"This project moved me deeply. Audiences will be filled with joy."”

— Melanie DeMore

Octavia of Earth, Vol. 1 now available to stream!

THE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM TO OCTAVIA OF EARTH,

A MUSICAL INSPIRED BY THE LIFE OF OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, 

IS NOW AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY, APPLE MUSIC, and ALL MAJOR MUSIC STREAMING SERVICES.

-- Release coincides with 2020 Black History Month and the 14th Anniversary of Butler’s Passing --

 

{Oakland, CA – February 4, 2020} Uncaged Librarian Productions (ULP) and Liberation Library Records are thrilled to announce the streaming release of the soundtrack album to Octavia of Earth, an original musical inspired by the real life of science fiction luminary Octavia E. Butler. Butler is widely considered the mother of Afrofuturism and has influenced artists such as Janelle Monae, Solange Knowles, and Viola Davis. Octavia of Earth features the voice of Grammy-nominee and Bay Area legend Melanie DeMore and was recorded and mixed by multi-platinum producer James Earley.

 

Uncaged Librarian Productions workshopped the musical to four full houses at SafeHouse Arts in San Francisco in 2018, as part of the AirSpace fellowship for queer and trans artists of color. The CD release was presented in partnership with the African American Museum and Library of Oakland in September 2019. Now,  in celebration of 2020 Black History Month and to mark the 14th anniversary of Butler’s passing, all nine songs are available for the first time on all major streaming services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Napster, MediaNet, Saavn, Pandora, and iHeartRadio. CD and mp3 copies are also available from www.uncagedlibrarianmusic.com.

 

Tender, funny, and magical, Octavia of Earth presents the human side of the mysterious founding mother of Afrofuturism. Octavia of Earth focuses on Butler’s early years as a child and adolescent in Southern California, as a young adult struggling to find a path forward for her creative aspirations, and as an established author of critical renown but limited commercial success. “Millions of people have read Octavia E. Butler’s fiction, but because she was so private in her lifetime, very few people know much about her actual life,” said Anand Jay Kalra, director and founder of ULP. “I’m so pleased to be able to color in the sketch of her life through this music, and to honor her memory on the 14th anniversary of her passing away.”

 

Based on archival research and select interviews, Octavia of Earth includes nine songs inspired by the life of the science fiction luminary and black feminist icon. The studio album showcases a range of musical styles, from campy (“The Devil Girl from Mars”) to doo wop (“Live Forever”) to ethereal (“Emergence”) to soaring ballad (“Patterns”) and tight choral harmony (“Anywhere”). The production was developed by a team of Oakland-based artists, with music by T. Carlis Roberts, Itoro Udofia, and Anand Jay Kalra, and Adrian Jazz Applin singing the title role. “This is a beautiful project that moved me deeply,” said singer/performer Melanie DeMore. “I think audiences will be filled with joy,” she added.

 

Founded in 2016, Uncaged Librarian Productions is based in Oakland, California and lifts up stories that sustain the hearts and minds of social change workers in the Bay Area and beyond. In particular, ULP produces collaborative music, theater, film, and data projects that highlight the struggles and victories of LGBTQ+ people, people living with HIV, and people of color in our ongoing fights for dignity, existence, and liberation.

Adrian Jazz Applin plays Octavia E. Butler in Octavia of Earth. Photo: Anand Jay Kalra

Anand Jay Kalra, founder and director of Uncaged Librarian Productions, wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music along with T. Carlis Roberts and Itoro Udofia. Photo: Chani Bockwinkel

T. Carlis Roberts wrote the music for "The Devil Girl from Mars", a campy send-up of 50's B-movie scifi, and "Patterns", a soaring ballad. Photo: Portraits to the People

Itoro Udofia wrote the ethereal and futurist pieces "Hypnosis", "Emergence", and "Xenophonia." Photo: Anand Jay Kalra

Earth Goddess (Joslynn Mathis Reed) leaps into action, while Octavia (Adrian Applin) struggles with writer's block. Photo: Chani Bockwinkel

Sample Tracks

0:00/???
  1. 1
    0:00/5:03
  2. 2
    0:00/3:57
  3. 3
    0:00/5:21
  4. 4
    0:00/4:05

Sample Videos

Inquiries