Shizuka Miura: A Quiet Life of Noise

In the 90s, an underground psychedelic noise band by the name Shizuka became renowned for an eerie and disorienting sound, similar to those of other experimental rock bands at the time.

The lead singer was Shizuka Miura, a doll-maker from Tokyo, who made creepy and pale dolls, similar to those of traditional Japanese dolls, but with an imperfect twist. Her artistry resembled throughout all of her mediums, dollmaking and music.

She was her art and lived her art, it resembled everything she was.

Her albums ‘Heavenly Persona’ and ‘Traditional Aesthetics ‘ are a dive into a trance of guitar chords, uncanny vocal inflections, and a 90’s Tokyo girl’s rewire of traditional Japanese folk. Music to Miura was reflecting her truest form. Her music created a beautiful atmosphere, something that could be felt through the long chords and echoes. Her other notable projects are ‘III’ and other live albums, which also resemble the dreamy and atmospheric shoegaze sound from her previous projects.

Shizuka tragically committed suicide in 2010. Her legacy as a pioneer for the Tokyo rock scene and a talented dollmaker continues.