RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT AND EVENT CURATION BY QTBIPOC PERFORMANCE ART COLLECTIVE

PROJECT PROPOSAL -

ELLE SHIMADA: Biography

(Violinist, Composer, Vocalist, Creative Director)

嶋田会希–Elle Shimada is a violinist, producer, curator, DJ and multi-instrumentalist from Tokyo based in Melbourne.

A unique combination of thickly layered string lines making tender love to heavy new-jazz influenced beats creates a cinematic and other-worldly atmosphere while keeping the dance floor pulsing with visionary and edgy production.

Fluidly fusing between Tokyo’s futuristic underground scene, London and Detroit House, LA Hip Hop, Melbourne mellow-jazz and sacred spirit’s songs somewhere deep in the mountains, Shimada’s production and live sets are a kinetic succession of dance beats and abstract compositions.

Shimada fuses cinematic string lines, vintage synthesizers, drum machines, vocals, and poetry to deliver a danceable and highly political live set, with a cult following from local and international fans.
Fusing melancolic layered violin lines with the influence of jazz, her sound is fresh to the ears yet strangely familiar, with a worldly twist to her production creating a unique live electronica sound. Finding a like-minded and supportive family of creatives has allowed Shimada to explore the curation of visually and intellectually stimulating live shows.

Elle Shimada Band’s live shows often feature multicultural and diverse artists of various mediums of arts (dance, fashion, and fine arts etc.). Her curation is a politically charged peaceful protest, and emphases on exchanging knowledge and energy between the stage, dance floor, and the community.

Aside from her original project, Shimada has collaborated with many artists in Melbourne and overseas – Performing/recording with Clever Austin and Paul Bender (Hiatus Kaiyote), Jace XL for Stamp the Wax compilation, recording features with Allysha Joy (3070 Collective) and Dufresne for World Wide fm./Brownswood compilation album, playing with Mandarin Dreams supporting Giles Peterson and Lonnie Liston Smith, Close Counters, Aaron Chouli (Jazzy Sport Tokyo), Tash Sultana, Abbey Howlett , MAYA, Rara Zulu, Australian Art Orchestra and played at notable festivals such as WOMADelaid, Strawberry Field Festival, Dark Mofo, Pleasure Garden, Rainbow Serpent, North America, Europe and Japanese tours to name a few.

Intertwined with feminism, cultural curiosity and political mindset, Shimada utilizes the uniting power of music to cultivate a dance-floor-activism that is inclusive, honest and raw.