SHIZUKA

Shizuka was a Japanese rock band originated in Tokyo in about 1992 by singer and guitarist Shizuka Miura and guitarist Maki Miura.The band produced no more than four audio albums, having remained undocumented and unknown overall.Nevertheless, translator and journalist Alan Cummings described Shizuka on The Wire as "one of the most distinctive groups on the Tokyo psychedelic scene". Their earliest known lineup consisted of Shizuka on vocals and guitar, Maki Miura on lead guitar, Jun Kosugi on drums, and Tomoya Hirata on bass, who would be later replaced by bassist Tetsuya "Seven" Mugishima.Though a number of lineup changes followed, Shizuka and Maki remained together until circa 31 January 2010, the singer's death date. The Shizuka's musical style was characterized by variations of psychedelic music, acid rock, folk music, free improvisation and noise rock, some of which were influences from the underground rock scene in Japan at that time.Therefore, Maki Miura, who was once a member of Les Rallizes Dénudés as well of Fushitsusha, played a major role on the band's sound as the lead guitarist and as the person in charge of some miscellaneous work.Shizuka Miura was the sole singer and her vocals were often ethereal, reverberated, slow and tremulous, characteristics which expressed or suggested, among other things, sadness, and a "haunting", "gothic atmosthere". Through the eighteen years of the band's existence, four albums were produced.Of these, one was a studio album release: Heavenly Persona (天界のペルソナ), from 1994.Moreover, three were live albums: Live Shizuka, from 1995; Tokyo Underground 20, Jul '95, from 2000; and Traditional Aesthetics (伝承美学), from 2008.They also had some video albums released, for example, Recording of Secret Songs (秘曲の成績), from 2009, and Endless Dream (終わりのない夢), from 2010.The latter was a visual tribute to Shizuka Miura, which contains one of the last live performances by her group recorded at live venue ShowBoat in Tokyo on 30 December 2008.