebuilt for a large dance sound system.
This approach has proved particularly useful at Waterbomb, KCON and other mixed-format festivals, where a significant part of the audience comes primarily to see singers and idol groups.
Instead of immediately forcing such an audience to listen to unfamiliar instrumental EDM, ASTER starts with accessible material and gradually increases the share of electronic music.
Later, this connection also moved into official releases, with «123 MUSIC» featuring BBGIRLS and Firebeatz being the most obvious example.
ASTER MUSIC and the Popularization of Electronic Music
For ASTER, his own career has long gone beyond simply releasing singles and performing at festivals.
ASTER MUSIC became a separate way of working with an audience. Through long mixes and live recordings, electronic music reaches listeners who may never go to clubs.
This also explains ASTER's appearances at televised ceremonies, K-pop festivals and other events traditionally dominated by vocal artists.
His strategy is fairly pragmatic: instead of waiting for a broad audience to come to the EDM scene, he brings electronic music to places where that audience already is.
Major Festivals and Performances
- World DJ Festival;
- EDC Korea;
- Spectrum Dance Music Festival;
- S2O Festival;
- Waterbomb and the international Waterbomb Tour;
- Don't Let Daddy Know Korea;
- World Club Dome;
- It's The Ship;
- KCON Saudi Arabia;
- Pandora Festival Bangkok.
Selected Releases
- 2017 — «Escape»;
- 2018 — «CHAMPAGNE»;
- 2020 — «Melody»;
- 2020 — «Boom Bang» — featuring Asid;
- 2021 — «Back» — with HAECHI;
- 2021 — «Move On» — with Firebeatz;
- 2021 — «Till The Stars Come Out Again» — with BlackCode and Heleen;
- 2021 — «Future Love»;
- 2022 — «Selfish» — with VIVID;
- 2022 — «Fine Again» — with Sonnet;
- 2022 — «E:ku» — with JERIDE;
- 2022 — «Blaze»;
- 2022 — «Hurricane» — with BlackCode and Robbie Rosen;
- 2023 — «Gucci Boy» — featuring Emetsound and Asid;
- 2024 — «Bape Like That»;
- 2024 — «123 MUSIC» — with BBGIRLS and Firebeatz;
- 2025 — «Martini»;
- 2025 — «Get Naked»;
- 2025 — «Game Over» — with Jeiff;
- 2025 — «Never Gonna Be» — with Alan Shirahama;
- 2026 — «Rumble»;
- 2026 — «OMG»;
- 2026 — «Holy Moly»;
- 2026 — «Rock Your Body»;
- 2026 — «AZAS!»;
- 2026 — «YAHO» — featuring JUNG Ent.
Creative Journey
ASTER came to making his own music only after several years of working within the club industry. First came technical duties and residency sets, then festivals, and only after that a regular studio discography.
That is why his approach remains primarily DJ-oriented: even his original tracks are often built around a specific crowd response, with vocals, pauses and drops arranged so that the track can be easily incorporated into a live set.
Over time, a more pronounced song-oriented side was added to this foundation. Collaborations with Firebeatz, BlackCode, Sonnet, Robbie Rosen, BBGIRLS and Alan Shirahama gave ASTER the opportunity to work not only with instrumental festival EDM but also with fully developed vocal tracks.
At the same time, ASTER MUSIC, Waterbomb, KCON and his own concerts expanded his audience far beyond the conventional club environment. As a result, ASTER today occupies a position characteristic of the modern Korean scene: he is simultaneously a festival EDM DJ, a studio producer and an artist working at the intersection of electronic music and mainstream pop culture.
