Kyo, of Dir en Grey
Happy birthday to Kyo, vocalist of the Jrock band Dir en Grey, who turns 32 today!!
(I need to find some more recent pictures. Anyone know where I can find some?)
Dir en Grey was formed when the indies band La:Sadies disbanded in 1995/1996. All of the members except one (KISAKI, who later went to participate in several other indie groups, including Phantasmagoria) recruited bassist Toshiya, who had been in the band D+L, to join them, and the five of them created Dir en Grey in February of 1997. The name comes from a combination of several languages, apparently so that no other meaning could be drawn from it except being the name of the band. (Credit: Wikipedia)
Shortly after their formation they released a mini-album entitled Missa. The next year they managed to hit the Oricon charts with their indie singles Jealous and I’ll, attracting the attention of many Japanese fans. Their next five singles were arranged and produced by the former X-Japan co-founder Yoshiki Hayashi, and thus achieved much attention. In 1999, their first album Gauze was released. They then embarked on a series of tours promoting the album.
The group released their second album, Macabre, in September 2000, and they planned to partake in promotional concerts in the beginning of the year, but lead singer Kyo was hospitalized with hearing problems. The group was back at end of the year to kick off their tour, and they finished off in April 2001.
In 2002, after the release of their third album, Kisou, Dir en Grey had their first overseas concerts, touring China, Taiwan, and South Korea. They returned to Japan shortly afterwards to appear in more live venues to promote their second mini-album Six Ugly, which featured American-style rock, and, in 2003, their album Vulgar, which came out in September 2003. They spent much of 2004 touring for the new album.
They performed in Europe for the first time in 2005. Their concerts in Berlin and Paris sold out at this time. They also participated in a few major festivals and worked together with European and American bands at their concerts. They also appeared in the Taste of Chaos concert tour in Japan. That same year they also released their albums in Europe. Their newest album, Withering to Death, was the first of their releases to hit a foreign chart.
In 2006 they began to appear in the United States, playing in Austin, New York City, and Los Angeles after releasing Withering to Death in the US. After Kyo was hospitalized again, this time for inflamed vocal cords, they performed with Korn at the Family Values Tour, and then they returned to Japan for the release of a new single and more concerts.
In February of 2007, their sixth studio album, The Marrow of a Bone, was released in Japan, and in the United States and Europe the following months. They embarked on a North American tour, hitting seventeen cities, then opened for Deftones at a nationwide tour. In August, they returned to Europe for another tour, playing in more than five countries and festivals across the continent.
September saw the beginning of another international tour promoting their latest single, Dozing Green. Recently, to commemorate 10 years as a band, they released two compilation albums on December 19.
Dir en Grey is expected in early 2008 to begin working on their next album, and will commence the first tour of the year, a Japan tour, in May.
Debut date: February 1997
Labels:
Japanese indie: Firewall Div (Free-Will)
Japanese major: Sony Music Japan
Europe: Gan Shin
US indie: Warcon Enterprises
US major: Fontana
Members:
Vocals: Kyo
Guitar: Die
Guitar: Kaoru
Bass: Toshiya
Drums: Shinya
Discography
Singles:
05/10/1998 - Jealous
08/12/1998 - -I’ll-
01/20/1999 - Akuro no Oka
01/20/1999 - Yurameki
01/20/1999 - -Zan-
05/26/1999 - Cage
07/14/1999 - Yokan
02/16/2000 - Myaku
06/07/2000 - [KR] Cube
07/26/2000 - Taiyou no Ao
04/18/2001 - Ain’t Afraid to Die
09/12/2001 - Filth
11/14/2001 - Jessica
12/19/2001 - Embryo
07/31/2002 - Child Prey
01/22/2003 - Drain Away
04/23/2003 - Kasumi
03/22/2004 - The Final
07/14/2004 - Saku
10/21/2005 - Cleaver Sleazoid
07/26/2006 - Ryoujoku no Ame
11/15/2006 - Agitated Screams of Maggots
10/24/2007 - Dozing Greem
Mini-Albums:
07/25/1997 - Missa
07/31/2002 - Dix Ugly
Albums:
07/28/1999 - Gauze
09/20/2000 - Macabre
08/22/2001 - Kai (Remix Album)
01/30/2002 - Kisou
09/10/2003 - Vulgar
03/19/2005 - Withering to Death
02/07/2007 - The Marrow of a Bone
12/19/2007 - Decade 1998-2002
12/19/2007 - Decade 2003-2007
Credits: Wikipedia
Dir en Grey is an AWESOME band. They make great music, and the vocalist is not only a great complement to the musicians but he writes amazing lyrics too. I love these guys! And to be honest O'm glad their image has softened a little because their music videos were freaking scary before. x_x;
DOZING GREEN
This song is so awesome….It’s like, expertly crafted and has awesome instruments and vocals. Kyo’s vocals are like impressive or anything but he really gets his emotions through his screams and whatnot. xD; It’s a great song and I highly recommend it to anyone! The video is pretty dark and fits the song and the lyrics well. :3
Lyrics + Translation
Download: DOZING GREEN, DOZING GREEN PV (Subtitled, .avi, 72.1 MB)
Kasumi
This is a pretty different song from Dozing Green. It’s quite old too; it was released with the Kasumi single in 2003. It’s a dark song, like, Dozing Green, but in a different, more melancholy, less screamy way. It’s got a slower tempo and deeper vocals, and the video is creepy and taken in dark light. xD: Yeah Dir en Grey~
Lyrics | Translation
Download: Kasumi
See inside of cut for download links. I moved it because no one has been commenting. >_>
(I need to find some more recent pictures. Anyone know where I can find some?)
Dir en Grey was formed when the indies band La:Sadies disbanded in 1995/1996. All of the members except one (KISAKI, who later went to participate in several other indie groups, including Phantasmagoria) recruited bassist Toshiya, who had been in the band D+L, to join them, and the five of them created Dir en Grey in February of 1997. The name comes from a combination of several languages, apparently so that no other meaning could be drawn from it except being the name of the band. (Credit: Wikipedia)
Shortly after their formation they released a mini-album entitled Missa. The next year they managed to hit the Oricon charts with their indie singles Jealous and I’ll, attracting the attention of many Japanese fans. Their next five singles were arranged and produced by the former X-Japan co-founder Yoshiki Hayashi, and thus achieved much attention. In 1999, their first album Gauze was released. They then embarked on a series of tours promoting the album.
The group released their second album, Macabre, in September 2000, and they planned to partake in promotional concerts in the beginning of the year, but lead singer Kyo was hospitalized with hearing problems. The group was back at end of the year to kick off their tour, and they finished off in April 2001.
In 2002, after the release of their third album, Kisou, Dir en Grey had their first overseas concerts, touring China, Taiwan, and South Korea. They returned to Japan shortly afterwards to appear in more live venues to promote their second mini-album Six Ugly, which featured American-style rock, and, in 2003, their album Vulgar, which came out in September 2003. They spent much of 2004 touring for the new album.
They performed in Europe for the first time in 2005. Their concerts in Berlin and Paris sold out at this time. They also participated in a few major festivals and worked together with European and American bands at their concerts. They also appeared in the Taste of Chaos concert tour in Japan. That same year they also released their albums in Europe. Their newest album, Withering to Death, was the first of their releases to hit a foreign chart.
In 2006 they began to appear in the United States, playing in Austin, New York City, and Los Angeles after releasing Withering to Death in the US. After Kyo was hospitalized again, this time for inflamed vocal cords, they performed with Korn at the Family Values Tour, and then they returned to Japan for the release of a new single and more concerts.
In February of 2007, their sixth studio album, The Marrow of a Bone, was released in Japan, and in the United States and Europe the following months. They embarked on a North American tour, hitting seventeen cities, then opened for Deftones at a nationwide tour. In August, they returned to Europe for another tour, playing in more than five countries and festivals across the continent.
September saw the beginning of another international tour promoting their latest single, Dozing Green. Recently, to commemorate 10 years as a band, they released two compilation albums on December 19.
Dir en Grey is expected in early 2008 to begin working on their next album, and will commence the first tour of the year, a Japan tour, in May.
Debut date: February 1997
Labels:
Japanese indie: Firewall Div (Free-Will)
Japanese major: Sony Music Japan
Europe: Gan Shin
US indie: Warcon Enterprises
US major: Fontana
Members:
Vocals: Kyo
Guitar: Die
Guitar: Kaoru
Bass: Toshiya
Drums: Shinya
Discography
Singles:
05/10/1998 - Jealous
08/12/1998 - -I’ll-
01/20/1999 - Akuro no Oka
01/20/1999 - Yurameki
01/20/1999 - -Zan-
05/26/1999 - Cage
07/14/1999 - Yokan
02/16/2000 - Myaku
06/07/2000 - [KR] Cube
07/26/2000 - Taiyou no Ao
04/18/2001 - Ain’t Afraid to Die
09/12/2001 - Filth
11/14/2001 - Jessica
12/19/2001 - Embryo
07/31/2002 - Child Prey
01/22/2003 - Drain Away
04/23/2003 - Kasumi
03/22/2004 - The Final
07/14/2004 - Saku
10/21/2005 - Cleaver Sleazoid
07/26/2006 - Ryoujoku no Ame
11/15/2006 - Agitated Screams of Maggots
10/24/2007 - Dozing Greem
Mini-Albums:
07/25/1997 - Missa
07/31/2002 - Dix Ugly
Albums:
07/28/1999 - Gauze
09/20/2000 - Macabre
08/22/2001 - Kai (Remix Album)
01/30/2002 - Kisou
09/10/2003 - Vulgar
03/19/2005 - Withering to Death
02/07/2007 - The Marrow of a Bone
12/19/2007 - Decade 1998-2002
12/19/2007 - Decade 2003-2007
Credits: Wikipedia
Dir en Grey is an AWESOME band. They make great music, and the vocalist is not only a great complement to the musicians but he writes amazing lyrics too. I love these guys! And to be honest O'm glad their image has softened a little because their music videos were freaking scary before. x_x;
DOZING GREEN
This song is so awesome….It’s like, expertly crafted and has awesome instruments and vocals. Kyo’s vocals are like impressive or anything but he really gets his emotions through his screams and whatnot. xD; It’s a great song and I highly recommend it to anyone! The video is pretty dark and fits the song and the lyrics well. :3
Lyrics + Translation
Click to viewDownload: DOZING GREEN, DOZING GREEN PV (Subtitled, .avi, 72.1 MB)
Kasumi
This is a pretty different song from Dozing Green. It’s quite old too; it was released with the Kasumi single in 2003. It’s a dark song, like, Dozing Green, but in a different, more melancholy, less screamy way. It’s got a slower tempo and deeper vocals, and the video is creepy and taken in dark light. xD: Yeah Dir en Grey~
Lyrics | Translation
Download: Kasumi
See inside of cut for download links. I moved it because no one has been commenting. >_>