Octo Octa Returns After 7 Years

Octo Octa's previous full-length album, 2019's *Resonant Body*, was released on T4T LUV NRG, the record label she founded with her partner and fellow DJ, Eris Drew. The label is a platform dedicated to celebrating trans love and the healing power of the dancefloor. Her creative output has been deeply intertwined with her personal journey since she came out as a transgender woman in 2016. Her 2017 album, *Where Are We Going?*, was her first release after coming out and was noted for its more uplifting tone compared to the "coded queer statement" of her 2013 LP, *Between Two Selves*. The title of the new album, *Sigils for Survival*, along with the lead single "Survival Groove," marks the tenth anniversary of her coming out. The album is described as an attempt to translate the intentions and techniques she has used to navigate her life into a powerful musical statement. Seefeel's return follows a lengthy period of sparse output. After an initial run in the 90s that saw them become the first guitar-based act signed to the influential electronic label Warp Records, the band went on hiatus in 1997. They previously reunited for a self-titled album in 2011. During the band's late-90s and 2000s hiatus, members pursued other projects. Vocalist/guitarist Sarah Peacock and the original rhythm section formed the group Scala, while programmer/guitarist Mark Clifford released solo work as Disjecta. Pioneers of a sound that merges shoegaze, dub, and ambient techno, Seefeel's influence can be heard in artists like Boards of Canada and Autechre. Their early work, particularly the 1993 album *Quique*, is considered a cornerstone of post-rock innovation. The upcoming album *Sol.Hz* is being described as the group's "dub" album, emphasizing cavernous bass and the manipulation of time and audio placement. The new music is primarily composed by the core duo of Mark Clifford and Sarah Peacock.