Moxy Martinez
Livable Futures contributing artist 2020 and featured artist 2023 in the Wexner Center for the Arts season and Livable Futures eBook
DJ & Producer
Music: Moxy Martinez
Osea Merdis Project
Biography
Moxy Martinez, a self taught DJ & producer, has created, performed, produced, and contributed original music and DJ sets for a variety of projects both nationally and internationally since 2003. They have worked and collaborated with individual artists, art institutions, art galleries, dance studios, live music venues, and film projects throughout their career. Highlights of Moxy's career include DJing the Trans Musicales festival in France (2007), being hand selected by Tom Sachs for his show ‘Tom Sachs: Boombox Retrospective’ at the Contemporary, Austin providing a unique DJ mix which was played from inside his sculptures (2015), and contributing original music to Emmy nominated documentary Tiny Out Loud (2015).
In addition, Moxy has recently (2018- present) worked with the Columbus Museum of Art and The Wexner Center for the Arts providing live DJ sets, performing live synthesizer sets and mediating discussion forums with other artists. Most notably, in collaboration with The Wex and Counterfeit Madison, Moxy produced the sold out show ‘Say A Little Prayer: An Aretha Franklin Celebration’ held at the Lincoln Theatre, February 2020.
Moxy has also performed and released music as Osea Merdis since 2016. The Osea Merdis project is structured around ideas which are 100% created on analog synths (mainly Moog Mother 32 ecosystem). These ideas, paired with self captured field recordings, contort everyday life into a uniquely identifying audio personality. Moxy’s Osea Merdis project is very discerning, emotionally intentional, and based in the need to express the softer side of life even through struggles and sufferings.
Q & A
What makes more livable futures for you?
Supportive performance platforms definitely make more livable futures for me. Being invited to participate in virtual programming has helped me maintain my sense of creative exploration and experimentation throughout the current pandemic. Opportunities to showcase my work as a performer and producer keeps me motivated and inspired. Feeling supported by the community at large also provides a sense of hope and stable livable future for my art.
What are you reading, viewing, listening to right now?
Currently reading a lot of synthesizer manuals, becoming more familiar with the deeper aspects of my instruments. And believe it or not that’s casual reading for me! On the flipside I’ve just finished a beautiful Neil Gaiman book called “The Graveyard Book.” I’m watching a lot of online synth performances via Twitch and Youtube from the SoCal Synth Society, Colorado Synth Society, and a lot of IGTV virtual performances - these are performance platforms which showcase and highlight talent from all over the world. Very inspiring and validating to my own work. And wow, what am I listening to right now?! That’s a HUGE question but the most played album of the past couple of months has been the new Kali Uchis release ‘Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios).’ Aside from that, a TON of ambient music to help my focus and thought process throughout the day. I go straight to the Slow Focus channel on NTS.live.
What practices are sustaining you?
The main practices that have been sustaining me have been my monthly radio show on Radio614.org called ‘InMix with Moxy Martinez’ (which I began at the very start of the pandemic, March 2020), and invitations to perform and create synthesizer music. These two aspects have kept memotivated and given me a sense of relevance lately. Having something to look forward to and being held accountable for has been a huge aspect of gratefulness. Being pushed to create and hit deadlines keeps me in my creative flow and not sinking into the despair of not performing or DJing in music venues. Holding myself accountable to a live broadcast every first Friday of the month, where I’m DJing live for an online listening audience, has been a welcomed buoy in the sea of uncertainty this past year. Keeps my skills in practice as well so I’m not rusty when the pandemic ends! Collaborating with other artists has also helped me sustain a sense of creative relevance and well-being. I believe 2021 is THE year of collaboration.