A Japanese instrumental three piece band formed by two Shamisen (Lead and Bass) and drums. Currently signed to TRANSIST Records, The Shamisenists delivers super-charged live performances wowing audiences and earning followers everywhere they play. 

 

The Shamisenists is led by Jack, a traditionally trained shamisen player and special instructor of ESP entertainments’ Japanese instrument seminars. Yuji, the worlds first bass shamisen player covers the bass lines while Kyohei, endorsed by BONNEY DRUM JAPAN and GOSTRAY Custom Drum Works , holds down the drum beats.

Using traditional instuments, The Shamisenists intends to share the new and exciting sounds of Tokyo and Japan with the world.

 

The special charm of The Shamisenists lies in thier live performance. Once the lights go up, with four counts, all hell breaks loose as the group releases a raw energy that can’t be matched.  Soaring to the ends of the earth with untamed musical performance, they cut through the air with electric shamisen sounds that amaze and bewilder at the same time. 

The addition of Kyohei’s heavy beats and the so nicknamed ‘heavy tank’ pushes the sound beyond the atmosphere as it explodes into the vastness of space. 

 

Drawing from a diverse musicality, The Shamisenists moves from  psychedelic rock to jazz and funk to fuzzy heavy metal inspired riffing to Indian scale and Japanese tunes with ease. Back beats infused with Japanese traditional and African American styles keep crowds moving and wondering what will come next. 

 

The band has recieved overwhelming support from musicians and creators, as their styles like free-improvisation, oscillating grooves and use irregular metre continue to inspire and motivate others. 

 

The 3rd album, released after their performances at the Rugby World Cup and their European tour in 2020.
With LÄ-PPISCH's tatsu as the producer, this ambitious work carries a message of "regeneration" and "destruction" for a Tokyo that has entered the new era of the 2020s.