Uboa
Biography
Uboa is the musical alias of Australian experimental musician, composer and producer Xandra Metcalfe. Based in Melbourne, Australia, she has released music under the name since 2010, whose work spans harsh noise, drone, dark ambient, industrial, doom metal and electroacoustic music.
The name Uboa is derived from a hidden character in the Japanese video game Yume Nikki. Drawing influence from industrial music, doom metal, experimental electronics, film scores and video game soundtracks, Metcalfe's recordings are characterized by dramatic shifts between abrasive noise and quiet ambient passages, layered production and processed vocal performances.
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Throughout her work, Metcalfe has explored themes including mental illness, gender dysphoria, trauma, disability, grief, embodiment and recovery. Her music has been noted for combining harsh and experimental sound with deeply personal subject matter. Following the release of The Origin of My Depression (2019), she spoke publicly about being diagnosed with autism and ADHD, describing how those diagnoses changed her understanding of many of the experiences reflected in her earlier work.
Since 2010, Uboa has released several full-length albums, including Sometimes Light (2010), Jouissance (2013), The Sky May Be (2018), The Origin of My Depression (2019), The Flesh of the World (2020), and Impossible Light (2024). The Origin of My Depression brought wider recognition to Uboa within the experimental music community and has frequently been cited by critics as one of the defining noise and experimental releases of its era. Released through The Flenser, Impossible Light expanded Metcalfe's sound with greater use of rock and metal instrumentation while continuing to explore themes of identity, vulnerability and survival.
In addition to her solo recordings, Metcalfe has collaborated with numerous artists in the experimental music scene and has performed internationally, including appearances at Roadburn Festival, where she presented the first complete live performance of The Origin of My Depression.
In 2026, Metcalfe announced that she had been diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Following the diagnosis, she retired from live performance and stated that Uboa will gradually come to an end after the completion of several remaining releases. She also announced plans to continue recording softer music under her own name, explaining that the illness had increasingly limited her ability to create and listen to harsh music.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.