Today, Austrian-born, Berlin-based multi-instrumentalist UCHE YARA — whose virtuosic and theatrical post-club sound pairs modern sound design with visceral performance, making her powerful presence immediately evident — releases her  euphoric debut album BODYSCANNER, via goldendays FM. Listen to BODYSCANNER here.

Of the hypnotic focus track “be something,” a cynical take on the culture of self-optimization, UCHE shares: “Through irony and exaggeration, I paint a portrait of a familiar character: someone so consumed by status and self-improvement that they lose track of humanity. Through the constant striving to become ‘something’ while neglecting what it means to be someone.”

BODYSCANNER is an album that began in the body long before it reached the mind.

UCHE followed instinct rather than analysis, creating a record that explores embodiment, self-perception, connection and belonging. Written and produced by UCHE herself, the album emerged from a process she describes simply: “I’ve written the album with my body, and now my mind knows it.” That idea became the foundation of the project. Through the making of BODYSCANNER, dance became less about performance and more about presence; less about being watched and more about listening to what the body was already trying to say.

Pulsing with electronic textures, hypnotic repetition, and a newfound confidence in space and rhythm, BODYSCANNER feels like a club record viewed from an unexpected angle. For years, UCHE found herself disconnected from much of the club culture surrounding her in Berlin. The pressure to perform, consume, conform or escape often felt at odds with what she was searching for. Yet through conversations with friends and experiences within more diverse and queer spaces, she began to imagine something different. “My approach moves away from the digital, hyper-stimulated, show-off realm that chases one dopamine hit and one drop after another at high speed,” UCHE shares. “I’m much more interested in connection rather than consumption.”

Across the album, UCHE explores everything from collective numbness and the pressure to endlessly self-optimize, to the liberating possibilities of shared joy. If previous releases showcased the breadth of her imagination, BODYSCANNER represents something different: the moment those instincts crystallized into a singular vision.

On album standout “DIVA CLUB,” UCHE adopts the role of a FLINTA roller derby team captain rallying her chaotic team towards victory. “hello hello” is an urgent song that channels outrage at collective numbness into one of her most immediate and compelling songs to date. Earlier this summer, UCHE announced BODYSCANNER with its shadowy, balletic title track and an electrifying, statement-making music video. It was also named a KCRW Today’s Top Tune. Watch the “BODYSCANNER” music video here.

Since first emerging in 2023, UCHE YARA has established herself as one of Europe’s most exciting and unpredictable young artists. Praised by BBC 6Music’s Lauren Laverne, NME, Line of Best Fit, KCRW, KEXP, and NYLON, and championed early by COLORS with a standout COLORS SHOW performance, her music has continually defied easy categorization, drawing together elements of rock, pop, R&B and experimental sounds.