Mitsune - Japan

Japanese trad in open class

The Japanese folk fusion band Mitsune has members from Japan, Australia, Germany and Greece. Musically, however, it is about traditional Japanese folk music, mixed with psychedelic, cinematic and ritual music and served with a clear punk mentality.

The heart and soul of Mitsune is the tsugaru shamisen, a traditional wooden stringed lute popularized by blind, traveling musicians in ancient Japan. Mitsune both honors and modernizes the shamisen tradition, and conveys their own stories through this ancient instrument. Their concerts are packed with raw energy, decadent visuals, and humor.

Since the start of 2018, Mitsune has played extensively around Europe, sharing the stage with artists as Hiatus Kaiyote and wowed audiences at all kinds of festivals, from techno to folk music. Their self-titled debut album was praised in Songlines Magazine as "..straight ahead. If you need a modern introduction to the tsugaru shamisen, this is the answer." Their second album, Hazama , was praised in both Songlines and Rolling Stone, and was nominated for the German Record Critics' Award. A third follow-up is expected this year.