Octo Octa Explained

Maya Bouldry-Morrison
Associated Acts:	Eris Drew

Maya Bouldry-Morrison, better known by her stage name Octo Octa, is an American house producer and DJ based in Brooklyn, New York.

In 2016, Bouldry-Morrison came out as transgender, after having already gained prominence as an artist.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Career

Octo Octa describes her influences as including classic Warp records, IDM, drum 'n' bass, San Francisco based label Tigerbeat6, and has been inspired by trans artist DJ Sprinkles (a.k.a. Terre Thaemlitz).^[4]

While studying at the University of New Hampshire, she formed the dance band Horny Vampyre with her friend Jeremy, while also using the Octo Octa moniker for her solo experimental music. Her initial solo productions worked within IDM and breakcore genres; it was only at the end of her college career that she began to produce the style of house music for which she is more widely known.

Her first EP release, Let Me See You (2011), came out through 100% Silk, the house sub-label of noise music label Not Not Fun Records. She has since had several releases, including the 12" EP Where Did You Go / Through the Haze (2014) on Argot, More Times EP (2015) on German label Running Back and Further Trips (2015) through Deepblak. Her first three albums have been released through 100% Silk, with the most recent being Resonant Body in 2019.

In January 2021, Bouldry-Morrison announced her new EP She’s Calling, set for a February 5 release date.^[5]

Personal life

Bouldry-Morrison came out as transgender in 2016. She recounts that this process began in 2012, when she read a Rolling Stone article about Against Me frontwoman Laura Jane Grace.^[6]

Discography

Albums

• Rough, Rugged, and Raw 100% Silk, 2011, SILK025
• LA Vampires 100% Silk, 2012, SILK031
• Between Two Selves 100% Silk, 2013, SILK046
• Where Are We Going? HNYTRX, 2017, HNY-015
• Resonant Body T4T LUV NRG, 2019, T4T002^[7]

12"s and EPs

• She's Calling, 2021^[5]
• Let Me See You 100% Silk, 2011, SILK011
• Oh Love 100% Silk, 2012, SILK023
• Cause I Love You 100% Silk, 2014, SILK061
• Where Did You Go/ Through the Haze Argot, 2014, ARGOT 009
• More Times Running Back, 2015, RB052
• Requiem for the Body Stays Underground It Pays, 2015, SUIT 8
• Further Trips Deepblak, 2015, DBR-V026
• Where Are We Going? HNYTRX, 2017, HNY-015
• My Feelings Toward You Love Notes, 2017, LVNO-09
• Frndzne 01 Frendzone!, 2017, frndzne 01
• New Paths Argot, 2017, ARGOT019
• Aimless Skylax, 2017, LAX144
• Adrift Honey Soundsystem Records, 2017, HNY-016
• Devotion EP Naive (3), 2018, NAIVE004
• For Lovers Technicolour, 2019, TCLR030

Remixes

• Don't Fear It EP Don't Fear It (Remix), Shewey Trax, 2017, shew-19

Notes and References

1. News: DJ Octo Octa on coming out as transgender: 'Everyone was confused, then it was OK'. Coldwell. Will. 2017-03-28. The Guardian. 2017-03-31. 0261-3077.
2. News: Octo Octa: "I'm so much happier out the closet". Williams. Rachael. 2016. Red Bull. 2017-03-31.
3. News: Risk Spaces: Octo Octa In Conversation With Terre Thaemlitz. Opperman. Derek. 2017-03-22. Electronic Beats. 2017-03-31.
4. News: Sequencer Spotlights Octo Octa. Greco. Alicia. 2017-02-18. Sequencer. 2017-03-31. 2017-04-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111831/http://sequencer.club/sequencer-spotlight-octo-octa/. dead.
5. News: Moore, Sam . Octo Octa announces new EP 'She's Calling' . 16 January 2021 . . January 15, 2021.
6. News: Octo Octa: Between two selves. Reynaldo. Shawn. 2016. Resident Advisor. 2017-03-31.
7. Web site: Minsker . Evan . Strauss . Matthew . Octo Octa Announces New Album Resonant Body, Shares New Song: Listen . . August 12, 2019 . July 24, 2019.