Mi-gu

Yuko Araki launched the experimental rock outfit Mi-Gu following her tenure as drummer in Cornelius' ensemble and her performances alongside the Yoko Ono Band, If by Yes, and Mike Watt's Brother's Sister's Daughter. She unveiled the project's self-titled debut in 2003, presenting whimsical and splintered pop that echoed those prior associations while maintaining a distinct character. Beginning with From Space in 2006, Mi-Gu incorporated guitarist/producer Hirotaka "Shimmy" Shimizu, a former bandmate of Araki's from Cornelius and multiple other ventures. The pair resurfaced in 2009 with Pulling from Above, issued on Ryuichi Sakamoto's Commons label. Three years afterward, the anthology Choose the Light expanded Mi-Gu's exposure to Western listeners.