Maya Bouldry-Morrison releases her most “vulnerable work to date”
Brooklyn based Octo Octa, AKA Maya Bouldry-Morrison was handed her first big break in 2011 with the EP ‘Let Me See You’ on LA label 100% Silk. Since that pivotal moment, Maya has gone on to release records for respected labels such as Running Back, Deepblak, Skylax, and HNYTRX.
The producer, DJ, and live act hit the ground running this year with the announcement of her debut release on Ninja Tune imprint Technicolour. The highly anticipated EP ‘For Lovers’ follows the 2018 house and breaks EP ‘Devotion’ with partner Eris Drew on Portuguese label Naive. The pair started the year with US tour ‘T4T LUV NRG’ playing back to back shows in New York, DC, Massachusetts, San Francisco & Los Angeles.
Opening track ‘I Need You’ is a strong statement regarding Maya’s need for love during a fragile transition period and was written during a time of isolation. The “radiant breakbeat love letter” features Bouldry-Morrison’s first vocal performance in years. “This is for my friends, this is for my lovers, this is for the people I care about in my life, for my family, for those who support me, for those who need to be around me, and for those who I need to be around”.
The dubby house track ‘Bodies Meld Together’ explores the experience of physical connection between people and the release it can help us attain. The song is based on a real-life encounter and mirrors Maya’s belief that physical connections with her partners, at it’s most elevated “a profound spiritual catharsis”.
The final track ‘Loops For Healing’ was written shortly after her second album ‘Where Are We Going’. Maya composed the track in a studio session as a personal tool and was never considered to be released. The loop was left stored on a hard drive for over a year until Maya found it and played it in a club by chance. It was one of those frustrating gigs that all musicians experience from time to time, but playing the tune to a full dance floor settled her nerves and was a strong reminder that she got into music “to heal herself and to heal others”.
Maya has been through a tough personal battle, first coming out as transgender and now identifying as polyamorous. This heartfelt record signifies the importance of Bouldry-Morrison’s friends, family, and polyamorous partners throughout her process of self-acceptance. As Polyamory becomes more of a well known and popularised option for those not wanting to conform to a traditional monogamous relationship, its women like Maya, who are championing the
Listen below:
Cover image credit: Charles Ludeke
