Newsarticle - YOSHIKI and Gackt Form a New Band

Translated by: gekka_no_neko (@LJ)
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08/15/2006 "YOSHIKI and Gackt" form a new band
It was learned on the 14th (of August) that YOSHIKI (40), formerly of XJAPAN, will form a new band with popular singer Gackt (age unannounced). Activities will start in 2007. A U.S. tour is planned, and it appears that it will become a dream project.

For the first time, the big 2 of the "visual kei rock" world will join hands together. YOSHIKI will be in charge of drums and piano, and Gackt will be in charge of vocals. Composed of approximately five people, it appears that it will become a superband you could call "XJAPAN the 21st Century Edition."

The composition of music will start by the end of this year, and recording will start next year. After that, a live tour is planned. Famed artists are lined up for guitartist and bassist, and along with the band's name, will be announced consecutively.

The two met five to six years ago. Their interaction started when YOSHIKI invited Gackt to his house in Los Angeles. In around 2002, they had gotten along well and said "let's organize a band together", but both of them had started up new projects (at the time) and so they waited for the right opportunity to come.

YOSHIKI's last full-blown activity with a rock band was with XJAPAN, which broke up on New Years Eve 1997.

On the other hand, Gackt first started activities in 1994 with the band Malice Mizer. After withdrawing (from Malice Mizer) in January of 1999, Gackt took a big leap forward as a solo artist and has even expanded his activities to acting, etc. YOSHIKI came to sense his talent, similar to his own, in that "he has the capability of handling various kinds of musical instruments."

The initiation of the new band was also spurred by the fact that Japanese visual kei rock, as a part of anime culture, has cult popularity in the States. On the fifth of this month (August), the east coast's biggest anime event "Otakon" took place in Baltimore, Maryland, and YOSHIKI was invited as a special guest- "legendary artist". A three-hour line formed for the 2000 capacity hall. Having received a positive response there, the new band will develop a tour in the States, and plans for domestic activities will be be considered after that.

Source: Sponichi.co.jp (August 15, 2006)

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