Rising Japanese electronic artist SHIMA has officially announced her long-awaited debut album, Welcome To SHIMAJIMA, set for release on September 26 via Young Art Records. Alongside the announcement, she unveils her latest single, the whimsical and rhythmically charged “MAITAKE,” offering a spellbinding taste of what’s to come.
Her first full-length project, Welcome To SHIMAJIMA promises to be a 10-track audio journey through a vibrant, genre-blending universe, fusing SHIMA’s Japanese heritage with global electronic influences. The album will include previously released fan favorites like ‘EIYAA’, ‘INVISIBLE’ ‘KARMA’, ‘AWA’, and ‘1807,’ each contributing to the rich sonic tapestry she’s steadily built.
With “MAITAKE,” SHIMA leans deeper into her experimental instincts. Drawing inspiration from a centuries-old Japanese folktale about a magical mushroom that causes uncontrollable dancing, the track weaves hypnotic flute melodies, tribal-inspired percussion, and bass-heavy textures into a surreal electronic landscape. Her airy vocals glide over the beat, capturing the fantastical and slightly mischievous spirit of the story.
“The word ‘maitake’ in Japanese means ‘dancing mushroom,’” SHIMA shares. “I found an old story where a group of nuns and lumberjacks ate wild mushrooms in the forest and couldn’t stop dancing. It was both eerie and beautiful, and I knew I had to turn it into a song.”
Vivid, playful, and unbound by convention, “MAITAKE” reflects SHIMA’s ability to blend folklore with futurism—melding the mythic with the modern in a style all her own. It also marks a bold step forward in anticipation of Welcome To SHIMAJIMA, an album poised to cement her place as one of the most imaginative voices in global electronic music.
SHIMA’s “MAITAKE” is out now. Her debut album Welcome To SHIMAJIMA drops September 26 via Young Art Records.