X Japan
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X Japan, or X which was their initial name, was a Japanese Visual kei band, the brainchild of Yoshiki (Yoshiki Hayashi). Their sound started as Japanese rock speed metal, and later went toward alternative rock, but always with a huge emphasis on beautiful ballads.
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Biography
Plans for the band started in 1976, when its original members, Toshi (Toshimitsu Deyama) and Yoshiki were only 12. Initially they were simply named X.
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Between 1976 and the end of the 1980s, some people entered and left X, but its most famous formation was already in place when the band went major in 1987, with the release of their first single オルガスム ("Orgasm"). The members at that time were: Yoshiki on drums and piano, Toshi on vocals, hide (Hideto Matsumoto) (always spelled with a lowercase h), Pata (Tomoaki Ishizuka) on guitar and Taiji (Taiji Sawada) on bass. No record labels would sign the band because of their transgressive way of dressing and performing. Not to be stopped, Yoshiki created his own record label, Extasy Records, with money he and his mother helped provide by selling the family business.
By 1992, X was widely known in Japan, and they intended to start focusing on America. In the US there was already a band called X, so they decided to change their name to X Japan. It was around this time that one of the many arguments that took place between Yoshiki and Taiji led to Taiji's departure from the band; he was replaced by Heath (Hiroshi Morie). Some people say that Heath's way of playing bass was considerably inferior to Taiji's more aggressive style of performing.
After leaving, Taiji worked with Loudness ('92 - '95) and Cloud 9 for a while.
X's music, under the caring but determined supervision of Yoshiki, never stopped evolving. Amongst their music one can find songs for everybody: harsh but very emotive speed metal tracks like "Sadistic Desire", "Phantom of Guilt" and "Vanishing Love", a little softer but even more acclaimed ones like "Kurenai" and "Week End", moving piano ballads like "Tears" and "Say Anything", alternative and somewhat more popish tracks from their last period like "Dahlia" and "Rusty Nail". One particularly notable song was "Art of Life", a carefully crafted progressive rock/metal piece almost half an hour long that they only played live twice, on December 30th and 31st, 1993.
Almost all X Japan tracks were composed by Yoshiki with a handful of pieces composed by hide and even some early ones by Taiji. Yoshiki loved classical music, and this influence can be specially noted in tracks like "Rose of Pain", "Art of Life" or the memorable symphonic composition "Amethyst". He led a project called Eternal Melody which consisted of X's songs rearranged by George Martin and other arrangers for classical performance. The double album, performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, was released in 1993. Yoshiki also selected some classical pieces for two compilations called Yoshiki Selection and Yoshiki Selection II. He also remade the song "Black Diamond" by KISS into a classical piece listed in 1994's Kiss My Ass album, a tribute to the aforementioned band.
In May 1997 Toshi announced he was leaving the band, which led to its dissolution in September 1997. Toshi then joined a kind of cult, related to nature and music therapy, lead by a man called Masaya. Many say that this cult influenced Toshi's departure from the band. After that, he continued his solo career, saying that his friend Masaya was a inspiration for his new compositions. There are many rumours surrounding the cult and Toshi's involvement in it. Some even say Toshi was brainwashed. It is said that Toshi sued his brother for libel, because he tried to convince Toshi not to spend money on Masaya's cult.
After the dissolution of the band, hide continued his very successful solo career with his band hide with Spread Beaver, Pata performing with him sometimes.
It is said that Yoshiki and hide were secretly planning to resurrect X in 2000, sans Toshi, and were looking for a substitute singer. These plans were tragically scrapped when hide was found dead in his apartment on May 2, 1998 after a typical night out hard drinking. He was found hung to a doorknob by a towel. This news stunned Japan's youth: four fans around the country attempted suicide, two of whom died. A lot of speculation about his death has taken place, but no definitive explanation has been found. An apparent suicide, it is thought to be an accidental death, but there is not a clear motive for either suicide or murder. Following hide's demise, Yoshiki entered a state of depression for almost three years, being unable to compose or play.
In late 2000, Yoshiki got better, and announced the creation of his new project Violet UK, a project involving music, visuals and art. He also did some songs in collaboration with Roger Taylor. In 2002 he produced and starred in three commercials for the chain of 24-hour stores 7-Eleven, using some Violet UK music and concepts for those. Unfortunately, as of present, not much else from Violet UK has been shown or released. In 2002 also, Yoshiki announced he was joining the J-Pop band Globe, to help his long time friend Tetsuya Komuro (in 1991 Yoshiki, on drums, and Komuro, on keyboards and singing, did a musical collaboration under the name of V2, releasing some singles and performing live).
As a side note, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has said that he is a big fan of X Japan, which has helped create his image as a different type of politician more in touch with average Japanese citizens.
Discography
Studio albums
- VANISHING VISION (1988.04.14)
- BLUE BLOOD (1989.04.21)
- Jealousy (1991.07.01)
- ART OF LIFE (1993.08.25)
- DAHLIA (1996.11.04)
Singles
- I'LL KILL YOU (1985.06.XX)
- オルガスム (1986.04.XX)
- 紅 (1989.09.01)
- ENDLESS RAIN (1989.12.01)
- WEEK END (1990.04.21)
- Silent Jealousy (1991.09.11)
- Standing Sex / JOKER (1991.10.25)
- Say Anything (1991.12.01)
- Tears (1993.11.10)
- Rusty Nail (1994.07.10)
- Longing ～跡切れた Melody～ (1995.08.01)
- Longing ～切望の夜～ (1995.12.11)
- DAHLIA (1996.02.26)
- Forever Love (1996.07.08)
- CRUCIFY MY LOVE (1996.08.26)
- SCARS (1996.11.18)
- Forever Love (Last Mix) (1997.12.18)
- THE LAST SONG (1998.03.18)
- Forever Love (1998.07.22)
- SCARS (1998.07.22)
- Forever Love (2001.07.11)
Live albums
- 破滅に向かって (CD EDITION) 1992.1.7 TOKYO DOME LIVE (1995.01.01)
- LIVE LIVE LIVE TOKYO DOME 1993-1996 (1997.10.15)
- Live Live Live Extra (1997.11.05)
- LIVE IN HOKKAIDO 1995.12.4 BOOTLEG (1998.01.21)
- Art of Life Live (1998.03.18)
- The Last Live (2001.05.30)
Compilations
- X Singles (1993.11.21)
- B.O.X ～Best of X～ (1996.03.21)
- BALLAD COLLECTION (1997.12.19)
- Singles ～Atlantic Years～ (1997.12.25)
- STAR BOX (1999.01.30)
- PERFECT BEST (1999.02.24)
- X Japan BEST ～FAN'S SELECTION～ (2001.12.19)
- Trance X (2002.12.4)
Compilations by various artists
- HEAVY METAL FORCE III (1985.07.XX) (One song by X)
- SKULL THRASH ZONE Vol. 1 (1987.07.XX) (Two songs by X)
- History of EXTASY 15th Anniversary (2000.06.21) (Three songs by X, no new songs)
Special boxes
- Single Box (1997.12.25)
- Special Box (1997.12.25)
- Single System Organizer (1998.10.24)
- Neomax Gold Disc Version (1998.10.24)
- Gold Disc Monument (1998.10.24)
Multimedia
Videos
- Xclamation (1987.08.XX)
- ThanX ～愛をこめて～ (1989.03.16)
- BLUE BLOOD TOUR 爆発寸前GIG (1989.06.01)
- 刺激 VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 2 (1989.12.31)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 2.5 "CELEBRATION" (1990.09.01)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 3 刺激２ ～夢の中にだけ生きて～ (1991.09.30)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 3.5 SAY ANYTHING ～X BALLAD COLLECTION～ '(1991.12.21)
- 無敵と書いてEXTASYと読む!! ～EXTASY SUMMIT'91 AT NIPPON BUDOKAN～ (1992.02.21)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 4 破滅に向かって 1992.1.7 TOKYO DOME LIVE (1992.11.01)
- EXTASY SUMMIT 1992 ～みんな無名だった、だけど・・・無敵だった～ (1993.05.10)
- X CLIPS (1995.01.01)
- DAHLIA THE VIDEO VISUAL SHOCK #5 PART I (1997.01.01)
- DAHLIA THE VIDEO VISUAL SHOCK #5 PART II (1997.03.05)
- DAHLIA TOUR FINAL 1996 (1997.10.29)
- X JAPAN CLIPS II (2001.10.24)
- THE LAST LIVE VIDEO (2002.03.29)
- ART OF LIFE 1993.12.31 TOKYO DOME (2003.09.24)
DVDs
- X CLIPS (2000.07.05)
- BLUE BLOOD TOUR 爆発寸前GIG (2001.09.05)
- 刺激 VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 2 (2001.09.05)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 2.5 "CELEBRATION" (2001.09.05)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 3 刺激２～夢の中にだけ生きて～ (2001.09.05)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 3.5 SAY ANYTHING ～X BALLAD COLLECTION～ (2001.09.05)
- VISUAL SHOCK Vol. 4 破滅に向かって 1992.1.7 TOKYO DOME LIVE (2001.09.05)
- X JAPAN CLIPS II (2001.10.24)
- THE LAST LIVE VIDEO (2002.03.29)
- DAHLIA THE VIDEO VISUAL SHOCK #5 PART I & PART II (2002.12.04)
- DAHLIA TOUR FINAL (2002.12.04)
- ART OF LIFE 1993.12.31 TOKYO DOME (2003.09.24)
External links
- X Japan.ne.jp (http://www.xjapan.ne.jp) - The official X Japan website
- X Japan.de (http://www.xjapan.de) - Unofficial X Japan website
- Extasy Records homepage (http://www.extasyrecords.co.jp/jp/)
- Yoshiki's pay site (http://www.yoshiki.net/)
- Yoshiki's unofficial website (http://www.yoshikinet.com/)
- Art of Life analysis (http://www.chaoticempire.org/artoflife.html)
- Nippop Profile | X (http://nippop.com/artist/artist_id-42/artist_name-x/)de:X-Japan