Octopus sessions @ Hot Stuff/ De Sering

'Octopus Sessions' - is a musical journey in poetry, song, looping layers, landscapes and beats by Leela May Stokholm (she/ her) and Marik de Koning (they/ them).

Diving through the waters of our collective consciousness – Octopus Sessions is an ode to water that connects, touches, comes and goes. A co-created fluidity of weaving the moment into an ark. To hold us before the dykes break.

Leela (DK/GB, born in India) is an independent performance artist, writer, singer, mother and visual artist. Her work combines her love for nature with life as a journey through inner emotional landscapes. She teaches Voice improvisation at the Mime School in Amsterdam.

Marik is a multifaceted musician and artist. They can be found playing jazz standards in big bands, to electronically producing activist songs. They are fascinated by the magic of improvisation and how awfully hard it can be to let go.

“What an amazing, special, crazy journey deep into the underwater world. Through poetry, stories, song, sounds and music I was taken on an arc that travels through water and time. Sometimes it was philosophical: 'Everything has happened before, and yet this moment, exactly this moment, is unique.' Sometimes it was moving: when they sang about tears and the water in my eyes remembered that it is not separate from all water, because all water - all life - is one. With humor, fun and spontaneous playfulness, Leela May and Marik pay tribute to water in all its forms. They make playful, crazy sounds together with sung sounds that come straight from the heart and transcend the individual.” Kitty Munnichs

"Your lyrics (Leela) are very open and poetic, and remain nuanced despite its heavy theme. Because of that, it feels very true and touches enormously. Your lyrics have the power to touch us precisely and make us reflect. And to connect us with those things that are ‘going on’ in the world.

I liked that you were improvising and that it was live. It was very fun and exciting to experience. And that different things can happen and that you solve that with humour and grace. And precisely because of that it remains incredibly fun and real.

You are both warm personalities on stage. Being part of the magical world you create for us is very nice. We are totally included in that and allowed to float, dive, and sail with you for a while.

I grant that to everyone to come along on this journey and to be touched. And to feel connected to others, but also to the world and the world around us. It is very important in these times to connect ourselves with what is happening and what is there. Thank you for that wonderful experience!" Kickan Schippers