Octo Octa (US)

Dance music has often romanticized the idea of the anonymous artist who quietly lurks in the shadows, but Octo Octa (a.k.a. Maya Bouldry-Morrison) has no interest in hiding who she is. She's an openly autobiographical artist, and one who's eager to tell her story as a radical queer trans woman polyamorous witch.

The New Hampshire-based DJ, producer and live performer has been active for nearly a decade, but in recent years she's leveled up, fueled by the rising tide of North America's queer DJ scene, not to mention the success of her albums Where Are We Going? (2017) and Resonant Body (2019). Though her music has appeared on labels such as Naive, Honey Soundsystem, Technicolour and 100% Silk, Resonant Body was released on T4T LUV NRG, a label she runs alongside her romantic and DJ partner Eris Drew. The two can often be found going back-to-back in the booth, and together they've created a platform that actively celebrates trans love and visibility, along with the potent healing magic of the dancefloor.

House, techno and breakbeat are Octo Octa's genres of choice, although these kinds of descriptors ultimately feel a bit clinical given the intensely personal nature of her music. Gravitating toward the ecstatic, the joyful and the openly emotional, it's no wonder that Bouldy-Morrison's uniquely uplifting vision has been enthusiastically welcomed on dancefloors around the globe, including those at world-renowned festivals like Sónar, Dekmantel and Sustain Release. While her path—especially outside the club—has often been (and continues to be) challenging, it's in dance music that Octo Octa has found connection, self-realization and true love. She's got a story to tell, and it's powerful.

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