{{Short description|American house producer and DJ}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = Maya Bouldry-Morrison | honorific_suffix = | image = | image_size = | landscape = | caption = | birth_name = | alias = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1987|05|13}} | birth_place = Chicago, Illinois, United States<ref name=RAcomingout>{{Cite news|url=https://www.residentadvisor.net/features/2640|title=Octo Octa: Between two selves|last=Reynaldo|first=Shawn|date=2016|work=Resident Advisor|access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref>
| genre = | occupation = {{flatlist| * DJ * record producer }} | instruments = | years_active = | label = {{flatlist| * T4T LUV NRG * 100% Silk * Argot * Deepblak Recordings * Frendzone * Love Notes * low income $quad * Running Back * Skylax Records }} | associated_acts = Eris Drew | website = {{URL|octoocta.bandcamp.com}} }} '''Maya Bouldry-Morrison''' (born 13 May 1987),<ref>{{cite Instagram |user=octoocta |postid=DJo8xhNg83E |title=I am 38 today ✨ |date=May 13, 2025}}</ref> better known by her stage name '''Octo Octa''', is an American house producer and DJ based in New Hampshire.
In 2016, Bouldry-Morrison came out as transgender, after having already gained prominence as an artist.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/mar/28/transgender-dj-octo-octa-where-are-we-going-album-interview|title=DJ Octo Octa on coming out as transgender: 'Everyone was confused, then it was OK'|last=Coldwell|first=Will|date=2017-03-28|work=The Guardian|access-date=2017-03-31|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/octo-octa-interview-transgender-producer|title=Octo Octa: "I'm so much happier out the closet"|last=Williams|first=Rachael|date=2016|work=Red Bull|access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.electronicbeats.net/octo-octa-terre-thaemlitz-conversation/|title=Risk Spaces: Octo Octa In Conversation With Terre Thaemlitz|last=Opperman|first=Derek|date=2017-03-22|work=Electronic Beats|access-date=2017-03-31}}</ref>
== 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).<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://sequencer.club/sequencer-spotlight-octo-octa/|title=Sequencer Spotlights Octo Octa|last=Greco|first=Alicia|date=2017-02-18|work=Sequencer|access-date=2017-03-31|archive-date=2017-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403111831/http://sequencer.club/sequencer-spotlight-octo-octa/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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.<ref name=":0" /> 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 2019, Bouldry-Morrison announced the formation of a new record label, T4T LUV NRG, with her partner, fellow DJ Eris Drew.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cetin |first=Marissa |title=Octo Octa and Eris Drew launch new label, T4T LUV NRG |access-date=February 27, 2025 |work=Resident Advisor |date=June 20, 2019 |url=https://ra.co/news/43981}}</ref> Under the T4T LUV NRG banner, the two have performed shows and gone on club tours together.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lawson |first=Michael |title=Eris Drew and Octo Octa to test new custom-built sound system at three US shows |access-date=February 27, 2025 |work=Resident Advisor |date=October 17, 2022 |url=https://ra.co/news/77968}}</ref> Bouldry-Morrison released her EP ''She’s Calling'' on February 5, 2021.<ref name="She's Calling">{{cite news |author1=Moore, Sam |title=Octo Octa announces new EP 'She's Calling' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/octo-octa-announces-new-ep-shes-calling-2855628 |access-date=16 January 2021 |work=NME |date=January 15, 2021}}</ref> Her album ''Sigils for Survival'' is scheduled to release on April 30, 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Monroe |first=Jazz |date=2026-03-04 |title=Octo Octa Returns With First Album in 7 Years |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/octo-octa-returns-with-first-album-in-7-years/ |access-date=2026-03-09 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>
== 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.<ref name=RAcomingout />
== 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<ref>{{cite web |last1=Minsker |first1=Evan |last2=Strauss |first2=Matthew |title=Octo Octa Announces New Album Resonant Body, Shares New Song: Listen |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/octo-octa-announces-new-album-resonant-body-shares-new-song-listen/ |website=Pitchfork |accessdate=August 12, 2019 |date=July 24, 2019}}</ref>
=== 12"s and EPs === * ''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<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''New Paths'', Argot, 2017, ARGOT019<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Aimless'', Skylax, 2017, LAX144<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Adrift'', Honey Soundsystem Records, 2017, HNY-016<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Devotion EP'' (with Eris Drew), Naive, 2018, NAIVE004<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''For Lovers'' Technicolour, 2019, TCLR030<ref name=DISCOGS>{{Citation | url = https://www.discogs.com/artist/2406747-Octo-Octa | title = Octo Octa - Discography - Discogs | publisher = Discogs | accessdate = February 22, 2020 | ref = none }}</ref> * ''She's Calling'', T4T LUV NRG, 2021, T4T004<ref name="She's Calling"/><ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Day After A Night With U / Stars & Water'' (with Eris Drew), fabric Originals, 2022, FRO001<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Dreams Of A Dancefloor'', T4T LUV NRG, 2023, T4T011<ref name=DISCOGS />
===Remixes=== * ''Don't Fear It EP'' Don't Fear It (Remix), Shewey Trax, 2017, shew-19
===DJ Mixes=== * ''Silk Road Mix'', 100% Silk, 2012<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Fabric Presents Octo Octa & Eris Drew'' (with Eris Drew), Fabric (2), 2020, FABRIC207<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Love Hypnosis Vol. 1'', T4T LUV NRG, 2020, T4T003<ref name=DISCOGS /> * ''Love Hypnosis Vol. 2'', T4T LUV NRG, 2022, T4T008<ref name=DISCOGS />
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:1987 births Category:DJs from Chicago Category:Living people Category:American electronic musicians Category:American electronic dance music DJs Category:American LGBTQ musicians Category:Transgender women musicians Category:LGBTQ DJs Category:American women in electronic music Category:American transgender musicians Category:American transgender women Category:University of New Hampshire alumni