ÄSTRA unveils "EXHIBIT 8": a raw, restless album born outside the industry machine
For Guillermo Morales Vitola, music has always been more than a career — it’s been a necessity. A Colombian-born, LA-based drummer and veteran of the music industry, Guillermo has spent years behind the scenes helping artists navigate charts, campaigns, and algorithms. But when the pandemic hit, something shifted.
“I make music because my life asks me to,” he says. “If I don’t go into the studio and create something for myself, I start to feel like something is missing.”
That need led to ÄSTRA — his deeply personal project — and to Exhibit 8, a new album forged outside the machine he knows so well. Written and produced almost entirely by Guillermo, with longtime collaborator Zach Adams contributing vocals across the record, Exhibit 8 channels years of industry experience into a work shaped by feeling, not trends.
Exhibit 8 is the culmination of two years of evolution for ÄSTRA — now a fully solo venture for Guillermo, shaped in the margins of a demanding professional life. It builds on the restless energy of 2023’s Easy Ride, the inner wrestling of ABC, the indecision of Either, and the urgency of Time Doesn’t Stop.
Among the album’s sharpest moments, “Only a Fan” captures ÄSTRA at its most incisive. Built on minimalist guitars, ghostly synths, and a pulsing bass line from Martin Delahaye, the track reflects on how people use subscription platforms — like OnlyFans — to turn connection into commerce. Without moralizing, it captures the tension behind those choices: the blurring of personal and transactional in the digital space. It’s a track that lingers, pulling the listener deeper with every layer.
“I don’t chase trends,” Guillermo says. “This is music I’d play on my own speakers — a story that hits you in the gut.”
That spirit drives Exhibit 8, which was produced by Guillermo Morales Vitola and Juan Covarrubias, with mixing contributions from Covarrubias, Ty Engle, and Sylvia Massy, and mastering by Harris Newman. Rooted in Guillermo’s work with Enrique Bunbury, Alfonso André, and the elemental EP series (WATER, FIRE, EARTH, AIR), the album’s driving beats and tactile riffs feel alive — a counterpoint to an industry obsessed with polish and metrics.
For longtime fans, it’s a milestone; for newcomers, it’s an invitation to discover an artist reclaiming music as a space for instinct and honesty — in a time when connection and identity have never felt more fragile.
ABOUT ÄSTRA:
ÄSTRA is the one-man project of Colombian-born, Los Angeles-based artist Guillermo Morales Vitola. Built on a foundation of guitars, vintage synth textures, and driving rhythms, ÄSTRA creates music that’s atmospheric, and emotionally charged. Past collaborations include work with Enrique Bunbury and Alfonso André, and appearances at major festivals like Vive Latino. With the upcoming album EXHIBIT 8, Guillermo solidifies ÄSTRA as a bold, uncompromising voice in the alternative rock landscape.
www.astrabandofficial.com
