Based in Berlin, the 5-piece, female-led group known as Mitsune are fusing Japanese folk music with several other genres on their upcoming album entitled Hazama, which is set to be released on February 18th. Some of genres that Mitsune is fusing with Japanese folk music include jazz, blues, and rock, each with its own stylistic flair. The band members come from all over the globe, ranging from Japan to Australia to Greece. Mitsune plans to release a single or accompanying video every week leading up to the release of Hazama, beginning on January 13th.
The first single to be release in anticipation of Mitsune’s next album is a song called “Maru.” This song will have a live video release on January 13th and will be digitally available on January 20th. In terms of lyrics, I personally do not speak Japanese so I have no idea what the lyrical meaning of the song is. Regardless of this matter, the beauty of the instruments and the vocal melodies and harmonies are not diminished by my lack of understanding.
One of the singles that Mitsune plans to release before their album is made available is their track, “Hazama,” which the album is named after. In Japanese, “Hazama” means “in between” and, in this mostly instrumental track, the band is able to portray the uncertainty and instability of being in between. Although the song begins very softly, it quickly builds in intensity as the other instruments are introduced with the song’s main riff. Once the bass and percussion enter, the track is in full swing and the feeling of being in between is prominent. “Hazama” and the animated video release are scheduled to be released on February 3rd.
Be sure to listen to Hazama when it is released and don’t forget to check out Mitsune on social media to stay up to date on their upcoming projects and release dates!
Words by Brendon Gardner