Mitsune

Mitsune is a 5-piece Japanese folk fusion band based in Berlin, with members hailing from Japan, Germany, Australia and Greece. Fronted by a powerful trio of female shamisen players, accompanied with percussion and double bass, Mitsune take their love of Japanese folk music and infuse it with eastern blues, jazz, rock and cinematic music to create an evocative music fusion experience.

 

The heart and soul of Mitsune is the Tsugaru shamisen, a 3-stringed Japanese lute once favoured by blind folks and itinerant musicians of olden Japan. Mitsune both honours and modernises shamisen tradition, conveying folklore imagery, personal and cultural stories and raw emotion through this ancient instrument. They perform reimagined Japanese folk songs and original compositions filled with virtuosity, driving beats and wild group vocals. On stage, Mitsune delivers a visual and sartorial feast, where traditional meets avant-garde, their shows spiced with an everpresent sense of joy and fantasy. Since their formation in 2018 Mitsune has performed extensively across Europe and the UK.

 

They released their sophomore album Hazama in February 2022, praised in Songlines and Rolling Stone, and entering the Transglobal World Music Chart at #10. They are set to release a follow-up EP in Spring 2023.