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 ever-present sense of joy and fantasy.
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 recently released their second album 'Hazama' in February 2022, and are back on stage with performances booked throughout Europe over the coming months.
