Exclusive Interview with X U

X U is a rising force in China’s experimental music scene—a Berklee-trained sound designer and producer pioneering a new Hyperpop subgenre he calls emo-glitch. Imagine Arca’s tear-streaked, distorted synthscapes colliding with the raw vulnerability of Lil Peep’s vocals, and you’re close to the sonic world he’s building. His upcoming single, “container,” delivers 2:47 of hyperpop heartbreak. Glitch-ridden synth bass splinters under rapid-fire rap verses, where X U confesses anxiety in both Mandarin and English. Already generating momentum, his sound has earned over 1 million streams on NetEase Music in China. Check out the exclusive Interview below:

1. Your roots can often shape your journey. Can you share a story or moment from your early life that had a significant impact on your path into music?

X U: senior year in one of those brutal Chinese high schools where you’re basically locked in the classroom every night. I had my earphones hidden under my hoodie sleeve, secretly trying to listen to Tyler, The Creator’s “THE BROWN STAINS OF DARKEESE…” and I forgot to plug them in. Next thing I know the entire room is blasting “Oh, you the motherfucking man, huh?” at loud volume. I killed it in like half a second, almost had a heart attack. Then the super pretty girl sitting next to me turns around and goes, “You’re dumbass… but that song’s actually fire. Send me more stuff like that?” That one sentence changed my life.

2. Did your musical journey begin with formal training, or was it more of a personal exploration? How has that shaped your unique approach to your craft?

X U: Self-taught first, then formal. I blew up messing around on my own, then switched lanes and went academic — got an almost full-ride Master’s at Berklee NYC.

3. Who were some of the most influential figures in your early musical life, and how did they inspire your sound? Also, what’s the story behind choosing the name ‘X U’?

X U: Ryuichi Sakamoto, XXXTENTACION and Ye. “X U” means “unknown you,” but it’s also the first letter of my Chinese surname. Whatever name I use, part of my real name is always in it — because making music is me being the most real version of myself. No extra needed.

4. What do you believe sets your music apart? How would you describe your sound to someone discovering you for the first time, and what emotions or experiences do you hope to evoke in your listeners?

X U: I use sound design as the primary material in my production. My creation of this genre call emo-glitch — it sounds like a distorted, intense XXXTENTACION beat, plus Tohji-style vocals on top.

5. For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and music maker, and the transition towards your own style, which is known as Emo-glitch?

X U: Yessir, at first I was rapping trap beats with some cool people around me, but I realized that wasn’t enough to express what I really wanted. So I went to the UK to study sonic arts, because I see music as essentially combinations of sounds — something that can be totally free for expression. After learning those skills, I started integrating them into popular music formats. My evolution has been about exploring the intersection of what I’m capable of technically and what I need to convey emotionally.

6. Music often transcends entertainment. What’s your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles – and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?

X U: I have a huge inner world as a human, but my music doesn’t. Music is like water it has no ego. It just reflects and distorts whatever’s around it. Whatever you feel when you hear it, that’s what it is.

7. Do you feel the rewards of your musical career match the energy and passion you invest in it, or are there different kinds of fulfillment you’re still seeking?

X U: Money? no. Feeling? Absolutely. When some Bushwick kids came up after a New York show and said watching me hustle in America inspired them to finally start their own art and “being yourself is what matters most” — that stuff weighs more than any playlist. Still waiting for the American experimental scene to fully accept a Chinese kid as one of its leaders, but we’re getting there.

8. Can you walk us through your creative process? From the first spark of an idea to the finished track, what’s the most essential part of your process, and how do collaboration or external influences shape your work?

X U: Let me break down my actual method real quick:

I go out and collect sounds on purpose — field recordings, synths, whatever.

Then I shatter them, mangle them through synths or physically manipulate them in ways that feel embodied to me. After that I throw everything into the DAW, build a rough architecture, drop vocals, and finish the full production. Lately I’ve also been messing around with AI tools and generative models as extra collaborators.

9. What’s been the most challenging hurdle in either your personal life or music career, and how has it shaped you as an artist?

X U: The way “pop” and “experimental” are done in the West vs Asia is wildly different. I could study it, but going from understanding to actually being able to execute always took forever.But I believe every piece of information will ultimately be put to use. That’s why, though I work slowly, the music I’ve persistently crafted over time possesses a consistent uniqueness.

Hands down the proudest moment was finishing my completely 10-show North American headline tour in Oct–Nov 2024. Andy was driving me, I was carrying my own gear, doing soundcheck alone, then walking onstage and watching rooms full of people who didn’t even speak Chinese lose their minds to the melodies anyway. That’s when it hit me: I can actually take this emo-glitch world global from absolute zero. Writing for a $300M game is insane on paper, but the tour felt like something I built with my own hands.

Right now I’m putting the final touches on an EP called New York Type Shit — six tracks, everything self-produced, recorded and mixed in Brooklyn. Most uncompromised thing I’ve ever made: violent glitch, crushing synth-bass, bilingual emo vocals. Coming late 2025 / early 2026.

Long-term, I’m deep in the O-1 visa process so I can stay here permanently. Once that’s locked, I want to start a experimental label in NY to sign and break the next wave of cross-cultural, bilingual, hyper-futuristic artists. I believe the next big sound is coming from me or people exactly like us.

10. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?

X U: My mental health comes first. I used to argue with them online, now I’ve mostly evolved into actually not giving a fuck.

11. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?

X U: Live, every time. There’s nowhere to hide your art, and I love actually connecting with people.

12. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?

X U: Nah. The best I can do is make them feel something — an emotion, a thought, whatever. If it hits them, I already won. They’ll figure out the rest themselves.