ABOUT MIEKO

Mieko Shimizu is a boldly nonconformist Japanese singer, songwriter, composer and producer. Based in London, Mieko Shimizu has released numerous albums and singles, as she continues to make her mark on avant-garde and experimental genres. 

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She first erupted onto the scene as Apache 61; her searing alter ego, fusing layers of cross-woven breaks and battling shards of sub-bass within stateless melodies drawn from the fringes of the avant-garde. As Mieko Shimizu, her last album, ‘My Tentacles’ saw her return to a deeper, more reflective state in the cavernous depth of beautiful symphonic songs that oscillated with glitchy electronica.

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‘My Tentacles’ album took five years to write. However, she almost abandoned her plans to make it when she was admitted to hospital for two life-threatening operations. While in hospital, a heroin addict was moved into the bed next to Mieko and began to terrorise the ward. The only thing that would calm the mayhem was an old Scottish lady singing traditional folk songs. It was listening to the lady, and seeing the effect that her singing was having, that made Mieko realise the power of music, and this gave her the resolve to finish her album.

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What resulted is ‘I Bloom’, a luscious record of interleaving haunting melodies, boasting songs that are both beautiful in their sincerity and tantalising in their simplicity. Her unerring elegance and undying passion take you on a journey from hidden places across emotional landscapes to distant nebulae. On this record, Mieko collaborated with William D Drake of The Cardiacs. She worked with Japan’s Mick Karn, Nitin Sawhney and the London Symphony Orchestra on the Japanese silent film ‘Yogoto no Yume’. Mieko has also worked with David Cunningham from The Flying Lizards, Robert Lippok of To Rococo Rot, and re-mixed the likes of Coldcut. Haruomi Hosono of the cult electro-pop act ‘Yellow Magic Orchestra’ signed Mieko to his label ‘Daisy World’. 

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Word quickly spread of her incredible live shows, bringing forth a stream of live shows in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Japan. Mieko also played at Sonar, alongside the mighty Kraftwerk and supported Massive Attack at their Melt Down Festival with Riz MC, AKA actor Riz Ahmed. She has produced scores for contemporary dance company Phoenix Dance Theatre as well as the Ballet ‘The Red Balloon’ at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre. She was made an ‘Emerging Artist in Residence’ at London’s Southbank Centre where she collaborated with the London Philharmonic Orchestra on her own compositions.

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In her new live shows, Mieko combines ancient and modern. She is currently a resident artist for the touring sonic meltdown Wonky Plonky Electronk, who have visited venues across London and the South East of England. Whilst playing alongside experimental powerhouses including Dhangsha, Space Afrika, and Wrangler at these shows, Mieko is gearing up for more releases in 2025, including a fresh EP and a re-visited Apache 61 project. 

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Find Mieko Shimizu on INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Listen to Mieko Shimizu on SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE

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