Pre-save / order vinyl: https://asa808.fanlink.to/boycrush

Support from DJ Mag UK, XLR8R, Groove Magazin, Beatportal, When We Dip, DIFFUS Mag, FluxFM, NTS, BBC R1 & 6 Music, premiered by Soundspace, WPD, BBC 6 Music (Tom Ravencroft & Gilles Peterson), Slothboogie & Apparell Music. DJ & Radio Support from the likes of Adriatique, Âme, Dark Sky, George FitzGerald, James Zabiela, Joris Voorn, Joyce Muniz, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Laurent Garnier, Marcel Dettmann, Perel, Red Axes, Redshape, The Black Dog, Tijana T & Tim Rosenberger (Berghain). Mastered by Moomin.

ASA 808’s new album Boy, crush is a very personal inner journey as well as a call to fight and free ourselves from toxic masculinity. In eight tracks that subtly merge electronica, ambient, breakbeat and house, the Berlin-based artist processes their own quest for gender identity. Out on vinyl and digital via the TOYS Berlin imprint, the album proposes new, softer and more diverse forms of gender fluidity.

ASA 808 invites listeners to expand their views of the gender spectrum. The title Boy, crush plays with the term “boy crush” and is meant as an encouragement for all men to collectively crush manhood with all its toxic traits and consequences:

“Toxic masculinity has kept our grandmothers and mothers small and brought deviant boys into line. It took me a long time to unlearn so much sexism and queerphobia, and find my inner queer child again to let it grow, bloom and shine. I dream of a world in which men emasculate themselves and choose to embrace softness, weakness, vulnerability, solidarity, consideration, mindfulness, self-reflectiveness and nonviolence", explains the non-binary producer and DJ who discovered their gender-nonconforming side at an early age.

"I loved to dress up and dance when I was a kid. I loved everything that glittered and sparkled. My best friends were girls. I often felt like boys’ nights were a downward spiral and tried to refuse my socialization as a man. Still today, it seems to me that so many toxic behaviors are linked to hegemonic ideas of masculinity. We’re all suffering from them, whether we’re men or not, whether we want it or not, some obviously more than others.” To free ourselves from the restraints of patriarchy, ASA 808 always saw the dancefloor as a potential space for emancipation where everyone should feel included and safe.

While the introverted ambient tracks on the album were recorded during the pandemic, the more energetic tracks emerged when life returned to the city and clubs reopened.

"Everyone was hungry for culture and there was a very exciting and blissful energy in the air", recalls  ASA, who released previously on George FitzGerald’s MakeMusic imprint and developed a special connection to the capital's nightlife through their own TOYS fundraiser parties.

Buy vinyl / stream

ASA 808 - Boy, crush [TOYS010] album sampler (out Oct 28th 2022)

Bliss

Full Premiere: https://wearesoundspace.com/premiere-asa-808-fill-your-lungs-with-peace

Spotify: goo.gl/phNY5q
YouTube: goo.gl/MlPo8d
Facebook: goo.gl/WGjgHO
Twitter: goo.gl/QJgbtz
SoundCloud: @wearesoundspace

Buy this track: https://www.beatport.com/track/fill-your-lungs-with-peace/16708728

ASA 808
https://soundcloud.com/asa-808

TOYS Berlin
https://soundcloud.com/toysberlin

Boy, Crush

READ OUR REVIEW

Premiere: ASA 808 - Fill Your Lungs With Peace [TOYS Berlin]

https://soundcloud.com/asa-808
https://soundcloud.com/toysberlin
🛒 https://asa808.fanlink.to/Healing
🔊 https://youtu.be/q6W0SLeUddc

In the second installment in a series of fresh releases dealing with detoxing masculinity, ASA 808 presents two pieces of sweeping UK-bass and ambient influenced dance music. Driven by their distinctive harmonic take on house music and impelling breakbeats, Healing and Fill your lungs with peace boldly merge these contrasting elements while upholding ASA 808’s recognisable boundary-pushing sound. They will be released on the TOYS Berlin imprint on Friday, July 29th 2022.

Healing is swirling with energetic hi-hats, rousing drum beats and dreamy harp and bell sounds piercing through the stirring surface of harmonically multi-layered synths and beautifully scattered vocal bits. Apparent opposites like the driving breaky kick drum clash with gentle but clear harp melodies, constantly being recontextualized by surprising harmonic shifts and rhodes basslines, evolving the track to an energizing yet refreshing and mind-bending piece of dance music.

Healing starts with listening. It continues with rest and attention. It will always happen if we let it. Healing the inflammations of hate, aggression, racism, sexism and greed requires education, accountability, reflection, mindfulness, self-reflectiveness, solidarity and non-violence, the recognition and rejection of privilege. It is not just the inner process of an individual, but often a collective act. There’s so much we need to heal: harm caused by unprocessed grief, inherited, collective and individual trauma, our relationship with nature, with ourselves and our bodies.

Fill your lungs with peace is a tribute to Thích Nhất Hạnh, the great Zen-Buddhist monk and teacher, who passed away earlier this year. It’s a reminder to get in touch with the here and now. An invitation to pause whatever you’re doing in order to experience the wonders of the present moment. It’s a real treasure to realize: We have a chance to start anew anytime, any second. It’s as easy as that, you can always start with your next inhale.

The harp and drum sounds create a bond between Healing and Fill your lungs with peace. Nonetheless the latter is a faster, yet calmer and more analogue take on breakbeat. Once you dive into it, you can almost feel how soothing and refreshing the immeasurable delays, guitar fades and floating synth arpeggios fill the air.

Healing comes from within, no one and nothing else can provide it. ASA 808’s new pieces remind us of exactly that – while honoring and spreading the message of one of the wisest beings that lived on this earth, who authentically explained a way to sustainable happiness.
“Breath is the bridge which connects life to consciousness, which unites your body to your thoughts.”

― Thích Nhất Hạnh: The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation. 

Tracklist: 

1. Healing
2. Fill Your Lungs With Peace

PREMIERE: ASA 808 – Healing [TOYS Berlin]

First written without a comma, Boy, crush  was meant as a hommage for a very special boy in the non-binary artist’s life. The comma in between the two words varies the meaning: it is now also meant as an invitation for all men to collectively crush manhood (and all its toxic traits).

ASA 808 announce their 'Boy, crush' album that is set to be released October 28th via TOYS Berlin.

Link:
@asa-808

APPAREL PREMIERE: ASA 808 - Boy, crush (Extended Mix) [TOYS.]

ASA 808's new album 'Boy, crush' is a very personal inner journey as well as a call to fight and free ourselves from toxic masculinity. 

Featured: https://klubikon.com/2022/10/26/premiere-asa-808-ataraxia-feat-severine/ 

'Boy, crush' album will be available after the 28th of October https://asa808.bandcamp.com/album/boy-crush 

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Boy, crush

Featured

PREMIERE: ASA 808 - Ataraxia feat. Séverine

Love No Matter What

ASA 808, DAEDE - Love No Matter What

[he/they] DJ/producer/rave maker https://soundcloud.com/toysberlin collective & label founder. Resident on https://soundcloud.com/swufm & https://soundcloud.com/refugeworldwide Dates below ↓ bookings: booking@toysberlin.de / promos etc: ASA808berlin (at)gmail(dot)com releases below on https://soundcloud.com/makemusicclub (London) & TOYS Berlin
Dates:
13.04.24 SWU.FM ● Bristol
26.04.24 about blank ● Berlin
27.04.24 Paloma ● Berlin
04.05.24 Le Mazette ● Paris
09.05.24 Hybrid @ FEZ ● Berlin
11.05.24 Transit ● Chemnitz
11.05.24 SWU.FM ● Bristol
26.05.24 about blank ● Berlin
31.05.24 SENSUS / Forum ● Bielefeld
14.06.24 Cute Laune Festival ● Schönow
03.08.24 tba ● tba
17.08.24 tba ● tba
07.09.24 tba ● tba

Past:
08.03.24 ://about blank ● Berlin
29.02.-03.03.24 live ambient @ Dock11 ● Berlin
10.02.24 SWU.FM ● Bristol
13.01.24 SWU.FM ● Bristol
11.01.24 Refuge Worldwide ● Berlin
09.12.23 SWU.FM ● Bristol
03.12.23 WZA Festival/Rotbart ● Berlin
10.11.23 Kantine ● Konstanz
02.11.23 Macarena ● Barcelona
28.10.23 Flux FM ● Berlin
28.10.23 ://about blank ● Berlin
20.10.23 Operator ● Rotterdam
15.09.23 Studio Am See ● NB
08.09.23 BBC 6 Music ● London
18.08.23 Flux FM ● Berlin
18.08.23 ://about blank ● Berlin
05.08.23 RinseFM ● London
22.07.23 Cute Liebe ● Schönow
13.07.23 Refuge Worldwide ● Berlin
28.06.23 Fusion Festival ● Lärz
24.06.23 Ozalot Festival ● Schönow
16.06.23 Pontoon ● Budapest
20.05.23 Climax Institutes ● Stuttgart
08.05.23 Voices Radio ● London
29.04.23 La Station – Gare des Mines ● Paris
15.04.23 HoU ● Osnabrück
17.03.23 ://about blank ● Berlin
17.03.23 Flux FM ● Berlin
26.11.22 ://about blank ● Berlin
12.11.22 b2b Dark Sky ● Refuge Worldwide
07.11.22 'Detox Masculinity' ● Refuge Worldwide
28.10.22 'Boy, crush' album release ● worldwide
28.10.22 FluxFM ● Berlin
30.09.22 Sa Terza Metari ● Sardinia
18.06.22 Cute Laune Festival ● Secret Castle
28.05.22 Immergut Festival ● Neustrelitz
01.04.22 ://about blank ● Berlin
07.08.21 Cute Liebe ● Schönow
03.07.21 ://about blank ● Berlin
25.07.20 Cute Laune Festival ● Secret Castle
25.01.20 ://about blank ● Berlin
19.-21.10.19 Prekaer Festival ● off
13.09.19 ://about blank ● Berlin
31.08.19 Gewölbe ● Köln
09.08.19 Pontoon ● Budapest
05.07.19 Menagerie ● Belfast
14.06.19 Cute Laune Festival ● Secret Castle
18.05.19 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
18.05.19 OYE Records Instore ● Berlin
17.05.19 'Love trumps fear' album release ● worldwide
30.04.19 ://about blank ● Berlin
06.04.19 Musikbunker ● Aachen
24.03.19 Bahnwärter Thiel ● München
23.03.19 Goldener Reiter ● München
23.03.19 Radio 80000 ● worldwide
09.03.19 Griessmühle ● Berlin
07.03.19 La Java ● Paris
07.03.19 Rinse France ● worldwide
12.01.19 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
14.12.18 Sass Club ● Vienna
01.12.18 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf
19.10.18 NDSM b2b Olaf Stuut ● Amsterdam
12.10.18 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
29.09.18 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf
14.09.18 ://about blank ● Berlin
02.06.18 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
30.05.18 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf
27.04.18 Nachtigall ● Köln
21.04.18 ://about blank ● Berlin
10.02.18 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf
10.11.17 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf
20.10.17 Breidenbach Studios ● Heidelberg
14.10.17 Golden Gate ● Berlin
12.08.17 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
11.08.17 Wilde Möhre Festival ● Göritz
07.07.17 Feel Festival ● Bergheider See
29.06.17 ://about blank ● Berlin
19.05.17 Loftus Hall ● Berlin
21.04.17 Tresor ● Berlin
13.04.17 Off / Fäncy Villa ● Leipzig
08.04.17 Farbfernseher ● Berlin
31.03.17 Weinwirtschaft Grün ● Magdeburg
04.02.17 Golzheim ● Düsseldorf

Asa started making music at the age of six, first learning classical piano and guitar, later specializing in music theory and composition, jazz and improvisation. As a teenager, the non-binary artist released a 5 track EP with their first solo project Hasta la otra méxico!, of which especially 'Túrána hott kurdís' attracted a lot of attention, hitting almost 1 million views on vimeo & youtube. Driven by their love for electronic music, Asa started producing and DJing as ASA 808, releasing on George FitzGerald's ManMakeMusic, Soundspace, Blank, Yarn Audio and their own TOYS imprint and playing in venues such as ://about Blank, Tresor, Ritter Butzke, Le Java (Paris), Lehmann (Stuttgart), B90 (Gdansk), Corvin Club (Budapest), Menagerie (Belfast), Gewölbe (Cologne), Karlstorbahnhof (Heidelberg), Bahnwärter Thiel (Munich) & Baalsaal (Hamburg). Pushing the boundaries of techno, house and bass elements, ASA 808 combines classical instruments with analogue synths and drum machines. Featuring DJs such as Ada, Avalon Emerson, Breach, Christian Löffler, Dark Sky, Dauwd, Ejeca, Elkka, Frits Wentink, Glenn Astro, Huxley, Locked Groove, Lxury, Mike Dehnert, Moomin, Redshape, The Golden Filter, Throwing Snow, Tom Demac, Trikk, Will Saul, Youandewan and xxxy, ASA 808’s queer TOYS parties in Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg and Düsseldorf have become a must go for all lovers of forward-thinking electronic music in Germany.