Charles Xu, born in Hong Kong and raised in China, now works from Los Angeles and moves restlessly among music-making, photography, videography, and journalism.

As the founder of Stereolism and the editor-in-chief of FASE, Xu is shaping a self-sustaining ecosystem for independent music. FASE, a publication operating under Stereolism, brings together people who engage with sound, image, or language, connecting the audible and the visible. The platform approaches music and sound as products of human interaction and is particularly drawn to work that resists categorization. Stereolism, an independent record label, operates in the same spirit, offering a home for those in and out of Los Angeles' independent music scene. In addition, Xu's work has brought him into contact with those he grew up admiring and studying, among them Raymond Watts of PIG/Schwein, interviewed for FASE. He has collaborated with hip-hop auteur T-Love on recent releases; her late-90s boom bap material, which features the likes of Kool Keith, remains a prominent staple of underground hip-hop. Xu currently serves as artist manager to pioneering Canadian avant-pop artist Spookey Ruben, overseeing his long-term strategy, legacy catalog, and agency representation. Beyond the studio, Xu has worked with United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW), reflecting his care for the conditions under which art is created. Under his leadership, Stereolism is an early supporter and signatory of the Living Wages for Musicians Act.

Xu's editorial sensibility is inseparable from his artistic one. Whether behind the camera at a concert, in the studio producing and composing, or writing about an artist he is interviewing, Xu lets attention guide him as a form of care. He creates, documents, and preserves: usually all three simultaneously.