Yoshino Shigihara – as Yama Warashi – is a Japanese artist who brings a range of influences into her own unique sound on Dividual Individual via Prah Recordings.

Yoshino is now in London and is producing pop as Yama Warashi, having been based in Bristol and a co-founder of the now defunct Maloya-influenced and raucous psychedelia collective Zun Zun Egui. Maloya is a form of music, song and dance native to Réunion Island, sung in Réunion Creole, traditionally accompanied by percussion and a musical bow.

“Moving to London gave me the chance to work with more diverse musicians” Yoshino says. “And I wanted to be here too because of the high creative energy, the diversity of the music and art here and the people who live here.” Yoshino threw herself into creative London life, working at Café Oto and becoming absorbed by the frequently eclectic and varied improvised jazz that dotted their programming, joining the global psychedelia-inspired 30-piece choir Haha Sounds Collective and making friends with the likes of Trash Kit and Vanishing Twin.

“Dividual Individual is about veganism. I have so much love for the plants and animals.” Yoshino explains.

“The lyrics are a bit cruel – it’s about chopping animals and putting chicks in the blender which actually happens in the farms, but I just wanted to focus on the beauty of the nature in this video.”

The video is the work of Japanese director, Miki Nakamura. Yama Warashi have forthcoming live dates: The Beacon, Bristol, on November 20th; Cafe OTO, London, on December 19th; and Astral Festival, Strange Brew, Bristol, on May 1st, 2022.