Mimi Xu has forged a unique career carving out a name for herself as an acclaimed DJ, producer, performer, musical director, and electronic composer – scoring soundtracks for feature films, fashion films, and catwalks alike – testament to her eclectic and unconventional musical background.
Hailing from a classical and experimental upbringing, inspired by her famed French Chinese father – the acoustic architect Albert Yaying Xu – her passion for the transformative power of sound developed from a young age. Going on to study architecture and journalism, followed by a period spent working for various music labels, she returned to Europe where she developed her DJ career and set up ‘Mimi Xu Studio’ for all original composition work. As a DJ Xu has played for fashion and cultural organisations including Prada, Cartier, Marni, Louis Vuitton, and Dazed & Confused to name a few, and at prestigious events including Art Basel, Cannes Film Festival, Serpentine Gallery Summer Party, Panorama Bar at Berghain, and Movement Festival in Turin.
In addition to these extensive credits Xu continues to push boundaries, creating site-specific mixed media performances at cultural destinations including Meltdown Festival, The Royal Academy of Arts, The Barbican, Gagosian Gallery, Oberlin Conservatory, and collaborating with visual artist Carlota Guerrero and the legendary choreographer Lindsey Kemp; a protégé of Marcel Marceau, who staged Ziggy Stardust, and mentored David Bowie and Kate Bush.
In 2017 Xu formed the electronic duo Awkward Moments with multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist MAGUIRE. They represent a unique voice in contemporary and immersive performative art. Together the pair have performed at various European festivals including Houghton Festival, played at HÖR Berlin, scored short films, curate a regular club night called ‘A Strange Night’, and host an ongoing radio show on OpenLab radio in Ibiza. They are currently finishing their second album with Al Doyle (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem) and Ghost Culture (Daniel Avery, Kelly Lee Owen), and are set to release a remix art project with remixes from the likes of Ewan Pearson, Frank Wiedemann, and Trey Mirror.
Hailing from a classical and experimental upbringing, inspired by her famed French Chinese father – the acoustic architect Albert Yaying Xu – her passion for the transformative power of sound developed from a young age. Going on to study architecture and journalism, followed by a period spent working for various music labels, she returned to Europe where she developed her DJ career and set up ‘Mimi Xu Studio’ for all original composition work. As a DJ Xu has played for fashion and cultural organisations including Prada, Cartier, Marni, Louis Vuitton, and Dazed & Confused to name a few, and at prestigious events including Art Basel, Cannes Film Festival, Serpentine Gallery Summer Party, Panorama Bar at Berghain, and Movement Festival in Turin.
In addition to these extensive credits Xu continues to push boundaries, creating site-specific mixed media performances at cultural destinations including Meltdown Festival, The Royal Academy of Arts, The Barbican, Gagosian Gallery, Oberlin Conservatory, and collaborating with visual artist Carlota Guerrero and the legendary choreographer Lindsey Kemp; a protégé of Marcel Marceau, who staged Ziggy Stardust, and mentored David Bowie and Kate Bush.
In 2017 Xu formed the electronic duo Awkward Moments with multi-instrumentalist and lead vocalist MAGUIRE. They represent a unique voice in contemporary and immersive performative art. Together the pair have performed at various European festivals including Houghton Festival, played at HÖR Berlin, scored short films, curate a regular club night called ‘A Strange Night’, and host an ongoing radio show on OpenLab radio in Ibiza. They are currently finishing their second album with Al Doyle (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem) and Ghost Culture (Daniel Avery, Kelly Lee Owen), and are set to release a remix art project with remixes from the likes of Ewan Pearson, Frank Wiedemann, and Trey Mirror.