Gackt
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Gackt Camui (神威楽斗, Kamui Gakuto)Gakuto (ガクト, but most often written in Latin alphabet) is a Japanese songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. He began his rise to fame fronting the band Malice Mizer.
Childhood
Gackt Camui was born in Okinawa, Japan, on July 4 (year unknown). He has an older sister and a younger brother. Although his mother's vocation is unknown, Gackt has stated on more than one occasion that his father was a jazz musician who played the trumpet.[1]
Gackt was a rambunctious child and enjoyed doing dangerous things. At seven years of age while swimming off the coast of Okinawa, he nearly drowned. After his near-death experience, Gackt claimed he had the ability to see the dead and speak with deceased family members. His family did not take it seriously but as three years passed, Gackt began to feel uncomfortable with the dismissive treatment and perceived himself as an outsider.
Contrary to popular belief, Gackt has not been institutionalized for claiming to possess a sixth sense. When he was ten, however, he collapsed and was hospitalized for an unknown gastrointestinal problem.[2] According to his autobiography, he was isolated for an extensive amount of time in a pediatric ward of a hospital for extremely sick children. This was a very difficult time for him, as what few friends he had the opportunity to make died soon afterwards from terminal illnesses. He became mentally imbalanced and was denied release. Desperate to escape what he felt was a prison, Gackt imitated his doctors until he was released.
Musical education
When Gackt was three, his parents initiated his classical piano education.[1] By age seven, he had grown tired of the piano lessons. His parents forced him to attend, and he rebelled. Gackt fought with his teacher until he was finally allowed to quit at eleven years of age.
Gackt's competitive streak drove him back to the piano at 14 when he realized how skilled one of his friends was. As a result, he began learning to play instruments that deviated from the classical standards of music, eventually focusing on contemporary rock. After many years of having no real interest in his parents' classical lessons, his competitive nature made him want to master the piano.
Malice Mizer
Gackt's musical career started when he became the drummer for Cains:Feel. He had started singing when Cains:Feel's guitarist/violinist YOU (who later became the guitarist for GacktJOB) jokingly put him up to it. He took on the task and continued with voice lessons. He was approached by Mana, who asked him to join the visual kei band Malice Mizer in 1995 as vocalist and pianist. His style at that point was considerably darker and more gothic than that of his work during his solo career.
His induction into Malice Mizer marked a new period for the band's musical and visual style, which became brighter, more romantic, and began to incorporate elaborate costumes and scenery onstage. Along with a change in style, the band's popularity also increased and they managed to secure a major record label contract. Along with this increase in popularity however, the differences between the band members became greater. Gackt mentioned in his autobiography he wanted to participate in creating music for the band, rather than just singing and writing lyrics. There were other rumors involving affairs with the management that have, as of yet, been unsubstantiated. Gackt left Malice Mizer shortly after their last major single, "Le Ciel," was released and disappeared completely from the media for about eight months.
Solo career
After leaving Malice Mizer, Gackt started his solo career in 1999 backed by "GacktJOB," initially consisting of You (violin/rhythm guitar), Yukihiro "Chachamaru" Fujimura (lead guitar/effects), Masa (rhythm guitar), Ren (bass), Toshi (drums), Yosh (choreographer/dancer), and Igao (keyboards). GacktJOB later added Ryuichi Ryu Nishida and Ju-ken. His official fanclub is named DEARS.
Masa parted abruptly with GacktJOB accompanied by Toshi in early 2002 to pursue solo activities following the release of "Another World," the first single for Gackt's Moon Album. Although Masa has continued his own solo career, Toshi still occasionally provides percussion for Gackt in the studio. For live appearances and the majority of studio recordings, Ryuichi Ryu Nishida has otherwise taken Toshi's place.
Bassist Ren announced during Gackt's "Jougen no Tsuki" tour during the summer of 2003 that he would be taking a break. Later that year, Ren posted assurances to fans on his blog that he would not be leaving GacktJOB permanently but wanted to return to the less inundating indies scene with his own band, LiN Clover for a while.
Throughout the first and second quarters of 2004, magazine shoots were conducted only with the remaining four members until a TV appearance in March which featured a new bassist. This was later revealed to be Ju-ken, who has been GacktJOB's bassist since then.
Despite often being labeled as "pop", few of his songs can be clearly said to belong to that genre. Gackt's music is characterized by a wide variety in musical styles which can range from heavy rock to romantic ballad. Traditional instruments are often used to accentuate electric guitar, piano, and other modern instruments. For these reasons, it is difficult to clearly assign Gackt's music to a specific genre.
Other media
Acting
In addition to music, Gackt has been involved as an actor in various TV commercials, and in the Japanese documentary, Hero's Hero. He also co-wrote and co-starred in the movie Moon Child with Hyde, vocalist of L'Arc~en~Ciel and Taiwanese-American singer Wang Lee Hom. Moon Child is a movie about family, love, friendship, revenge, and forgiveness.
Since January 7, 2007, Gackt has been acting in the NHK drama Fūrin Kazan (風林火山) as the warlord Uesugi Kenshin, with fellow actor Uchino Masaaki and kabuki actor Ichikawa Kamejiro.[3]
Authorship
Gackt is also an author, having written Moonchild: Requiem, and several as-yet unpublished short stories. In 2003, he published his autobiography titled Jihaku, in which he displayed deep thoughts and described events that had a profound impact on his life.
Fashion, designing, and ownership
Gackt has worked as a runway model for his favorite designer, Yoshiyuki Konishi; designed his stage-wear and clothing line; designed two styles of guitars named Venus[4] and Marcury[5] manufactured by Caparison guitars; designed bracelets and other jewelry for h-darts; and owned his private, members-only restaurant and bar, Tamaly Bar complete with his personal and family recipes.
Video games
Gackt was involved in the PlayStation 2 game Bujingai, for which he performed the voice as well as doing motion capture for the game's protagonist, Lau Wong, who is a redheaded vision of Gackt himself. He has also appeared in Japanese commercials for the game Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and his name appeared on a dog tag in the game. Other voice-over work of Gackt's included the character 'Seiji' from the anime Shin Hokuto no Ken (New Fist of the North Star), as well as singing the opening and ending theme songs. He also performed the ending theme 「月の詩」, ("Tsuki no Uta") for the anime Texhnolyze.
Rumours on the internet cited Gackt as the model for the Final Fantasy VIII lead character Squall Leonhart (which later created the rumours he was also the basis for other characters, such as Cloud Strife in Advent Children, Tidus in Final Fantasy X and even Shuyin in Final Fantasy X-2). In the videogame, Squall is wearing a jacket similar to one Gackt wore in his Malice Mizer days and it is known Tetsuya Nomura is a fan, but Gackt has never been officially credited as the basis for any of those characters. Yet, manga artist Yuu Watase has mentioned a connection between Gackt and Squall to be true by one of her 'connections' and Enix, as read in a side panel in her manga Imadoki! Although he is a fan of Gackt, Nomura has stated that American actor River Phoenix was the basis for Squall, and the jacket was intended to test the Playstation's capabilities.
Despite the rumours of characters from Final Fantasy games being based off Gackt, he will finally make his official debut as the character Genesis from the forthcoming PSP-based Final Fantasy VII prequel, Crisis Core. Genesis is also featured in the unlockable "G Files" in Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus. He will be used as a model for the motion-capture process and for the image of the character.
Recent
In early 2005 he was asked to write and perform the theme songs for the Gundam movie Zeta Gundam: A New Translation, a movie eagerly anticipated by the anime community. The songs were "Metamorphoze" and a rearrangement of a previously released song, 「君が待っているから」 ("Kimi ga Matteiru kara").
On January 25, 2006 Gackt released his 23rd single, "Redemption," which he composed and performed as the theme for Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, and was released alongside the game (and its soundtrack). He was also the model and voice for the character G (or Genesis) in Dirge of Cerberus, though the character appears only in a secret ending for the game.
On August 5, 2006, Yoshiki (formerly of X Japan) announced he will be forming a band with Gackt in 2007. On December 28, 2006, Sponichi announced Sugizo (formerly of Luna Sea) would also participate in this new band.[6]
On February 7, 2007, Gackt released his new single "No ni Saku Hana no yō ni" 「野に咲く花のように」, which was first sung at the graduation ceremony of Maiko High School in the Hyogo Prefecture on February 28, 2006.
Gackt Job
Gackt Job is Gackt's group of support members. Current members include:
- You (violin, guitar)
- Chachamaru (茶々丸) (bandleader, backing vocals, & guitar)
- Ju-ken (bass)
- Jun-ji (drums)
- Igao (keyboard)
- Yosh (choreographer)
Former members include:
- Ren (bass) currently in band LinClover
- Masa (rhythm guitar) who was in the band Spiky and Dizzy Drive. Dizzy Drive changed their image and name to Marmarsa-mu (マァマァサ・ムゥ).
- Ryu (drums)
- Toshi (drums) currently the drummer for Spiky.
Discography
References
- ^ a b Jihaku Translation
- ^ Jihaku Translation
- ^ "来年の大河ドラマ「風林火山」、主役に内野聖陽さん". The Asahi Shimbun (in Japanese). 2006-03-31. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Caparison Venus
- ^ Caparison Marcury
- ^ "ＳＵＧＩＺＯが豪華バンド加入". Sponichi Annex (in Japanese). 2006-12-28. Retrieved 2007-02-22.
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External links
Official
Unofficial websites
Other websites