Octo Octa
Introduction
Octo Octa (Maya Bouldry-Morrison) is an American electronic music artist (producer and DJ) based in Brooklyn, New York. She is notable as one of very few electronic musicians to "come out" as transgender after gaining notoriety as an artist, thus effectively undergoing a gender-identity transition in the public eye. She has contributed to transgender visibility and awareness by openly discussing her transition in interviews with both music-specialist media and mainstream media.
Performing career
Octo Octa describes her influences as including classic WARP records, IDM, drum ‘n’ bass, Los Angeles record label Tigerbeat6, and has been inspired by trans artist DJ Sprinkles (a.k.a. Terre Thaemlitz).
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 Between Two Selves in 2013.
Public image
Although she began coming out as transgender in 2016, she recounts that this process began in 2012, when she read a Rolling Stone article about Laura Jane Grace, the lead singer from Against Me, who is also transgender.
Discography
Albums
- Where Are We Going? HNYTRX, 2017, HNY-015
- Between Two Selves 100% Silk, 2013, SILK046
- LA Vampires 100% Silk, 2012, SILK031
- Rough, Rugged, And Raw 100% Silk, 2011, SILK025
12"s and EPs
- My Feelings Toward You Love Notes, 2017, LVNO-09
- Where Are We Going? HNYTRX, 2017, HNY-015
- Further Trips Deepblak, 2015, DBR-V026
- Requiem For The Body Stays Underground It Pays, 2015, SUIT 8
- More Times Running Back, 2015, RB052
- Where Did You Go/ Through the Haze Argot, 2014, ARGOT 009
- Cause I Love You 100% Silk, 2014, SILK061
- Oh Love 100% Silk, 2012, SILK023
- Let Me See You 100% Silk, 2011, SILK011
Remixes Appear on
- Don't Fear It EP Don't Fear It (Remix), Shewey Trax, 2017, shew-19