Austin Ashtin: From Colorado to Austin, Texas

From Denver, Colorado, Austin Ashtin has been making waves in the electronic dance music scene. Now based in Austin, Texas, he’s carving out a unique space for himself in the world of DJing and music production.

The Colorado Influence

Austin credits his early exposure to Colorado’s thriving EDM scene for sparking his passion. “Yeah, absolutely. Colorado has a huge EDM scene. There’s a group that runs Global Dance Festival and Decadence. I was growing up going to Skrillex, Flux Pavilion, Dr. P.—some huge artists back in the day.”

Musical Beginnings

Funny enough, Austin’s first piece of musical experience was in middle school playing the recorder. “I think a lot of people did, like in school programs.” But his real musical awakening came later. “I went to a jazz festival as I was finishing college, and I saw an artist named Gary Clark Jr. absolutely shredding the guitar. People call him the Jimi Hendrix of our generation. I looked at myself and thought, ‘I don’t have a creative bone in my body aside from when I played recorder in middle school.’” This inspired him to dip his toes into the possibility of creating music.

While studying software engineering, Austin discovered digital audio workstations (DAWs) like Ableton. “I went to a program called Keep Music Going, an awesome academy to get Ableton certification in Colorado. I did that for about six months, got my certification, and really started learning how to produce music.”

Now, after nearly eight years of refining his craft, Austin has developed his own style. “It’s taken a lot of time to find my sound, but I’ve been extremely experimental—making house, tech house, bass house, even trying folk. What I’ve come to find is that my sound leans more towards tech house and pop culture house music.”

Austin attended the University of Northern Colorado, where his DJing journey took shape. “At that time, there weren’t a lot of DJs at college parties—it was just playing stuff through an iTunes playlist. I was social chair, so I put on a ton of events, and my phone was always left playing music all night. That’s when I started asking, ‘How can I create some of these sounds that I love?’”

Original Music and Future Projects

Austin has been steadily building his discography of original music. “I think I did somewhere close to seven original records last year and 12 remixes. I’m working with some bigger names in the industry and have some really exciting things coming up that I can’t necessarily disclose… but you may start to see me in more of the Chris Lake, Fisher atmosphere.”

Big Dreams

After asking Austin what his dream venues are, he gave a very hopeful answer. “I’ve told myself—and it’s on my manifestation list—I will play Red Rocks one year. The Gorge in Washington is also an all-time dream for me.”

He’s also eyeing a Vegas residency in the future. “I want to play a huge pool party in Vegas at night and call it ‘Adult Swim.’ And then, Austin City Limits is probably in my top three.”

Musical Influences

Austin is constantly drawing inspiration from a range of artists. “I’m listening to a lot of Sammy Virji—it’s a little bit of that UK house style. I’m also listening to a ton of Benson Boone whenever I get into my feels. Super excited to be on a ticket with his name on it.”

Other major influences include Fisher, Chris Lake, John Summit, and Max Styler. He also recommends checking out Bobby, the host for Breakaway Festival. “If you want music curation in the dance music scene, you have to go check out Bobby.”

Why Does Austin DJ?

For Austin, DJing is about creating an experience. “One of the things I enjoy most is going out to a nightclub and being able to provide an environment for my friends. It’s like taking my small house party and moving it to different destinations.”

He also mentioned how he’s able to create a safe and enjoyable experience for his mom when she comes to see his sets.

Advice for Aspiring DJs

Although he’s still navigating the industry himself, Austin has learned a few key lessons:

“Just be kind to people. You never know who you’re being introduced to—they could play a larger part in an event.”
“Be unapologetically yourself.”

With his passion and drive, Austin Ashtin is well on his way to making a name for himself in the world of EDM. Keep an eye out—big things are coming.