China Aster on Over the Moon and the hopeful absurdity of The Precinct

Guernsey-born, London-based artist China Aster returns on 31 March 2026 with new single “Over the Moon”, the latest preview of his forthcoming EP The Precinct. The project — the solo venture of Joshua Moore — continues his distinctive blend of art-pop, philosophical ideas and surreal imagery, pairing shimmering synth textures with lyrics that explore communication, community and the possibility of better futures.

Ahead of the release, Babystep Magazine caught up with Moore to talk about the ideas behind the music, finding optimism in pessimism, and why the everyday spaces we overlook might hold the seeds of something quietly utopian.

Babystep Magazine: “Over the Moon” is the latest glimpse of your upcoming EP. What were you exploring when you wrote it?

China Aster:“I often start writing from a place of sadness or despair, but then I try to revise that instinct and find the hopeful kernel inside it. There’s so much dystopian thinking in culture that sometimes I want to lean the other way.”

Written alongside longtime collaborator Oliver Marson and produced, mixed and mastered by Darren Jones (Fat Dog, Test Plan), “Over the Moon” pairs rhythmic propulsion with dreamlike lyrical fragments — capturing moments of elation that appear in the middle of uncertainty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37PJT6RIl08

 Your music often feels philosophical but still very playful. How conscious are you of balancing those two things?

“A lot of the ideas I explore aren’t ironic — they’re knowingly ridiculous. I like ridiculousness because big ideas are often seen as unrealistic, but that’s also where creativity lives.”

Across the upcoming EP The Precinct, Moore draws inspiration from science fiction, philosophy and the social architecture of everyday life. One recurring image throughout the project is the shopping precinct — something he sees as an unexpectedly hopeful space.

The precinct is a fascinating theme. Where did that idea come from?

A shopping precinct is a pedestrian space in a world built for cars. It’s somewhere people sit on benches, bump into each other, talk and buy things. It’s mundane, but there’s something quietly utopian about it.” Musically, the new material also marks a subtle shift in direction. While earlier releases leaned heavily into retro synth textures, the upcoming EP broadens its sonic palette — drawing on dream-pop, post-punk and even touches of ’90s house.

How do you approach writing lyrics that are open enough for listeners to interpret themselves?

I’m very careful not to be didactic. I’m not trying to teach anything — I want the songs to inspire people on a visceral level and let them decide what they want to take from it.

That approach has helped China Aster build growing attention across the independent press and radio since the project’s debut in 2022. For Babystep Magazine, it’s that unusual mixture of philosophy, playfulness, and melody that sets the project apart.

With “Over the Moon” arriving ahead of The Precinct, China Aster continues what Moore has described as “a campaign for lucid daydreaming” — music that imagines hopeful futures while acknowledging the contradictions of the present.

“Over the Moon” is released 31 March 2026.