Yoshiki

Yoshiki is a Japanese musician. He was most renowned as a founding member of the former band X Japan.

Biography

Yoshiki Hayashi (born November 20, 1965) was born in Tateyama, Chiba, Japan.

Related Topics:
November 20 - 1965 - Tateyama, Chiba - Japan

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He started playing the piano at the age of 4. His mother was a piano teacher and taught him herself. When Yoshiki was ten years old his father committed suicide. This tragedy and the ensuing trauma threw Yoshiki completely into his music. He grew out long hair and took up playing the drums to release his anger and pain. A great fan of Western bands, particularly KISS, while in middle school Yoshiki came to enlist childhood friend Toshimitsu Deyama as a member of his rock band X. A handful of other members came and went, but in 1985 the lineup finally emerged with Yoshiki on drums and piano, Toshi on vocals, Hideto Matsumoto (nickname hide, always in lowercase) on guitar, Tomoaki Ishizuka (Pata) on guitar, and Taiji Sawada on bass.

Related Topics:
Piano - Suicide - KISS - Toshimitsu Deyama - Hideto Matsumoto - Tomoaki Ishizuka - Taiji Sawada

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In 1986 Yoshiki's mother sold her business to promote the band, whose music was too angry and aggressive for an existing label to support, so they started their own label called Extasy Records. By 1987 the band was taking off, with the hit singles Orgasm and I'll Kill You, and next year their first album Vanishing Vision. On September 1, 1989 the bands song Kurenai placed 5th in its first week on the Oricon Charts. They were the first indies band to reach the chart. In 1992, the band changed its name from X to X Japan. The reason was so that people wouldn't get them confused with bands named X in Australia and Los Angeles, USA. At this time Taiji (bass) left the band and was replace with Heath. The band was reached its final and most well known line-up. Yoshiki also cut his long hair.

Related Topics:
Extasy Records - Oricon Charts - X Japan - Australia - Los Angeles - USA - Heath

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In 1997, Toshi decided to leave the band. In September 1997 the band announced their dissolution and had their last concert at the Tokyo Dome in December of that year. After the band broke up Yoshiki and Toshi went their separate ways, and Yoshiki continued to run his company. X Japan left the stage as Japan's most influential and imitated band ever.

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Even during the throes of X Japan's wild popularity, he managed to scout out and promote other Japanese rock bands of notable worth (e.g. Luna Sea, Dir en grey); therefore, with the role of "musician" so suddenly retired, Yoshiki was able to focus and hone his efforts as a producer. After the sudden death of hide in 1998, Yoshiki fell into a great depression, and vowed never to play the drums again. He moved to Los Angeles and stayed out of the public for 2 years. In 2000, he opened up Extasy Records International and Extasy Records North (a recording studio) up in Hollywood, California. He considered a memorial concert for hide to be done in 2002, but cancelled due to it being too 'commercial'. By then Yoshiki was at work once more, this time to finalize a private project called "Violet UK", on which he had been hatching for 10 years. "Violet UK" is scheduled to be released on the 22nd of September, 2005, the 8-year anniverary of the disbanding of X-Japan.

Related Topics:
Luna Sea - Dir en grey - Hollywood - California

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2002 also saw Yoshiki's return to the pop music scene by joining the Japanese pop band globe (always in lowercase), in which he still is a member. Since then he has collaborated with other famous musicians, including George Martin producer of The Beatles and Roger Taylor of Queen, and expressed his creativity through various avenues. He has shook hands with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi during campaign season, who claims to be a huge fan of X Japan.

Related Topics:
Japanese pop - Globe - George Martin - The Beatles - Roger Taylor - Queen - Prime Minister - Junichiro Koizumi

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Fans of Yoshiki may remember him most from his heavy visual days with X Japan, when his extreme personal style and effeminate dress was almost a literal representation of the Japanese bishounen aesthetic. He was then an enigmatic man who was just as easily a demon tearing up his drums as a gentle, living doll seated before a crystal piano; and while nowadays Yoshiki prefers to stand behind the curtains as a sophisticated businessman, he is no less busy in the music industry, and spends his time between Tokyo, Japan, and Los Angeles, California.

Related Topics:
Bishounen - Tokyo, Japan

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