Shizuka (band)

Shizuka (静香（しずか）; /ʃiːzuːkɑː/; Japanese pronunciation: [ɕizɯᵝka̠]) was a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo in 1992. The group made atmospheric, psychedelic-noise music, and was regarded for its distinctive style in the Tokyo psychedelic music scene. The band produced four albums in its eighteen years of existence and constantly performed live shows, but they remained little-documented and little-known.

In 1992, Shizuka Miura (vocals and rhythm guitar) began composing music and performing by herself, but she soon formed a duo with Maki Miura (lead guitar). Early members also included Jun Kosugi (drums) and Tomoya Hirata (bass), and later the band was established with Tetsuya "Seven" Mugishima (bass) who replaced the first bassist. The group had many lineup changes throughout its history, having been Shizuka and Maki the only permanent members up until Shizuka's death in early 2010.

Shizuka's musical style incorporated elements of psychedelic music, folk music, noise rock, and acid rock, combined atmospheric music with the Japanese neo-psychedelia, and was led by Shizuka's vocals and Maki's guitar. Shizuka's vocals were slow, chanted, haunting, and tremulous—characteristics that connoted sadness and a "gothic atmosphere". Maki's guitar complemented Shizuka's vocals in a gentle plucking of strings, but intermixed a psychedelic-noise guitar playing in contrast to the melodic and serene proceedings.

Of Shizuka's four albums, Heavenly Persona (天界のペルソナ, Tenkai no Perusona) (1994) was the band's debut and only studio album. The other three were live albums: Live Shizuka (1995); Tokyo Underground '95 (2000); and Traditional Aesthetics (伝承美学, Denshō Bigaku) (2008). They also released two video albums: Shizuka (静香) in 1995, and Endless Dream (終わりのない夢, Owari no Nai Yume) in 2010. Posthumous releases include Paradise of Delusion (妄想の楽園, Mousou no Rakuen) (2021).