Empathy Shield

Australian experimental artist Xandra Metcalfe, performing as Uboa, released the four-track album Empathy Shield in December 2023. Based in Melbourne, Metcalfe has established a distinct presence within the death industrial and hypernoise scenes by merging visceral, abrasive textures with an emotive, melodic core. This release documents a live, on-air performance recorded earlier that year for the Behind The Mirror program on RTR FM in Perth. Sonically, the album explores a more electronic and ambient-focused palette than her primary studio works, utilizing synths, sampling, and live mixing to create a sense of decrepit loneliness and catharsis. Positioned between the long-term impact of her 2019 breakthrough and the subsequent 2024 full-length, the record highlights the improvisational and musique concrète elements of her practice. The digital format includes the nearly eight-minute title track, serving as both a sonic document of a specific broadcast and a charitable effort for the local experimental community.