New album 'Hazama' out 18th February 2022✨
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 by percussion and double bass, Mitsune take their love of Japanese folk music and infuse it with eastern blues, jazz, rock and cinematic music.
The heart and soul of Mitsune is the Tsugaru shamisen, a distinctive 3-stringed Japanese folk instrument once favoured by the blind monks of olden Japan. Mitsune both honours and challenges tradition, conveying their own personal and cultural stories through this ancient instrument. Their music is virtuosic and groovy, evoking folklore imagery, emotion, and infectious beats.
Since their formation in April 2018, Mitsune have performed extensively at festivals, cultural events and concerts across Europe. They released their debut album in 2018, which Songlines Magazines praised as "consistently excellent.. If you need a contemporary introduction to the world of Tsugaru shamisen, this is it." In 2019 they supported Nai Palm (Hiatus Kaiyote) and performed alongside esteemed Japanese traditional musicians Yoshiyuki Kimura and Akihiro & Hibiki Ichikawa.
Mitsune's second album 'Hazama' is set for release on 18th February, 2022.
