South-west label Art Is Hard are launching their most exciting signing to date in New Zealand’s Shunkan. The alias of LA-born strummer Marina Sakimoto, who has been carving out little nuggets of lo-fi indie-rock bliss since 2012, The 20-year-old’s latest tune, ‘Wash You Away’, is a sugar-rush of distorted, squalling guitars, punctuated by a riptide wash of cymbals and snare.
Shunkan is a Los Angeles based rock band steeped in the young traditions of left of the dial underground. Shunkan (shoon-kahn) translates from Japanese to “in a moment”. Frontwoman Marina Sakimoto confronts her duality not only as as a half-Japanese artist, but in the emotional balance of yin and yang. Warm dueling guitars akin to the jangly riffs of Pavement and earnest second-wave emo marry Sakimoto’s voice, ranging from heartbreaking coos to animalistic howls. Whether transitioning between pedal-gazing deemed as “mastering the Kevin Shields shoegaze staple like nobody else” (DIY Mag) or raw confrontation in a stripped-down setting, Shunkan accomplishes the feat of maintaining real individuality while remaining cohesive throughout.
