ASTROPHE ASCENDS WITH ELLE SHIMADA

MUSIC

Oct 31

Tokyo-born, Melbourne-based multi-hyphenate Elle Shimada has built a reputation as one of the most fearless and singular voices in contemporary music. A violinist, producer, curator, DJ and performer, her work lives at the intersection of grief and joy, queerness and community, dance floor liberation and intimate vulnerability.

With her forthcoming album LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY BODY — and the release of her hypnotic new single “Girl Sized Dreams” — Shimada continues to expand her world: a 14-track sonic diary that embraces softness as strength and vulnerability as resistance, blending lush strings, heavy beats, and a boundary-blurring approach to genre.

On stage, she channels collective ritual; in the studio, she crafts cinematic soundscapes that hold space for healing. Her journey – from underground clubs to global stages, from personal loss to radical joy – has always been rooted in loyalty: to herself, her people, and to music.

Astrophe chatted with Shimada to talk about inspiration, power, grief, queerness, her iconic grandmother, and why sometimes the best space in the world is simply… bed.

Outside of your art form, where do you find inspiration?

Life. In it's vast and intricate beauty and the complete chaos.
The grief and the healing. I write music to make sense of it all.

I love how heartbreak can suddenly becomes beautiful with thick layers of strings, or that sometimes I'm upset so I write lyrics, then in the process of song making it becomes a healing experience. I guess life is a movie and I'm just making sound tracks.

Where do you think you get your personal power from?

I find power in prayers.

I left home at 14 to overseas, I'm a hopleless romantic queer woman with fear of rejection, choosing alternative music as my path and purpose, there are so many experiences that scares the shit out of me. I get my personal power by doing it anyways, I failed so many times and I'm still alive and thriving, I think I've become fearless, cuz I had to get the f over sum bullshit so many times. Because I have myself, my people and music. And I'm fuck off loyal to myself, my people and music and they are to me too. Grateful for that.

What is your favourite space?

I love being on the stage. Big sounds, rumbling bass, Lucky playing groovy drums and Kurt playing emotive and expressive synths - and watching and feeling the audience and the whole room elevate. It feels like a collective liberation ritual, dance, as a form of bodily meditation... Nothing beats the feeling.

Also bed. I really love bed.

Is there something you learnt early in your career that you have now disproven?

Oh damn... So. Many. Things... I'm wrong all the time. And I love love love learning the new and better ways.

I used to think that I had to make popular music to be a successful artist. Now I know that when we as an artist stay true to our sounds and vision, people who resonate find us.

I also used to think that a big label or industry big gatekeeper was gonna be the key to opening these doors. Every door that has opened has been with the day one friends and the fams, the genuine friendships and community.

Within your immediate circle of friends and family or chosen family who is your hero and why?

My grandma.

She came from nothing, the war time, started a humble soba noodle shop which happened to be 100m away from the Shibuya crossing.

She then turned a female entrepreneur and the first woman to drive a car recreationally in Japan.

All while being a hot bitch, red porche, and red mini skirt to match and was a miss shibuya. Even in her last days, she'd escape hospital to enjoy Michael Jackson concert in a fur coat, free spirit, generously loving, siren energy. Iconic.

How much of a role do other musicians play in inspiring your work?

So much, especially my bandmate, inspires me so much. Lucky and I have been making music together for years, his drumming has shaped the way I program drums on Ableton. Kurt has inspired me to be unafraid of boldly being emotive.

Is there a specific sonic theme, genre or instrument that you draw pure joy from? E.g film soundtrack, 70’s punk, the Roland 808

I love experimental electronic music in queer spaces—it’s pure joy for me. Arca and SOPHIE are my top inspirations as an artist, producer, vocalist, and woman. I’ve spent hours dancing, crying, and studying their music.

Trans women are the innovators, the visionaries, the cultural leaders in electronic music. They haven’t just pushed the boundaries of sound—they’ve reshaped culture itself. Protect & Amplify them at all cost and pay respect where it's due.

How does visual aesthetic come to play in your work?

For the visuals in LULLABY FOR THE RIVER IN MY BODY - I worked with a long term friend and an incredible fashion designer and conceptual artist Wackie Ju. We spent hours getting deep into our shared experiences as Asian migrants, artistic integrity, what each songs means and she really brought such a powerful vision to the body of work.

What are the core values behind your art?

Just being unapologetically me about whatever that I'm creating.

And I pray my music reaches people as a sonic safe space for audience to do the same.

I'm a comically emotional and big romantic softie, a freedom fighter, weird alt girl, a audio production nerd who spend hours on Ableton and make weird sounds and a big big dreamer. I want my music to be so real in it's deep love, queer rage, grief or pure joy that it allows for listeners to be audaciously themselves.

What would be your ultimate song to cover?

I've been filming a bunch of covers - it's gonna be a series where I make all my favourite songs emo with cinematic arrangements.

It's gonna be an insta reels series soon!

What is the first album you bought yourself?

勝訴ストリップ (Winning Strip) by 椎名林檎 (Sheena Ringo).

She sang directly into my heart directly as a teenage girl with big complex emotions in a big smoke of Tokyo. 2000's J-POP was deep, radical and ridiculous.

First memory of live music?

Bjork Volta tour was the first I bought ticket to by washing dishes and begging my parents.

I think I'd have been year 3 or something... My parents raised me in the raves and festivals, so I think first would've been when I was still in my mother's belly somewhere in the club

Go to comfort movie / TV show?

In the Mood for Love - Wong Kar Wai

Who is on your dream collaboration list?

Arca, Sevdaliza, Flying Lotus, Bjork, James Blake, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Sheena Ringo, Serpentwithfeet, Little Simz, Saya Grey, Angelica Garcia, LSDXOXO, Sinjin Hawke, Rosalia, Sudan Archives, FKA Twigs

Are there any creatives you'd like to platform right now?

Wackie Ju - A Melbourne based Chinese born fashion designer, trans woman, cultural leader, sweet heart, deeply creative artist who utilize fashion as a form of resistance and story telling. Her garments and shows are something so special.

If you could grant a wish for someone, who and what would it be?

You, yes you reading this. I pray you're protected, guided, loved.

And I pray your wildest prayers are answered.

What are you holding whilst posing for an oil painting?

Pussy

What is your spirit animal?

Serpent - I have a big tattoo of a serpent goddess 弁財天 (Benzaiten) wrapped around my body, from my heart to inner thigh.

Originally an Hindi goddess Saraswati, a goddess of music, muse, knowledge, art, speech and wisdom, by the time the goddess arrived to Japan and become 弁財天 (Benzaiten), she was depicted as this crazy slutty psycho woman. Cuz she was hot smart and creative. Sounds like some boys were jealous. She's my protecter.

Funeral song(s)?

I keep having this dream that I die in the middle of the jungle.

There are circle of singing this song to send me off. It's the most beautiful song. Big choir energy.

Inner circle are the loved ones, then animals howling, then trees dancing with the wind.I keep trying to make this song from the dream memory. But never been able to (yet). So yeah, I better find the sound and teach all my loved ones and audience choir this song before I die I guess

What do you own that you should throw out, but can’t?

Mismatched sox and vibrators where I lost the chargers.

People are coming over to dinner, what are you serving?

I LOVE to cook for my friends. I go all out, and also my friends are all an amazing cook.

Last night I cooked Hainanese chicken rice with lots of aromatics and Tamago-yaki.

If you could time travel, who are you visiting?

Pre-colonial Ainu (Northern Japanese Indigenous Peoples) - and learn all the songs and dance and hunt wolves and play snowball with kids.

Who are you taking on a date, and where are you going? (time travel is allowed)

My love - we'd take a year off and go travel the world and especially all our mother lands and go meet all our families all over the world and get married in every cities and villages. I'm a hopeless romantic like that

If you were an ice cream flavour, what would it be?

Salted caramerized dates and coconut (my bestie Kim made it for me and I'm obsessed)

Have you ever experienced true love?

Yes, in love with me, myself and I since 1994.

And music is my first and forever love.

Also in 'true love' rn - it's v cute

If you could learn one new skill instantly, what would it be?

Dance. To be able to express and interact with complete mastery of body movements would be so freeing

Cover image by Mira Pedlar / See more from Elle Shimada here