What makes these day-long affairs so special? First, it’s the pure joy they both bring to the booth. Octo and Eris are visibly enthralled with the music and with each other, and their love frankly radiates out. Second of all, it’s their taste. Both are avowed diggers who pull from deep in the crates, finding one lost gem and singular banger after another. Finally, it’s the way they model trans and queer visibility, strength and liberation. There are countless fans and admirers who have looked to them as living proof that you can have it all - you can come out, be who you are, love who you love, play what you want and live free. They’re an inspiration to so many, and an inspiration to us. Here’s a peek into their histories, projects and worldview. 

Octo Octa - Let Me See You

Octo Octa’s 2011 debut EP Let Me See You was one of the first breakouts on 100% Silk, a dance music label that came out of the teeming US noise underground. Originally the sister imprint to Not Not Fun, a sprawling label that touched on drone, psych and, most notably, hypnagogic pop, 100% SIlk immediately turned heads for its naive, leftfield take on classic house. The audience was split between avid fans excited by its fresh perspective and skeptics turned off by what they perceived as cavalier barnstorming. Somewhere along the way, the style was dubbed “hipster house.” 

"I'd been listening to electronic music since I was a kid," Octo Octa told RA in 2016. "I'd been making electronic music since I was 15 years old. Then, it took me eight years to put out a record. I put it out, and people were like, 'Who the fuck is this? These artists are coming out of nowhere. They're not vetted. This is some bullshit. This is people just jumping into the scene that don't know anything.' It was like, 'Well, I do know something.’” 

Let Me See You was the label’s eleventh release, but in many ways it seemed to tie a bow on the entire project. Its four tracks were bubbly and joyous, filled with airy synth chords, Ciara vocal samples, breaks and bright arpeggios. In this, it was both of a piece with the previous releases and possibly the most DJ-worthy release of the lot. 

It was a breakthrough moment for the artist, even before finding a physical release. Octo Octa had previously been working on a denser, more IDM-influenced style of music and performing at house parties in New Hampshire. Inspired by the Juan MacLean DJ Kicks mix, the title track was her first attempt at house music. When she played it at the next house party, “it went off like gangbusters” she recalls. There was no going back. 

Eris Drew - The Motherbeat

Eris Drew is an artist of undeniable spiritual power. When she’s on, you know it and you feel it. There are some performers who are so clearly channeling something greater than themselves, and Drew is one of them. Over the years, she’s discussed “the Motherbeat,” a mythical, mystical energy that courses through music. It’s a key concept for her and the way she articulates it is fascinating. Here’s an excerpt from an interview where she discusses it:

“It was always there with me. My friend James and I, we had taken a bunch of acid at this party Mystic Bill was playing. It was a proper rave set-up, you don't see the DJ, it's just a monolithic wall of sound. Everyone was facing the stack. We leave and it's still in our ears, our blood, our bodies. It was a foggy Chicago morning, my other friend who was driving us home could barely see. The music's off as my friend's nervous, so all James and I hear is the air conditioner. We start hearing rhythms from the air conditioner, and my friend looks at me and says, "It's the Motherbeat." I was like, "Yes. It is!" It was one of those synchronised acid moments where you're having the same experience. I realised this music is not just futuristic computer stuff. I was an '80s child, and rave was sold to us as the futurist movement, it wasn't rock & roll. I realised that the music actually contains something universal that's been there since the beginning. I didn't have that in the seconds I was looking at my friend. My processing evolved over the years. This experience revealed to me the healing technology embedded in music. It's there, whether it's people doing ritual music in indigenous culture, or a rave party.”

“Since I was closeted for so many years, Motherbeat was my way of recognising the feminine energy I perceived in the music. I had that experience not because I'm some special person, but because I needed to see the music as a gateway into the feminine. For so long, the only time I would express this without filtering myself was when I would dance, and listen to these records by myself and wear a dress. I didn't understand it at the time, but I knew there was a connection. The music carried me to this place of coming out, and now I get to live my art and share it with people, so she's been taking care of me.”

T4T LUV NRG

T4T LUV NRG is Drew and Octo Octa’s label, focusing on trans artists, but it’s also much more than that. The curation speaks to the duo’s wide-ranging fascinations; while much of their output draws on house music, they’ve also released CCL’s legendary dubstep mix A Night in the Skull Discotheque and a new standout EP from esoteric techno composer Rrose. T4T is also a beacon for emerging queer artists. Their site is filled with useful resources, including guides for beginner DJs, first time studio setups and more. Overflowing with wisdom, these essential insights that resonate for artists at any level. Take this one from their “Hot n Ready DJ Tips” PDF:

“There is an ongoing debate regarding technique. We believe that technique is important but not as all-encompassing as some do. We have seen many a DJ with beautiful mixing skills lose a dancefloor for other reasons. Maybe they were not heart-connected when they played. Maybe their song selection didn’t radiate energy. Or maybe the clean blends just weren’t exciting. That said, your techniques are the means by which you manifest your creativity in the world. Practicing your techniques will help you to eventually enter a flow-state when you are playing, which is one of the most magical feelings we have ever experienced.“

As with everything they do,T4T is defined by its open, generous and loving spirit. Eris and Octa clearly inspire each other, and they allow that inspiration to permeate their entire creative lives. At the bottom of the T4T site, there’s a quote in small, italic letters that sums it up: “Your body is powerful. Be who you wanna be. Let your body be free!”