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FEATURES - MUSIC - GET TO KNOW

GET TO KNOW:

ELLE SHIMADA

THURSDAY 25TH SEPTEMBER 

WORDS BY GEMMA IMBRIANO

Elle Shimada is a boundary-blurring producer, a violinist who bends sound into emotion, a soulful vocalist, and, effortlessly, a magnetic DJ. A distinctive creative force whose talent pulses through every layer of her sound as she creates emotionally charged, genre-defying soundscapes. Born in Tokyo and now based in London, after living in Melbourne, Elle Shimada’s artistic journey mirrors her geographic one, rich, evolving and rooted in transformation. 

 

First falling in love with the violin as a young girl, this would become the way Elle communicated with the world, while her connection to her late grandmother’s instrument became the emotional thread that weaves through everything she is today. 

 

With her forthcoming album, LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY DREAMS, Elle Shimada invites listeners into an intimate, genre-spanning journey that embraces softness as a form of strength. Blending harmonic strings, haunting vocals, intricate beats, and experimental textures, the album plays like a sonic diary, as it navigates the full spectrum of grief, healing, and rebirth. Each track showcases her ability to move seamlessly between emotional vulnerability and bold musical innovation. 

 

We spoke with Elle about where it all began, the process of creating her unique works, and what inspires her inside and outside of the studio.

Your music is full of rich strings and layered soundscapes, when did you first pick up the violin and how did that evolve into the music you make today?

Violin was my first crush, she's my only and forever lover girl. Production came later, and so did vocals, as I only started singing a couple of years ago. I was little when I saw live jazz at a street festival in Tokyo, and I fell in love with the sound of acoustic double bass. I asked my mum if I could play one, and she got me a quarter sized tiny violin 'You know how you're little and I'm big, it'll grow with you'. I quit soon after, but picked it back up again when my late grandmother passed away. When I moved overseas to Australia alone at 15, with very little English, I picked up the violin and quickly got obsessed with it. My grandma's violin became the way I processed all my teenage overflowing emotions, and also the way I communicated with the world. I think it's still that way, I'm not so good with the words sometimes, but the violin makes me honest.

Do you remember the first album you ever bought? Do you see any traces of those early musical influences in your work today and did they shape your evolution as an artist? 

Bjork - Volta. She's still a big influence, along with Arca, Flying Lotus, FKA Twigs, Sevdaliza... I always liked artists that bend time, and create a world with their sounds. Some artists make you create a movie inside your eyes while you listen to their songs. I'd like to be one of them.

Astral People Party x Carriageworks x Vivid Full - Jordan Munns - _jordankmunns-28.jpg
Your live performances go beyond music, they're an experience. What do you hope audiences take away from seeing you perform?

 I think the dance floor is like a space for a collective liberation ritual. I think the audience knows exactly what they need deep down. The artist's job isn't to tell the audience how to experience, but just to create a space where the audience can be free. Free to feel deeply or dance with strangers with eyes closed.

 

There's not many places like dance floors, where we can really be ourselves. Some people nerd out on some weird production bass glitch I program, then another fan tells me that my lyrics resonated with their sense of home and belonging. I've been told many times that my music is 'intellectually stimulating', then next person just tells me I was hot in a red sheer dress? I guess if they can take away a sense of possibilities or freedom, no matter how small or epicly grand, I'd be very happy.

What are the key themes and messages you aimed to explore with ‘LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY BODY’ and what story do you want it to convey to listeners?

I think this album is my most fragile yet ruthless work to date. Life is not meant to be easy. And it's also not meant to be difficult all the time. As we move through loss, longing, rage, bargaining, despair, surrender, and acceptance—the seven stages of grief, laid bare. But grief is not where we end. To expand outward, we must first dive deep within.

 

This journey leads us back to our inner compass, higher calling, answered prayers, and the dreams we once dared to dream. Some songs are super tender, some are intense.

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This album is ugly, beautiful, naked, and messy—a deep dive into our heartstrings. Making it wasn't easy, I think it's the first time I fully and truly felt my emotions in my life. Listening to it won’t be easy, but if you stay until the end, we’ll emerge braver, freer, and fiercely loyal to ourselves.  As we bury our old selves (Rest in pitty, Bitch), we are born anew. My hope is that this music serves as a sonic safe space for you to feel fully and freely, and return to our innate deep love and remember our higher callings.

 

I hope that this album can sound track your wildest dreams—just as it did for me.

In what ways does this project express where you are right now? 

I think I'm free now. In all aspects of life. My life is far from perfect. Like right now I don't have a house or a job, so I’m low-key freaking out. But I feel liberated, personally, creatively and emotionally. That journey to embody freedom is always ongoing, challenging and also deeply beautiful - I want to express and share it through my body of work.

When working on a track, what usually comes to you first, the lyrics or the production?

Usually the emotions come first. And I journal about it a lot. But drums first, then whatever production elements kinda pours out in an organic way in reaction to the feelings and the rhythm. Vocals and violins come last.

You have such a diverse range of musical skills, from playing the violin, to songwriting, production, video works, design to DJing. Out of all these creative outlets, what do you enjoy the most and why?

For me, the medium of art and skills are just a tool. I have an idea, and my favourite bit is expansively dreaming on these ideas. Then reality hits, and I'm usually too broke to hire someone to do it. I hyper-fixate on the idea, watch YouTube videos and nerdy online forums or call friends to help me learn that way and give it a red hot go. Embarrass myself a few too many times… Then I get decent at it. Right now I'm really enjoying collaboration more than any of my skills, relocating to London has been so inspiring. My mind and sense of possibilities are expanding exponentially right now. 

Outside of music, what drives or inspires your artistic vision?

I went to Egypt last month to participate in the Global March for Gaza. It was a powerful and sobering experience. Over 8,000 people from around 80 countries gathered at a time when global systems have so clearly failed Palestinian people enduring a live-broadcasted genocide. When the march was blocked by authorities through mass arrests, deportations, and systemic violence, we knew we had to spend the rest of our time in Egypt meaningfully.
We met with many incredible Palestinian refugees based in Cairo. One woman in particular moved us deeply. Despite her family still being in Gaza, she is leading a grassroots initiative to feed displaced people both in Gaza and in Cairo. Her strength and radical compassion lit something in us.

 

We are planning music events to raise awareness and funds to support her vision. If you feel moved to learn more or contribute, the donation links for her initiative are on my socials.


Right now, it is people like her who shape my artistic and personal vision. Just like so many artists using their craft and platform for powerful action, I want us - me and you - to be part of that change. I know most people have beautiful hearts, but when we stand united, the system becomes the minority. The dance floor is one of the places I feel most connected to people. Music can make revolution feel irresistible.

Astral People Party x Carriageworks x Vivid Full - Jordan Munns - _jordankmunns-18.jpg
Where would you like to take your music and where would you like to see it take you?

I’m underground now, but I know this is just the beginning. I've just moved to London, so my focus now is to build a community that feels warm, genuine and loving. I can feel that this new phase is going to bring so much growth and expansion, and I want to make sure I do it with people that feels aligned, creatively and with values. 


I got Girl Sized Dreams - I want to play festivals around the world, music venues first in London, but I really want to grow into a touring artist. I love to experience the world. I feel most alive playing to a big crowd, where I'm roaring, the dance floor is roaring and big speakers are roaring too. I want to perform in curated and unexpected spaces—fashion runways, art galleries or spaces with huge projectors. I love artful spaces. I'll go anywhere in the world, where there's hot queers dancing really. Music leads the way, and I just follow.

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