Hyde (singer)
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as vocalist for the rock band L'Arc-en-Ciel, as well as for Vamps
Vamps
Vamps is a Japanese rock band formed in 2008 by Hyde and K.A.Z, and signed to Hyde's record label Vamprose.- History :...

. While in L'Arc-en-Ciel his name is stylized as hyde, whereas in his solo work and Vamps it is stylized as HYDE.

He joined L'Arc-en-Ciel in 1991 after leaving the band Jerusalem's Rod for which he was the guitarist. In addition to being the lead singer and main lyricist of L'Arc-en-Ciel, Hyde has released 4 solo albums and 8 singles. In 2008 he formed Vamps with K.A.Z
K.A.Z
, better known by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps.- Career :...

, and started his own independent record label called Vamprose.

2000–2003: Solo

After L'Arc-en-Ciel released the single, "Spirit Dreams Inside -Another Dream-" in 2000, the band went on an unofficial hiatus as each of the members began work on solo careers. This was Hyde's debut as a solo artist. In October 2001, Hyde released his first solo single, "Evergreen". After two more singles, "Angel's Tale" and "Shallow Sleep", Hyde released his first solo album, Roentgen
Roentgen (album)
Roentgen is the debut album by Hyde, released on March 27, 2002. It was released on his own label Haunted Records, a division of Sony's Ki/oon Records. The cover of the regular edition is an X-Ray of Hyde's own skull. "The Cape of Storms" was used as the theme song for the movie Kagen no Tsuki,...

, on March 27, 2002. An overseas edition featuring English lyrics was released in July the same year.

Hyde's next two singles, "Hello" and "Horizon", were released June and November 2003 respectively, and second solo album, 666
666 (Hyde album)
666 is the second album by Hyde, released on December 3, 2003. The title is a play on words, the Japanese word for the number six is "roku" , which is similar to how the word "rock" is transliterated . Therefore, "666" is also interpreted as "rock rock rock". The hard rock music of 666 is the polar...

, was released on December 3, 2003. "Horizon" was used as the ending theme in Ryuhei Kitamura
Ryuhei Kitamura
-External links:*...

's film Sky High
Sky High (2003 film)
Sky High is a supernatural action film from director Ryuhei Kitamura. It is based on the manga of the same title by Tsutomu Takahashi and serves as a prequel to a Japanese television drama of the same name, and starring the same actress, Yumiko Shaku...

.

In 2003, Hyde starred alongside Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....

 in the film Moon Child. In a duet as part of the project, Hyde and Gackt sang "Orenji no Taiyou", and when sang live, Hyde could not be there because he was on tour. The song was also released on Gackt's fourth full-length album, Crescent. In December 2003, Hyde's song "Shining Over You" from his 666 album was used as the commercial song for the video game, Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean
is a 2003 role-playing video game that was developed by tri-Crescendo and Monolith Soft and published by Namco in Japan, North America and Europe and by Nintendo Australia for Australia and New Zealand for the Nintendo GameCube. First released in Japan in 2003, it is the first game in the Baten...

.

2003–2004: L'Arc-en-Ciel returns

After a three-year hiatus, L'Arc-en-Ciel regrouped for a series of seven concerts titled "Shibuya Seven Days" in June and July 2003. At the conclusion, they announced a new album, Smile, which was released in March 2004.

In the summer of 2004, L'Arc-en-Ciel had their North American debut (as part of their "Smile" tour) in Baltimore, Maryland at Otakon
Otakon
Otakon is a fan convention in the United States focusing on East Asian popular culture and its fandom. The name is a portmanteau derived from convention and the Japanese word otaku...

, the performance was later released on the Live in USA DVD.

Also in 2004, Hyde took on the role of the guitarist Adam in the movie Kagen no Tsuki
Kagen no tsuki (film)
Kagen no Tsuki ~Last Quarter is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Ken Nakai, based on Ai Yazawa's manga of the same name.-Synopsis:...

("Last Quarter"), a movie based on the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 by Ai Yazawa
Ai Yazawa
is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.-Biography:Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985. She studied in a fashion school but later dropped out. Throughout her 15 years of publishing, she wrote over 10 series in Ribon...

. The movie's theme song, "The Cape of Storms", came from Roentgen
Roentgen (album)
Roentgen is the debut album by Hyde, released on March 27, 2002. It was released on his own label Haunted Records, a division of Sony's Ki/oon Records. The cover of the regular edition is an X-Ray of Hyde's own skull. "The Cape of Storms" was used as the theme song for the movie Kagen no Tsuki,...

.

2005: Return to solo work

L'Arc-en-Ciel's next album, Awake, was released in June 2005. It was accompanied by the "Awake" tour in August the same year. A second, larger tour titled "Asia Live 2005" was held shortly thereafter. The single "Link
Link (song)
"Link" is the twenty-ninth single by L'Arc-en-Ciel, released on July 20, 2005. It is the second track by the band to be used in the Fullmetal Alchemist anime franchise, following "Ready Steady Go", used as the opening theme to the feature-length film Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of...

" was released in July 2005. It was then used as the opening theme for the anime movie Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa
is a 2005 Japanese animated film directed by Seiji Mizushima and written by Sho Aikawa, and acts as a continuation of the first Fullmetal Alchemist television series...

.

In the summer of 2005, Hyde composed the music for the song "Glamorous Sky
Glamorous Sky
"Glamorous Sky" is Mika Nakashima's 16th single overall, her 1st under the name Nana starring Mika Nakashima, and the second most successful single in her career after "Stars". It is her first rock song and it was used as one of the image songs for the film Nana . Hyde of L'Arc-en-Ciel composed...

". The song was used in the movie Nana
Nana (2005 film)
Nana is a 2005 Japanese film adaption of the manga by Ai Yazawa, directed by Kentarō Ōtani. The film was released on September 3, 2005. It stars Mika Nakashima as the punk star Nana Osaki, and Aoi Miyazaki as Hachi ....

, another film based on a manga by Ai Yazawa
Ai Yazawa
is a Japanese manga author. Her pen name comes from Japanese singer Eikichi Yazawa, of whom she is a fan.-Biography:Yazawa started her manga publishing life in 1985. She studied in a fashion school but later dropped out. Throughout her 15 years of publishing, she wrote over 10 series in Ribon...

. The song was sung by fellow artist Mika Nakashima
Mika Nakashima
is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name.- Early life and debut :...

 and the lyrics were written by Yazawa. In August, Hyde and his solo band performed the song on Music Station
Music Station
is a Japanese music television program. It began broadcasting on October 24, 1986 and continues to be broadcast weekly in High-definition from 8PM-9PM on tv asahi...

with Nakashima, Hyde being on guitar.

The single "Countdown" was released on October 5, 2005, with a track list including Japanese and English versions of the song made for the Japanese release of the movie Stealth
Stealth (film)
Stealth is a 2005 American science fiction action film starring Jessica Biel, Josh Lucas, Jamie Foxx, and Sam Shepard. The film was directed by Rob Cohen, director of The Fast and the Furious and xXx....

and also a special rock version of "Evergreen" (originally from Roentgen
Roentgen (album)
Roentgen is the debut album by Hyde, released on March 27, 2002. It was released on his own label Haunted Records, a division of Sony's Ki/oon Records. The cover of the regular edition is an X-Ray of Hyde's own skull. "The Cape of Storms" was used as the theme song for the movie Kagen no Tsuki,...

).

A cover of "Countdown" was used as the "semifinal" stage in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...

 rhythm game Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2
is a rhythm video game developed by iNiS and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the third game to use its gameplay, and is the sequel to Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan while incorporating many of the improvements in gameplay made in Elite Beat Agents...

.

Later that month, Hyde hosted "Halloween of the Living Dead", a three-night event held at Club Citta on October 29, 30 and 31. Each night featured performances by Hyde himself, a guest artist/band and Jack-O-Lantern. Artists/bands who took part in the Halloween performances are Monoral
Monoral
Monoral is a Japanese rock band signed to Sony Music Japan. The band consists of Anis Shimada on lead vocals and guitar and Ali Morizumi on bass and guitar.-Members:...

, Uverworld
Uverworld
Uverworld is a Japanese rock band consisting of five members originating from Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan. Releasing six studio albums and several singles, which went on to achieve massive success, they went on to become one of the most influential rock bands in Japan to this day.-2000–2005: Beginnings...

, Olivia Lufkin, High and Mighty Color
High and Mighty Color
High and Mighty Color was a Japanese metal band active from 2003 to 2010. They notably had two vocalists; a male and a female.- Formation and Anti-Nobunaga :...

, Yasu (Janne Da Arc
Janne Da Arc
is a Japanese rock band from Hirakata, Osaka. The band's name is often seen shortened to either "Janne" or "JDA".- Career :The band is currently signed to the Motorod record label, which is owned by Avex Group...

) and Mika Nakashima
Mika Nakashima
is a Japanese singer, model, and actress. She has achieved five number-one albums in Japan and also embarked on an acting career, most notably in the live-action movie Nana, based on the manga of the same name.- Early life and debut :...

. The group Jack-O-Lantern consisted of Hyde and the group Monoral
Monoral
Monoral is a Japanese rock band signed to Sony Music Japan. The band consists of Anis Shimada on lead vocals and guitar and Ali Morizumi on bass and guitar.-Members:...

 playing many Halloween favorites such as the Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...

theme.

2006–2007: International career

Starting in January 2006, Hyde's single "Season's Call" was used as the second opening theme to the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 Blood+
Blood+
Blood+, pronounced as "Blood Plus", is an anime series produced by Production I.G and Aniplex and directed by Junichi Fujisaku. The series premiered in Japan on Sony's anime satellite channel, Animax, as well as on terrestrial networks such as MBS, TBS, and RKB on October 8, 2005. The final episode...

. This single was released on February 2, 2006. Hyde's album, Faith, was released on April 26, 2006.
Faith was accompanied by a five-month tour with many locations in Japan, some exclusively open to members of his fan-club.

After signing on with Tofu Records
Tofu Records
was a US record label of Sony Music Entertainment Japan that was launched in 2003 to distribute Japanese Sony artists in the United States, and that closed in 2007. Their first signed artist was T.M.Revolution, and they used the anime fandom community to spread the word. T.M.Revolution's U.S...

 as a solo artist, a US debut concert was scheduled as part of the Faith tour, which was held at Slim's in San Francisco, California on July 5, 2006. Tickets for the event went on sale online at 1 p.m. EST on April 2, 2006 and sold out in three minutes. The second round of sales was held April 9, also online, and also sold out.

A second concert, held at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...

 in Anaheim, California, on July 2 was added and tickets were sold out, as were two more US concerts (the Fillmore, San Francisco and House of Blues, Hollywood).

The overseas version of Faith was released on June 27, 2006 and included a bonus DVD featuring music videos for both "Countdown" and "Season's Call".
In Faith, Hyde uses a sunburst Fender Jaguar as his main guitar; contrary to his 666 album, where he used a Gretsch Duo Jet.

Hyde also made a brief appearance at the Tofu Records booth at Anime Expo
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation . With rare exceptions, the convention is traditionally held on the July 4th weekend and lasts for four days...

 2006 in Anaheim, California on July 1 for a question and answer panel.

Following the completion of the "Faith" tour, a DVD of the concerts was announced and was released November 8, 2006.

Hyde returned to work with L'Arc-en-Ciel which on May 31, 2007 released their first single in two years, "Seventh Heaven
Seventh Heaven (song)
"Seventh Heaven" is the thirty-first single by L'Arc-en-Ciel, released on May 30, 2007. It reached number 1 on the Oricon chart. The b-side "Honey 2007" is a rewritten version of their eleventh single "Honey", and is the sixth appearance of their alter ego, P'unk-en-Ciel.- Track listing :...

".

2008–2011: Vamps

In the spring of 2008, Hyde rejoined guitarist K.A.Z
K.A.Z
, better known by his stage name K.A.Z, is a Japanese musician and songwriter. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust, hide with Spread Beaver and Vamps.- Career :...

 (Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust is a Japanese post-grunge/alternative rock band very influenced by early 90’s American rock bands, but with a trademark sonority that makes the band unique...

), who had previously worked with him on his Faith album, to form the rock unit Vamps
Vamps
Vamps is a Japanese rock band formed in 2008 by Hyde and K.A.Z, and signed to Hyde's record label Vamprose.- History :...

 on Hyde's own record label Vamprose. The two released "Love Addict" their first single and began a 46-date tour, playing mostly songs from Hyde's solo albums.

Following two more single releases, their self-titled debut album, Vamps
Vamps (album)
Vamps is the debut album by Vamps, released on June 10, 2009. The limited edition includes a DVD with the music videos for the album's three singles: "Love Addict", "I Gotta Kick Start Now", and "Evanescent", as well as the video for "Trouble" , which features Anza.The album reached number on 3...

, dropped in May 2009. The album covers a range of rock territory, from metal to grunge to punk.

The band launched a ten-date tour in the United States, performing in New York, Hartford, Columbia, Baltimore, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, and Los Angeles. Their appearances in Hartford and Columbia were part of the "Vans Warped Tour", making them the only Japanese act on the lineup. Their final performance in the States, taking place at the historic Wiltern Theatre
Wiltern Theatre
The Wiltern Theatre and adjacent 12-story Pellissier Building are Art Deco architectural landmarks located on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. The entire complex is commonly referred to as the Wiltern Center...

 in L.A., was recorded and released on DVD.

The band performed on the USS Missouri
USS Missouri
Four ships of the United States Navy have been named USS Missouri in honor of the state of Missouri:, a sidewheel frigate launched in 1841 and destroyed by fire in August 1843, a Maine class battleship in service from 1900 to 1922., an Iowa class battleship in service from 1944 to 1998; site of the...

 in Hawaii in early September as a conclusion to the "Vamps Live 2009 Tour".

After the band's successful live tour in the U.S.A. they have now been awarded in the category "Billboard Japan Ranking International 2009" in recognition of their success overseas and in appreciation for their efforts to go on a world tour in 2010. The award had been handed over on January 31 at the first "Billboard Japan Music Award".

On July 28, 2010, Vamps released their second album, Beast
Beast (Vamps album)
Beast is the second album by Vamps, released on July 28, 2010. The limited edition includes a DVD with the music videos for the songs: "Devil Side", "Angel Trip", "Revolution" and "My First Last". The album reached number 3 on the Oricon chart....

. Hyde also had his first voice acting job, playing the producer of musician Koogy, who is voiced by Morikubo Shotaro, in the Bakuman
Bakuman
Bakuman, stylized as , is a shōnen manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the same creative team responsible for Death Note...

anime. Vamps wrote a Japanese version of their song "Get Up" to be sung by Shotaro and used in the anime. They then recorded it themselves for their single "Memories
Memories (Vamps song)
"Memories" is the seventh single by Vamps, released on December 15, 2010. The limited edition came with a DVD that includes the music videos for "Piano Duet" and "Memories". The single reached number 4 on the Oricon chart....

".

Albums

Information
Roentgen
Roentgen (album)
Roentgen is the debut album by Hyde, released on March 27, 2002. It was released on his own label Haunted Records, a division of Sony's Ki/oon Records. The cover of the regular edition is an X-Ray of Hyde's own skull. "The Cape of Storms" was used as the theme song for the movie Kagen no Tsuki,...

  • Released: March 27, 2002
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #5
  • Weeks on Chart: 5
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #5
666
666 (Hyde album)
666 is the second album by Hyde, released on December 3, 2003. The title is a play on words, the Japanese word for the number six is "roku" , which is similar to how the word "rock" is transliterated . Therefore, "666" is also interpreted as "rock rock rock". The hard rock music of 666 is the polar...

  • Released: December 3, 2003
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
  • Weeks on Chart: 11
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #1
  • Roentgen.English
    Roentgen.ENGLISH
    ROENTGEN.english is an album by Japanese singer hyde, first released in 2004. The overseas version of hyde's 2002 debut album Roentgen was entirely in English, while its Japanese counterpart had lyrics in Japanese as well as in English...

  • Released: October 14, 2004
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#5
  • Weeks on Chart:6
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #5
  • Faith
  • Released: April 26, 2006
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#2
  • Weeks on Chart:9
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #1

  • Singles

    Information
    "Evergreen"
    • Released: October 17, 2001
    • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #1
    • Weeks on Chart: 7
    • Oricon Daily Chart: #1
    "Angel's Tale"
  • Released: December 12, 2001
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak: #2
  • Weeks on Chart: 6
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #2
  • "Shallow Sleep"
  • Released: February 27, 2002
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#2
  • Weeks on Chart:4
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #2
  • "Hello"
  • Released: June 4, 2003
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#1
  • Weeks on Chart:8
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #1
  • "Horizon"
  • Released: November 6, 2003
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#6
  • Weeks on Chart:6
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #6
  • "Countdown"
  • Released: October 5, 2005
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#1
  • Weeks on Chart:8
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #1
  • "Season's Call
    Season's Call
    "Season's Call" is the Japanese singer, Hyde's seventh single and second single from his album Faith. This is the second single co-produced by Hyde and K.A.Z....

    "
  • Released: February 22, 2006
  • Oricon Top 200 Weekly Peak:#1
  • Weeks on Chart:11
  • Oricon Daily Chart: #1

  • Filmography

    • Moon Child as Kei (2003)
    • Kagen no Tsuki
      Kagen no tsuki (film)
      Kagen no Tsuki ~Last Quarter is a 2004 Japanese film directed by Ken Nakai, based on Ai Yazawa's manga of the same name.-Synopsis:...

      as Adam (2004)
    • Bakuman
      Bakuman
      Bakuman, stylized as , is a shōnen manga written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, the same creative team responsible for Death Note...

      voice of Hyde (2011)

    External links

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