010 Norachi x Maya Irving

This latest release from Norachi and Maya Irving leads the heart to thoughts of the body and nature.

Norachi

The visual and sonic elements of this release link and weave in and out of each other and immerse us in the experience of opposing forces: lightness and darkness, safety and uncertainty. The ever delicate balance and dynamic interplay between comfort and adventure - a transformative odyssey.

Norachi is no stranger to the deep and dubby sounds that soothe the soul. He is well known for creating mixes that are full of deep minimal gems, whether it’s slow and soft or more upbeat and driving, they always have that distinctive Norachi sound and feeling. His enduring love and conection to music was born from a young age which led him to complete his Bachelor of Sound Art at RMIT. This continued love and passion has transformed him into the masterful producer and dj we see today, with recent releases on Vessel and Daisy Records, several exceptional self released tracks on his bandcamp as well as some incredible live sets for Citipower, Resident Advisor, Hopkins Creek and more.

Norachi is also one of the head honchos at Vessel Records, one of the most finely curated labels we have seen born out of Australia in recent years. With five releases in their catalogue so far, the most recent one a split EP from Miris and Norachi, and a forthcoming release that is soon to be pressed and features more local artists, this label has its heart in the right place and is one to watch.

Since moving regional 3 years ago, Rhys says he has been more disconnected from parties and dance music so this mix is a selection of tracks that hes had on around the house in this time. ‘It was great to make a mix from a brief that was open and more concerned with atmosphere than a representation of a performance or a business card for “me” as a dj. The first half is the peaceful moments and the second half is the not so peaceful times, which I’m learning is a balance that will always be, because there’s no light without the dark.’

Rhys reflects on the role music plays on his life, saying it is ‘an aspect of my life that is a constant, probably because I grew to really lean on it when I had no voice, and used it to express myself. I find comfort, and connection with music even with the stuff you look back on and think, “What the hell was I thinking”. It always has a story.’

‘Safe and Sheltered by the Falling’ by Maya Irving 2023 - created in response to Norachi’s mix.

Tracklist:

White Star - Sister Bliss
Divination - Divination One
Deep Space Network - Zenn La
The Sushi Club - Niku-Jaga (Beef and Potato Stew)
Transonic - Cascading Down Illusion
The Starseeds - Behind The Sun (Deep Ambient Mix)
Mere Mortals - Reef
H.U.V.A. Network - Indigo Room
Aural Float - Zwei G
Kilchhofer - Bittern
Same Place - Facil
Pentatonik - Catalonia

Maya Irving

Maya Irving is an artist who works with movement, intuition and colour to convey her experience of both her inner and outer landscapes, exploring themes of sexuality and self-compassion. Maya builds up her artworks with layers of free-movement, mess-making and minimal expectation, using acrylic paints, oil paints, charcoal and various parts of the body as a tool. The visual response to Norachi’s Space Cast mix, ‘Safe and Sheltered by the Falling’ was created much in the same way.

‘This artwork has been through many stages of formation. As each painting of mine originates, it was first a part of a vast canvas sheet secured to a corner of my studio (like a room) for me to drape my body and charcoal across. I then used it as a backdrop for a video clip. I then cut out a piece that resonated with me when listening to the mix by Norachi which it will be released with. I continued listening to the mix and somehow the characters and colour scheme decided to find a home within the painting. The final product is a direct reflection of my time listening to Norachi’s glorious mix.’

Maya’s says that music is the primary tool that fuels her process. ‘It carries my limbs beyond the limits of my own expectations and my mind to unknown places. I often listen to wintery, dark, electronic music. It allows me to indulge in those rare memories of complete and utter sadness. I find sadness to be one of the most profound, rare and tender emotions to experience. It brings me so close to myself yet so open to the sensations, sounds, words and motions of the world.’

Most recently Maya’s film ‘Embodied Knowing’ was shown at Acmi as a part of Artist Film Workshops which she decribes as ‘definitely one of the most surreal and exciting experiences of my career’. ‘Embodied Knowing’ was created for her solo exhibition of the same title last year and was a way for Maya to give her audience some insight into the process and intention behind her practice. ‘I just felt so honoured to be able to convey the tender part of my soul that I am unable to convey through words or even painting. Through the spontaneous amalgamation of Jordan James Kaye and Justin Malvo and my own creative processes this part of me found a voice’.

Maya will be spending time in Mexico in the second part of this year to envision and potentially create a new body of work. ‘I’m curious to observe what shifts occur in my process when responding to a new environment. What colours and textures arise, what narrative unfolds’. Maya says her relationship to painting has been her rock and safety net for the past few years, My creative process is a means in which to better understand my inner landscape. The complex systems that make up my whole self. Through movement and mark-making I am able to access and express what memories and notions my body is holding onto. It offers me a safety in which to interrogate the darker, woeful currents in my body’.

You can follow Maya's work through her Instagram.

Purchase a limited edition print and support the artists here.