BBC INTRODUCING INTERVIEW Martin was interviewed by Dave Gilyeat for his BBC Introducing in Oxfordshire radio show on Saturday 21st January 2023. Martin got to share his musical plans for this year, which includes album launches of his collaboration concept project GARY and Mancbeth project. Dave also chose to play Octavia Freud's live favourite, 'Hot Nights'. Link below to the BBC show. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0dy0xsw
SHED SESSIONS PODCAST Octavia Freud has recorded an hour long live session for Oxford's Shed sessions. The session includes live performances of tracks taken off Martin's latest album, 'Land Ahoy' and a brand new track from his upcoming Mancbeth project. The podcast features an interview by host Warren about Martin's year making music in 2022. Photos by Alex and sound by Ian. https://anchor.fm/warren-r366del
NIGHTSHIFT MAGAZINE TRACKS OF THE YEAR 2022 Octavia Freud has been included in Nightshift's magazine's annual top 30 tracks of the year, coming in at number 6. "Featuring a guest vocal from Mila Todd, ‘Straight To The Top’ was unabashed pop joy amid the political polemic, dark disco and ruminations on middle age from Martin Andrews. Reminiscent of kitchen sink club popsters Younger Younger 28s, life’s disappointments and pain can’t puncture the unbridled optimism inherent in the tune. The world is shit, let’s dance!" http://nightshiftmag.co.uk/2022/dec.pdf
MANCBETH ALBUM Octavia Freud has been commissioned to write a Shakespearian electronic concept album to compliment the release of a new independent film, 'Mancbeth'. The film is set in club and gangland Manchester and retells the Shakespearian tragedy of one man's ambition to kill to get to the top and become top dog in the city. The album will be launched with a series of live events in Manchester, London and Oxford to promote the future release of the film. Expected album release is Spring 2023.
MARINA ABRAMOVIC 'GATES & PORTALS' Modern Art Oxford have asked Octavia Freud to be the DJ for Marina Abramovic's opening private view party on Friday 23rd September 2022. The 3 hour DJ set will be a musical response to the internationally famous performance artist's latest exhibition. Martin has completed 3 days of training in the Marina Abramovic method which includes learning techniques in extended durational practice within performance art. The DJ set will reflect the specific exhibition themes of extended time, disorientation of the senses and higher states of consciousness and will include recorded Kosmische, ambient and drone pieces from the last 50 years. In addition, Martin has created a DJ mix for Modern Art Oxford's website as a musical response to her work. The 2 hour mix is available now on MIXCLOUD and Spotify. https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/mao-studio/blog/abramovic-dj-response
REMIXES Octavia Freud has been busy recording remixes for 3 different artists. These include remixes of SELF HELP's 'Bamboo' track, SILENT WEAPON's 'Eggshells' track and THE ORIGINAL RABBIT SPASM BAND's 'Wardrobe Time Machine' track. The remixes are already picking up radio play and Silent Weapon's Remix E.P has been reviewed in Nightshift Magazine's October 2022 issue. Listen to the tracks now on the remixes page. http://nightshiftmag.co.uk/2022/oct.pdf
RIVERSIDE MUSIC FESTIVAL Octavia Freud has been chosen to perform on the dance stage at Riverside Festival on Saturday 30th July 2022. The headline act will be 90's electronic legend Adamski.
'LAND AHOY' LP MAGAZINE REVIEWS 'Land ahoy' has picked up some great reviews in the July issues of OMS and Nightshift magazines. Head over to the album review page to read them in full.
ALBUM LAUNCH AT MODERN ART OXFORD 1ST JULY 2022 Octavia Freud will be supporting Julie-Sophie at MAO on the 1st July as a launch for the new album, 'Land ahoy'. See the live page for more details and get your tickets below. https://www.wegottickets.com/event/540555
NEW ALBUM 'LAND AHOY' RELEASED 27TH JUNE 2022 Octavia Freud's fourth studio album, 'Land ahoy' will be released on 27.06.22 via DITTO digital distribution and a limited edition gatefold CD. The 10 track album will feature the upcoming single, 'Straight to the top' which is a sardonic up beat electro-pop smash with additional vocals by Mila Todd. https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/album/land-ahoy-lp
OCTAVIA FREUD ON THE FRONT OF NIGHTSHIFT MAGAZINE AND INTERVIEW IN JUNE 2022 ISSUE Check out the June 2022 issue of Nightshift magazine for an exclusive interview that covers Martin's musical upbringing in Manchester, his DJ'ing and gigging days in London and his current musical projects. http://nightshiftmag.co.uk/
SPLIT SINGLE - 'WHEN I WAS A KID' & 'FIFTY' NIGHTSHIFT MAG REVIEW Octavia Freud's latest release is a two track split single and taster for a forthcoming album, out in summer 2022. The release has been reviewed in Nightshift magazine's March 2022 issue:
"A brace of new singles from prolific local electro artist, and recent Nightshift Track of the Month winner Octavia Freud, the musical incarnation of Martin Andrews. Both songs share a similar coming-to-terms-with-the-world theme in quite different but overlapping ways: ‘When I Was a Kid’ a reflection on the simplicities, mundanities and freedoms of life as a child; ‘Fifty’ dwelling on being 50, playing gigs to no more than 50 people in the back of a pub and getting £50 for your troubles if you’re lucky. The conclusion to ‘Kid’ finds Martin reflecting on being a grownup and having a kid of his own in a way that pretty much leads into ‘50’. Musically and lyrically the songs share common ground: Martin’s laconic, matter-of-fact, northern accented narration adds a dryly understated humour to them (“When I was a kid I had lots of things / Like sisters”), churning, propulsive guitars mixed up with synth squiggles and simple marching electronic beats, drawing a line from post-punk to acid house via krautrock, or maybe The Fall, A Guy Called Gerald and Yard Act forming a twisted tribute to Depeche Mode at The Haçienda. Both songs avoid mawkish nostalgia and bitterness, preferring a stoic ‘that’s how it was/is’ approach, even as Martin gets right to the heart of childish hope and ambition (“I just wanted to grow up so I could buy cola and drink it all day”) and the middle-aged frustration of mediocrity (“I’m worth more than fifty quid”). Both are as endearing as they are enjoyable and Octavia Freud continues to carve out a reputation for himself as a creative force who might only get fifty quid for a gig if he’s lucky, but is, in fact, priceless." Dale Kattack Nightshift Magazine March 2022 http://nightshiftmag.co.uk/2022/mar.pdf https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/track/when-i-was-a-kid https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/track/fifty
'BORIS CAN DANCE' - SINGLE WINS AWARD, REVIEWS & BRAND NEW VIDEO OUT NOW Octavia Freud's track, 'Boris can dance' has been awarded track of the month in Oxford's NIGHTSHIFT magazine, earning the prize of some lovely free studio time at Oxford's Yingandyang audio. It has also earned the high praise of Oxfordshire Music Scene magazine with a generous review. The track is a caustic expose of the political elite who prefer to dance with the truth rather than be honest about their mistakes in order to retain their grip on power. Written during the summer of 2021 the track has inadvertently pre-empted the UK's current political scandal known as 'party-gate'. It is available now in single and video formats. Released on 26 November 2021. Reviews and links to the track and music video below:
"Let’s be honest, if you need an inquiry to find out whether you had a party at your own house and if you attended it, it must have been a fucking brilliant party. Octavia Freud’s ode to the malversationist prick, succinctly titled ‘Boris Can Dance’, was never not going to end up as Top Track this month. Not that it doesn’t deserve it on purely musical merits anyway – a slice of Cylon techno partway between Underworld and The Chemical Brothers that throbs and glowers ominously in the corner while Mr Freud himself intones a litany of Johnson’s crimes against human decency. It makes the most of its intentional monotony for a succinct four minutes of sullenly pissed off EDM that would probably be a right mood killer at a jolly cheese and wine party. Maybe it could be the soundtrack to the revolution instead." NIGHTSHIFT JAN 2022
"My first impressions of Octavia Freud is impeccable timing. Bojo drops one and a record follows - a rare, party-time power of the internet. The opening beats kick in and then Octavia Freud throws in a reference to Eton Mess, with an emphasis on the word “mess,” which, no matter what generation you were born in, we can all agree is the state of this country. The outfit, fronted by Mancunian Martin Andrews, plunge into English social history. The word “liars” appears. The listener is no longer in some random field that was once forever England, but on the frontline, awaiting instructions - on this occasion from Martin. ‘Boris Can Dance’, even in its title, turns CCTV on the rich. And there is powerful imagery in this idea, spanning the entire single, because each and every one of us have one power - even in a surveillance state, we dance better than Boris. What Octavia Freud achieve with this release is raising folk music to a level with Kraftwerk, and that’s an achievement. A rebel song you can dance to - or not dance to, as that would involve being in a field with Bojo." (BM) OXFORDSHIRE MUSIC SCENE JAN 2022 https://youtu.be/u4IRZYJN4uU https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/track/boris-can-dance
BBC RADIO 4 INTERVIEW Martin has been interviewed for BBC Radio 4 'Afterlives' documentary program. Martin talks honestly about his experience of being brought up by his dad following the separation of his parents and how this has affected his approach to life and making music. It will be aired on Radio 4 on Tuesday 30th November 2021 at 11am. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00120vw
ADVENTURES IN NOISE COLLABORATION Octavia Freud has collaborated with dance producer Adventures in Noise on his next single, entitled 'Tappin'. Previous AIN releases have including guest vocals by artists such as Noel Gallagher. 'Tappin' sees Martin record a spoken word style delivery that covers his recent experiences of using EMDR therapy set to AiN's wonky banging beats. Release date is 26th November 2021. http://www.adventures-in-noise.co.uk/
BBC OXFORD INTRODUCING RADIO PLAY The track, 'Video Call' taken from Octavia Freud's 3rd album, 'Mood dancing' has gained airplay on BBC Oxford Introducing programme on Saturday 2 January 2021. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p091dnwr
'MOOD DANCING' LP RELEASED 20/10/2020 The 10 track album was written during lockdown in collaboration with Chris Allinson from electronic outfit Volcanic Shores. It features Martin on vocal duties in his natural voice rather than the FX laden alter ego sound of previous albums. The album can be streamed from Amazon, iTunes and Spotify. Digital copies and a limited edition gatefold CD which comes with a free download of the album can be purchased through Bandcamp. https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/
GATEFOLD CD AVAILABLE AT TRUCK RECORDS Music lovers can now pick up a limited edition gatefold CD version of Octavia Freud's 'Mood dancing' LP at the lovely independent Truck records store in Oxford. https://truckmusicstore.co.uk/
NIGHTSHIFT MAG END OF YEAR TOP TRACKS Octavia Freud's track, 'Photographs' has been selected for Nightshift magazine's end of year top tracks of 2020, alongside the likes of Young Knives, Glass Animals and Means of Production. Follow the link to their selection here: https://www.facebook.com/nightshiftmag/posts/2734529330121209
OCTAVIA FREUD & TIGER MENDOZA COLLABORATION Octavia Freud has recorded vocals for a song on Tiger Mendoza latest album release, TMSk8 tape mix. The track, 'Skate free' features Martin's natural vocal style and Tiger Mendoza's tight electronic production and sweeping synths. The release date is 06/11/2020. Check out the track and Tiger Mendoza's full album here: https://tigermendoza.bandcamp.com/
NEW MUSIC VIDEOS Octavia Freud have been busy making a series of music videos for tracks off the latest album, 'Mood dancing'. These include, 'French discotheque' with its witty take on the modern model shoot, 'Video call' an 80's inspired acid house take on the promise of a new technological age to solve all our Zoom nation needs during our current lockdown isolation, 'Ice breaker' which includes live footage of the band performing in the UK just before lockdown and 'Cotton wool' with its withering critique of modern politicians' attempts to spin the truth to avoid personal responsibility. Head over to this site's video page or Octavia Freud's youtube pages here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffpLEwDIcXI&t=46s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWJCIPXUg5E&t=135s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Eisqu__YcY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJ8U3J4xz_k
BBC OXFORD INTRODUCING RADIO PLAY Thetrack, 'End love/Solo' taken from Octavia Freud's 2nd album, 'Smoke & Mirrors' has gained airplay on BBC Oxford Introducing programme on Saturday 14 March 2020. Ronan from Oxford's Nightshift magazine also recommended the album from this month's current crop of releases. Here is the link to the full show. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p084stv6
'SMOKE & MIRRORS' LP RELEASE Octavia Freud's second album, 'Smoke & mirrors' is out from March 2020 on all the usual digital platforms, including Spotify, iTunes and Amazon. The album features Martin on alter ego vocal FX style duty. You can follow the link to the Bandcamp page to download it now. There is also a gatefold CD version which includes the bonus cover track 'Waiting for the man' which is available at Oxford's local independent TRUCK record store. https://octaviafreud.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-mirrors-lp
OCTAVIA FREUD AT MODERN ART OXFORD Following lockdown in March 2020, Octavia Freud frontman Martin Andrews was interviewed by Modern Art Oxford to find out what he had been up to and his plans for the future. Read the full article here: https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/martin-andrews-octavia-freud/
Friday 7th February 2020 saw the return of Octavia Freud on DJ duties. Martin played a 2 hour influences of 80's NYC disco loft rarities, downtown post-punk tracks and upfront electronic tunes. His DJ set at MAO was in support of a live set by female electro outfit Sink Ya Teeth for Oxford's local Young Women's Music Project. https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/event/modern-art-oxford-young-womens-music-project-present-sink-ya-teeth-elouiza/
Martin has been invited by Modern Art Oxford to compile a playlist of some of his current favourite tunes and a write blog of his cultural year for their website. Check out his playlist and blog on their website. https://www.modernartoxford.org.uk/sound-and-vision-a-spotify-playlist-by-martin-andrews/
DEBUT LP 'ROMANCE & HEARTACHE' OUT NOW Octavia Freud's debut album 'Romance & heartache', released in 2018is available to buy on various digital platforms including Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon and can be streamed via Spotify. A limited run of gatefold CD copies are also available to purchase at the wonderful independent TRUCK records store on the Cowley road, Oxford.
