“One day I read an article about a type of sea slug called ‘Elysia Marginata’ that decapitates itself and grows a new body. The article caught my eye because ‘Elysia’ is my birth name. Having had several gender affirming surgeries, I resonated with the concept of growing a new body and was really astonished by the name coincidence. I also love how weird nature can be. What an amazing little muse!”
Elysia Marginata, Eli Maliwan’s buoyant debut album, is a jazzy woodwind-focused electro pop record that sounds as if it was played through an early 90s Sega Genesis. Recorded in his home studio, the one-time Salami Rose Joe Louis bandmember plays soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, flute, clarinet, trumpet, keyboard, voice, and EWI. He programmed most of the drums, a skill picked up working on cruise ships.
The album was written as a self-care love letter during a time of historic anti-trans legislation and violent anti-Asian reports all over the country. But those heavy topics are treated with lighthearted humor, reflected in punny song titles, bubbly production, and the adorable sea slug muse album artwork.
