London-based duo Mimi Xu – producer & electronic composer, and MAGUIRE – multi instrumentalist and lead vocalist came together as Awkward Moments in 2018.
Individually, Mimi Xu has established a distinctive practice at the intersection of sound, performance, and visual culture. Renowned for her evocative catwalk compositions, cinematic scores, and immersive DJ sets, her work extends into the realm of live art through multimedia performances commissioned by institutions such as The Royal Academy of Arts, The Barbican, Meltdown Festival, Gagosian Gallery and Fondation Beyeler. MAGUIRE is a classically trained pianist, vocalist, violist & violinist, who has performed at venues ranging from The Purcell Room and The Royal Festival Hall with The Arcade String Quartet, to Brighton Dome performing her solo material.
They premiered their debut album ‘An Entropic Cycle’ at Houghton Festival, and released it in March 2020. Their next track ‘Delighted To Be Free’ was part of the ‘Ambient Layers’ compilation on K7! Records. In 2021 they released their protest club track METACURSE in collaboration with Ghost Culture, followed by ‘A Strange Time EP’ in March 2022.
Their second album SIX SEASONS – an ambient neo-classical meditation on the tug of war between man and nature – was unveiled as a multi-sensorial live dance performance choreographed by Harry Price.
The ongoing project 'Life on Venus - Remixed & Reimagined' – a collection of remixes by the likes of Sasha, Frank Wiedemann, Johnny Aux (Paranoid London) & Marc Collin – raises questions surrounding the male gaze, human connection and queer identity.
The duo also scored the trailer music for Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film Megalopolis released in September 2024 using the third eye chakra solfeggio frequency 852 Hz that promotes spiritual healing.
In March 2025 they released ‘Awkward Chats’ – a collaborative mixtape capturing fleeting urban encounters. Brief moments of intimacy amidst the chaos. The mixtape features the voices of Illa J, Nah Eeto, and Houston X.
RECENT NEWS
Their third studio album A STRANGE ODYSSEY released in September 2025 was co-written & co-produced by Al Doyle (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem), Ghost Culture (Daniel Avery, Kelly Lee Owens), and Liam Howe (Sneaker Pimps, FKA Twigs, Lana Del Rey). It’s an infectious yet thought-provoking otherworldly reflection on humanity’s steady drift toward self-destruction.
To mark the album release, they curated Life on Venus — a performance based Expanded Cinema event at the ICA. The evening showcased six immersive live pieces by queer artists Zoë Marden, Eloise Fornieles, Howl Vocal Ensemble, Grace Pickering & Sarah Nimmo, each exploring how fluid identity and queerness manifest in creative expression. The event also premiered their music video, directed by Norbert Schoerner.
The duo have performed their mixed media show ‘EXTASE on Venus' – a collaboration with visual artist Weirdcore – at various European festivals including Houghton, Glastonbury, She Makes Noise and FEST, made live appearances at Fabric, Koko, HOWL London, HÖR Berlin, scored short films, and host an ongoing radio show on OpenLab Radio.
Since debuting in 2019 they have earned acclaim from Electronic Sound, The Playlist and Trax Magazine, were tipped as emerging artists to watch by DJ Mag, topped Beatport Electro charts in 2023, gained wide tastemaker support from Matt Wilkinson, DFA Archived Selection, NTS Radio, France Inter, Rinse FM, KCRW, Soho Radio, SWU, Couleur 3, 4:3 Boiler Room, and editorial support from New Music Friday UK, Electronic X, Modular Synths, New in Electronic & New in Alternative.
Xu and MAGUIRE also host A STRANGE NIGHT – a fundrave series that celebrates community and diversity in these divisive times, where they raise money for charities such as In Place of War, Arts Emergency, Choose Love, EarthPercent & Albert Kennedy Trust. The club nights have seen DJ sets from 2manydjs, Craig Richards, Hannah Holland, Benji B, Joe Goddard, Ewan Pearson, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tom VR, James Massiah, Peter Adjaye, Cooly G, Sarra Wild, Bekefi, Reenie and Maya Jane Coles, plus live performances from Falle Nioke, Rose Gray, Tom Rasmussen, and Illa J among many others.
Individually, Mimi Xu has established a distinctive practice at the intersection of sound, performance, and visual culture. Renowned for her evocative catwalk compositions, cinematic scores, and immersive DJ sets, her work extends into the realm of live art through multimedia performances commissioned by institutions such as The Royal Academy of Arts, The Barbican, Meltdown Festival, Gagosian Gallery and Fondation Beyeler. MAGUIRE is a classically trained pianist, vocalist, violist & violinist, who has performed at venues ranging from The Purcell Room and The Royal Festival Hall with The Arcade String Quartet, to Brighton Dome performing her solo material.
They premiered their debut album ‘An Entropic Cycle’ at Houghton Festival, and released it in March 2020. Their next track ‘Delighted To Be Free’ was part of the ‘Ambient Layers’ compilation on K7! Records. In 2021 they released their protest club track METACURSE in collaboration with Ghost Culture, followed by ‘A Strange Time EP’ in March 2022.
Their second album SIX SEASONS – an ambient neo-classical meditation on the tug of war between man and nature – was unveiled as a multi-sensorial live dance performance choreographed by Harry Price.
The ongoing project 'Life on Venus - Remixed & Reimagined' – a collection of remixes by the likes of Sasha, Frank Wiedemann, Johnny Aux (Paranoid London) & Marc Collin – raises questions surrounding the male gaze, human connection and queer identity.
The duo also scored the trailer music for Francis Ford Coppola’s latest film Megalopolis released in September 2024 using the third eye chakra solfeggio frequency 852 Hz that promotes spiritual healing.
In March 2025 they released ‘Awkward Chats’ – a collaborative mixtape capturing fleeting urban encounters. Brief moments of intimacy amidst the chaos. The mixtape features the voices of Illa J, Nah Eeto, and Houston X.
RECENT NEWS
Their third studio album A STRANGE ODYSSEY released in September 2025 was co-written & co-produced by Al Doyle (Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem), Ghost Culture (Daniel Avery, Kelly Lee Owens), and Liam Howe (Sneaker Pimps, FKA Twigs, Lana Del Rey). It’s an infectious yet thought-provoking otherworldly reflection on humanity’s steady drift toward self-destruction.
To mark the album release, they curated Life on Venus — a performance based Expanded Cinema event at the ICA. The evening showcased six immersive live pieces by queer artists Zoë Marden, Eloise Fornieles, Howl Vocal Ensemble, Grace Pickering & Sarah Nimmo, each exploring how fluid identity and queerness manifest in creative expression. The event also premiered their music video, directed by Norbert Schoerner.
The duo have performed their mixed media show ‘EXTASE on Venus' – a collaboration with visual artist Weirdcore – at various European festivals including Houghton, Glastonbury, She Makes Noise and FEST, made live appearances at Fabric, Koko, HOWL London, HÖR Berlin, scored short films, and host an ongoing radio show on OpenLab Radio.
Since debuting in 2019 they have earned acclaim from Electronic Sound, The Playlist and Trax Magazine, were tipped as emerging artists to watch by DJ Mag, topped Beatport Electro charts in 2023, gained wide tastemaker support from Matt Wilkinson, DFA Archived Selection, NTS Radio, France Inter, Rinse FM, KCRW, Soho Radio, SWU, Couleur 3, 4:3 Boiler Room, and editorial support from New Music Friday UK, Electronic X, Modular Synths, New in Electronic & New in Alternative.
Xu and MAGUIRE also host A STRANGE NIGHT – a fundrave series that celebrates community and diversity in these divisive times, where they raise money for charities such as In Place of War, Arts Emergency, Choose Love, EarthPercent & Albert Kennedy Trust. The club nights have seen DJ sets from 2manydjs, Craig Richards, Hannah Holland, Benji B, Joe Goddard, Ewan Pearson, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tom VR, James Massiah, Peter Adjaye, Cooly G, Sarra Wild, Bekefi, Reenie and Maya Jane Coles, plus live performances from Falle Nioke, Rose Gray, Tom Rasmussen, and Illa J among many others.
