Taiji sawada biography graphic organizer

X JAPAN are one of the most legendary bands in the visual kei scene. The band was founded in 1982, but after many years of mainstream success, they disbanded in 1997. However, they were later revived on October 22, 2007 and continue to have a successful run today

Biography[]

Toshi & Yoshiki had been making music together since they were pre-teens, leading the band Dynamite, which later changed their name to Noise. In 1982, after Noise disbanded, Toshi & Yoshiki started working on another project. Not knowing what to call themselves, they just used plain X as a moniker, and it stuck. They went through several lineup changes in their early days, but the lineup finally grew stable in 1987 when the 2 were joined by bassist "Taiji" Sawada & guitarists Tomoaki “Pata” Ishizuki & Hideto “Hide” Matsumoto. This is now known as the group’s classic lineup. They released their debut album, “Vanishing Vision“ on Yoshiki’s own Exstasy Records label in 1988. The record leaned towards Thrash/Speed-Metal and did very well on the Oricon charts. In 1989, they signed with Sony Records and released their sophomore LP, “Blue Blood” This record showed that the group were striving to get out of the Speed-Metal ghetto. It incorporated More Symphonic-Metal elements, with Toshi even borrowing from Johann Sebastian Bach, whic was a far-better fit for his operatic voice. The record put X on the J-Rock map, and played a big part in creating the Vis

Japanese rock band

X Japan (Japanese: エックス・ジャパン, Hepburn: Ekkusu Japan) is a Japanese rock band from Chiba, formed in 1982 by drummer and pianist Yoshiki and lead vocalist Toshi. Starting as a predominantly power/speed metal band with heavy symphonic elements, they later gravitated towards a progressive sound with an emphasis on ballads. Besides being one of the first Japanese acts to achieve mainstream success while on an independent label, the group is widely credited as one of the pioneers of visual kei, a movement among Japanese musicians comparable to Western glam.

Originally named X (エックス, Ekkusu), they released their debut album Vanishing Vision (1988) on Yoshiki's own Extasy Records one year after finalizing their line-up including bassist Taiji, lead guitarist Hide and rhythm guitarist Pata. They achieved breakthrough success in 1989 with the release of their second and major debut album Blue Blood. Following 1991's Jealousy, Taiji left the band in early 1992. He was replaced by Heath and the group changed their name to X Japan before producing the mini album Art of Life (1993), which is composed solely of the 29-minute title track. In 1995 the group dropped most of its original visual kei aesthetics in favor of a more casual look and released Dahlia (1996), which like their two previous albums debuted at number one. X Japan performed their last concert at the Tokyo Dome on December 31, 1997, making it the last of five consecutive sold-out New Year's Eve concerts the group held at the stadium.

After ten years, X Japan reunited in 2007 and recorded the new song "I.V.". Over the next two years they performed several concerts, including their first overseas show in Hong Kong, and formally added Sugizo as lead guitarist in place of Hide, who died in 1998, before holding a North American tour in 2010. In 2011, the band went on their first world tour throughout Europe, South America and Asia. Shortly after reuniting, work bega

Japanese musician (1964–1998)

This article is about the former guitarist of X Japan. For the guitarist of Buck-Tick, see Hidehiko Hoshino. For the vocalist of L'Arc~en~Ciel, see Hyde (musician).

Hideto Matsumoto (Japanese: 松本 秀人, Hepburn: Matsumoto Hideto, December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998), known professionally as hide, was a Japanese musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band X Japan from 1987 to 1997 and rose to prominence in Asia as a solo artist from 1993 to 1998, until his death. He also formed the United States–based rock supergroupZilch in 1996.

Hide sold millions of records, both solo and as a member of X Japan. X Japan rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, credited as founders of the Japanese visual kei movement. When they disbanded in 1997, he focused on his solo career which started four years prior and went on to enjoy significant popularity. At the height of his fame, while recording his third studio album and about to launch an international career with the newly formed Zilch, he died in 1998 of what was ruled a suicide by hanging. He was seen as an icon for Japanese youth rebelling against their country's conformist society, and his death was labeled "the end of an era".

Life and career

1964–1987: Early years and Saber Tiger

Hideto Matsumoto was born at St. Joseph's Hospital in Midorigaoka, Japan, on December 13, 1964, and went on to attend Yokosuka Tokiwa Junior High School. He was first exposed to rock music at the age of fifteen, through the album Alive II by Kiss. That same year his grandmother bought him his first electric guitar, a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe.

On March 11, 1980, Hide graduated from Tokiwa Junior High School. He then entered Zushi Kaisei Senior High School in Zushi, Kanagawa, where he entered the school's brass band as a