X Japan

Cute.Emotion · *Admin* Data inscrierii: 03/Apr/2008 Mesaje: 113

X Japan (エックスジャパン, X Japan ) is a popular Japanese band founded in 1982 by Toshimitsu "Toshi" Deyama and Yoshiki Hayashi.[1] Originally named X (エックス), the group achieved its breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second album Blue Blood. They started out as a power/speed metal band and later gravitated towards a progressive sound, at all times retaining an emphasis on ballads. After three more albums, X Japan disbanded in 1997.

Besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label,[2] the group is widely credited for pioneering the visual kei movement,[3][4] though most of the group's members toned down their on-stage attire in later years.[5] As of 2007, the band has sold over twenty million records and over two million home videos.[6]

On June 4, 2007 it was announced the band would reunite,[7] with the band performing on October 22, 2007, during which a music video for a new song, titled "I.V." was shot.[8][9] The music video was featured as a special feature on the Special Edition DVD of "Saw IV" and the song played through the end credits of the film.[10][11]

The group's debut album, Vanishing Vision was released on April 14, 1988 through Extasy records having reportedly taken around 300 hours of studio time to complete.[15] In June they began their much subscribed "Vanishing Tour" in support of the album, following it up in October with the "Burn Out Tour" covering the majority of the cities in Japan. The band also made a brief cameo appearance in the 1988 comedy Tokyo Pop, starring the late Carrie Hamilton and Diamond Yukai.[16][17]

After winning an unsigned bands competition, X was signed on by Sony Records prompting the band to start recording their second album on January 6, 1989. The band embarked on the "Blue Blood Tour" in March, weeks before the release of the album Blue Blood. While X was performing in concert and during the "Rose & Blood Tour", singles "Kurenai" and "Endless Rain" were released to high positions in the Japanese charts and would go on to become fan favourites and anthems which are synonymous with the group. As well as this, a VHS recording called "Blue Blood Tour Bakuhatsu Sunzen Gig" was released by the band, containing one of the concerts of the Blue Blood Tour (this was later re-released on DVD). That year the band received several prestigious awards and reached a high level of popularity with the Japanese youth and a place in the country's pop culture.[18]

While touring on the "Rose & Blood" tour Yoshiki suffered a serious injury while performing with the band, causing the tour to be halted to give him chance to recover. The tour was eventually resumed in March 1990 after a hiatus of several months and ended in May with X performing two live shows at the Budokan and Osakajo Hall. Recordings for the follow-up album Jealousy started on November 24, 1990 and took place in Los Angeles.[19] The album was released in July 1991 and shortly followed by the band's first performance in Japan's largest live venue, the 50 thousand capacity Tokyo Dome. The performance in the dome would be the first of five high-profile performances which the band has staged there to-date, and would later be released both on CD and VHS/DVD. This concert has become known to fans as "On the verge of destruction" and proved to be the final show with Taiji on bass, with the musician leaving for the final time - once again citing creative differences with Yoshiki. He went on to work with Loudness and Cloud Nine in following years and is currently pursuing a solo career.

By 1992 the band's ongoing success in Japan made an international breakthrough appear likely enough to warrant the renaming to "X Japan", in order to distinguish the group from the United States punk band X. Around the same time the vacancy created by Taiji's departure was filled by Hiroshi "Heath" Morie, this being around 8 months after the position become available.

Members
Toshi
Pata
Heath
Yoshiki

Former members
Hide
Taiji
_________________
Just my Lil' Kitty
X Japan X Japan