There is something instantly intriguing about a collaboration between Giuseppe Ottaviani and Gabry Ponte. Both are unmistakably Italian, both have built careers around powerful melodies and crowd connection, yet they arrive from different corners of electronic music: Ottaviani as one of modern trance’s most respected melodic craftsmen, Ponte as an artist whose instinct for immediate, stadium-sized dance music has reached audiences far beyond the club scene. With Crooked Bangs completing the line-up, “Astra” brings those worlds together in a high-energy trance production made for maximum impact.
From its opening moments, “Astra” carries the unmistakable scale of a main-floor trance weapon. The production is fast, polished and unapologetically uplifting, driven by a rolling 140 BPM foundation that keeps the energy firmly pointed toward the peak of the night. The track does not linger in subtlety; instead, it reaches for immediate elevation, combining emotional tension with the kind of release that feels designed for lasers, raised hands and festival-sized sound systems.
Ottaviani’s melodic fingerprint is central to that feeling. The Italian producer has long understood how to turn uplifting trance into something both technically precise and emotionally direct. Here, the synth work feels expansive and celestial, matching the title perfectly: “Astra” does not merely suggest stars, it aims for that weightless, airborne feeling that the best trance records can create in a room full of people.
At the same time, Gabry Ponte’s involvement gives the track an additional layer of immediacy. There is a directness to “Astra” that feels built for large-scale connection: the hook lands quickly, the arrangement is accessible without sacrificing intensity, and the overall production has the kind of impact that can translate from a dedicated trance event to a much broader festival stage.
Crooked Bangs adds the human element to the collaboration, helping “Astra” move beyond a purely instrumental peak-time production. The vocal presence strengthens the track’s emotional pull, giving its soaring melodic framework a focal point while leaving enough space for the instrumental power to dominate where it matters most.
Giuseppe Ottaviani has become one of the defining artists of contemporary melodic trance. Known for his energetic productions, live performance approach and unmistakable focus on melody, he has expanded his sound across trance and the wider electronic spectrum while remaining closely connected to the emotional DNA of the genre. Armada Music describes him as an artist whose global live shows, festival appearances and collaborations have secured his reputation as one of electronic music’s elite producers — with many fans and industry figures simply referring to him as the “Maestro.”
Gabry Ponte, meanwhile, brings a remarkable legacy of his own. As one of the original members of Eiffel 65, he was part of the Italian project behind the worldwide dance phenomenon “Blue (Da Ba Dee).” Since then, he has continued to build a major solo career in electronic dance music, including representing San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with “Tutta L’Italia” and becoming the first DJ to headline Milan’s San Siro Stadium. His contribution to “Astra” connects trance with the instinctive, instantly communicative energy that has defined so much of his career.
That combination is exactly what makes “Astra” work: Ottaviani delivers the trance architecture and emotional lift, while Ponte helps sharpen its festival-sized accessibility. Rather than pulling in different directions, their strengths meet in the middle, producing a track that feels both authentically trance-driven and unmistakably built for enormous crowds.
“Astra” is an impressive meeting point between melodic trance heritage and modern big-stage energy. Giuseppe Ottaviani and Gabry Ponte have created a track that feels proudly Italian, emotionally charged and purpose-built for the biggest moments of a set. At 140 BPM, it carries enough drive for the dedicated trance floor, while its memorable hook and vocal dimension give it the reach to resonate far beyond genre boundaries.
⭐️ Rating: 9/10
🎧 Perfect for:
- Peak-time trance and festival sets
- Hands-in-the-air euphoric moments
- Fans of melodic, high-energy Italian trance
- Late-night drives with the volume turned all the way up
After being road-tested by Ottaviani for more than a year, “Astra” now arrives exactly as a track of this scale should: confident, euphoric and ready to become one of Armada Music’s standout trance releases of the season.
Artist: Giuseppe Ottaviani, Gabry Ponte, Crooked Bangs
Track: Astra
Label: Armada Music
Release Date: May 22nd, 2026
Get your copy here: https://armada.lnk.to/AstraYA
Connect with Giuseppe Ottaviani:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giuseppeottaviani
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giuseppeottaviani
X: https://www.twitter.com/gottaviani
Connect with Gabry Ponte:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gabryponte
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabryponte
X: https://www.twitter.com/gabryponte
Connect with Crooked Bangs:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lescrookedbangs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crookedbangsofficial
Connect with Armada Music:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/armadamusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/armadamusic
X: https://www.twitter.com/armada
Take a listen to Giuseppe Ottaviani, Gabry Ponte & Crooked Bangs – Astra here:
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