Listen while you read. Your mix stays with you as you explore INTROE.
There is a distinct power in treating music as a living, breathing thing rather than just a sequence of beats. For Istanbul-born, London-based DJ and activist Q-BRA (aka Kübra Uzun), the dancefloor isn't a place for rigid genres, it’s a fluid sanctuary meant to welcome everyone. Their approach relies entirely on harmony, intuition, and, above all, desire. “…after all rhythm and sound together are constructive, connective, instinctive, and of course unpredictable as myself-being,” they note.
That belief in collective energy anchors everything they touch, most notably as the co-founder of XSM Recordings, a project operating as a record label, event series, and solidarity platform designed to push back against conventional club boundaries. After bringing their performance art to the Barbican’s Pit Theatre in 2023, Q-BRA permanently relocated to London in late 2024 under a Global Talent Visa, setting off a massive shift in both their life and art.
Now, stepping up for Radio INTROE, Q-BRA delivers “Step by step, by step,” a mix deeply tied to the concept of transition. “…with time, I understand more clearly that every ending is also a beginning," they reflect. "Now, I am in no rush... I can always begin again, I only wish to know when to say enough.”
Musically, the mix is a lesson in patience. Instead of rushing headfirst into high tempos, Q-BRA unfolds the journey with remarkable restraint, moving from the cinematic grandeur of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata: Prelude into the warm, jazz-inflected pulse of Kokoroko and the cosmic minimalism of Caterina Barbieri. From there, experimental textures, ambient expanses, and spiritual electronics intertwine through selections from Throbbing Gristle, Bendik Giske, Steve Roach, and Nala Sinephro, creating a sense of constant motion without ever feeling hurried. The result is a deeply immersive listening experience, part meditation, part exploration, where each track feels carefully placed, allowing the mix to evolve organically before arriving at the unexpected uplift of Barbra Streisand's "Happy Days Are Here Again."
Favourite track right now:
“Time Goes On” by En Vogue
Tracklist
- Giuseppe Verdi – La Traviata: Prelude
- Kokoroko – Something’s Going On
- Caterina Barbieri – Closest Approach to You
- Throbbing Gristle – Wotwududo
- Bendik Giske – Adjust
- Emma-Jean Thackray – Third Eye
- Steve Roach – Slow Emotion
- Steve Roach / SØRIAH – Steppe Traveler
- Kinkajous – Light Drops
- Ruqqiyah – show you right
- Bendik Giske – Up
- Sam Manyu – Freaky B
- M.Okship – Pog
- Layer V – Wavs Pro Pag
- Nala Sinephro – Space 6
- Jokari – Magnetic
- Roxymore – Moodified
- Barbra Streisand – Happy Days Are Here Again
About RADIO INTROE
RADIO INTROE is an ongoing mix series exploring sound, culture and creative expression through a global community of artists.