Maria Uzor
“A league above... effortlessly engaging”
Maria Uzor entered lockdown as one half of revered post-punk dance duo Sink Ya Teeth, and emerged the other side as an electronic solo artist with a renewed sense of purpose. Now with three self-released EPs under her belt, alongside full length debut, ‘Soft Cuts’ (released 2023 on indie label Castles In Space), she has cemented herself as an intriguing artist with a vision purely of her own, and is gaining rave reviews and praise from the likes of Amy Lame, Jamz Supernova, Electronic Sound Magazine and The Quietus. Always eclectic, Maria merges elements from electro and trip-hop, or dub and proto-rave, to create a playful and uncompromising sound that nods to the sweaty basement yet has it’s heart in the cosmos. The eclecticism is intentional, as is the blurring of genres and boundaries.
Growing up in Norfolk, from a young age she understood both the feelings of being an outsider and of existing between dual cultures and identities. For example: she went to a public school (via an assisted place) but grew up on a council estate. Her childhood home was always filled with the sounds of reggae, soca and high-life played by her Bajan mother and grandmother who raised her and her older sister, but teenage nihilism also drew her to the music of The Smiths and Nirvana. And then there was the pull of Bowie and PJ Harvey...
It’s precisely this experience though, of being the outsider, that has allowed her the freedom to be an observer; to draw upon many influences without the need to fully commit to any. Eclecticism is how she makes sense of the world. It’s also how she has chosen to live; without limiting herself she allows her true self to emerge, without judgement, without trying to fit in. The way she moves on stage is testament to this. Why bother trying to fit in when we’re all beautifully individual anyway?
Maria produces and mixes everything from her studio in her flat in Norwich. Her videos are self-directed and edited. She even taught herself to make clothes so she could construct the outfits that were in her head for the ‘Soft Cuts’ album cover, and the ‘Sometimes They Look At You’ and ‘Mighty Mighty’ videos. She designs all of her artwork too.
Her own releases aside, Maria has collaborated with NYC funk-rockers !!! (Chk Chk Chk), Manchester-based legends A Certain Ratio, Acid Klaus, Baba Ali and Mera Bhai. She’s also provided remixes for Rozi Plain, The Umlauts and Helen Ganya amongst others, and has opened for Young Fathers, Black Midi, Benefits and Nuha Ruby Ra.
Represented by Rob Gibbs