Post by ReikoUesugi on Jan 10, 2007 2:40:37 GMT -5
Origin: Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s): Visual Kei, J-Rock
Years active: 1992-2001
Label(s): Nippon Columbia, Midi:Nette
Associated: Moi dix Mois
Website: www.malice-mizer.co.jp
Former members:
Mana
Klaha
Közi
Yu~ki
Gackt
Kami
Gaz
Tetsu
Malice Mizer was a Japanese band in the visual kei music scene, active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by Mana and Közi, the band's name stands for "malice and misery" — their answer to the question "what is human?". Their music was characterized by their strong goth and classical influences.
Malice Mizer were as famous for their music as for their live shows, featuring lavish historical costumes and stage sets, whimsical dance routines and band members flying suspended from wires. Throughout their history, the band went through several different lineups and three drastic image changes.
On December 11, 2001, it was announced that Malice Mizer would begin an indefinite hiatus.
History
Tetsu era (1992 – 1994)
Malice Mizer during the Tetsu era.Malice Mizer was formed in 1992 by Mana and Közi with Tetsu on vocals, both Mana and Közi on guitars/synthesizers, Yu~ki on bass and Gaz on drums. From the outset, the band established their trademark "twin guitar"' sound, whereby two guitars play different melodies creating polyphony. Malice Mizer's sound during the Tetsu era was a mixture of early 1980s goth and strong classical influences. Their first official release was the song "Speed of Desperate" on the 1993 compilation Brain Trash. Before this, they had released a demo tape called Sans Logique which contained no vocals. Shortly after the release of Brain Trash, Gaz left the band to join Kneuklid Romance, while Kneuklid Romance's drummer Kami in turn joined Malice Mizer. In 1994, the band released their first album, memoire, on Mana's newly founded Indie music label, Midi:Nette, and shortly after re-released it with an additional bonus track ("バロック"; Baroque) under the title memoire DX. Only days later, singer Tetsu left the band. While the exact reasons are unknown, Tetsu went on to take a different direction in his work.
Gackt era (1995 – 1999)
In 1995, after a year of inactivity, Malice Mizer recruited Gackt as their new vocalist. Under his influence, the band's music became more wistful and romantic in its mood, incorporating even stronger classical influences as well as French pop music. Visually, the band abandoned their 1980s goth look for colourful historical costumes. In 1996, Malice Mizer released their second album, Voyage 〜sans retour〜. The band became increasingly popular and in 1997 signed with the major label Nippon Columbia, where they released a number of successful singles, a short film ("ヴェル・エール 〜空白の瞬間の中で〜 de l'image"; Bel Air-Verte Aile ~Kuuhaku no shunkan no naka de~ de l'image), and, in 1998, their first and only major label album, merveilles. The band even had their own radio show around this time. In January 1999, at the height of Malice Mizer's success, Gackt left the band to start a solo career, taking a substantial part of their fan base with him. Malice Mizer left Nippon Columbia and returned to Mana's Indie music label, Midi:Nette.
A few months after Gackt's departure, drummer Kami died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage, leaving behind a handful of songs, which the band eventually released as part of the mini-album/video boxset 神話 (Shinwa ~Kami's Memorial Box~). Kami was never replaced; from that point on, Malice Mizer would only use support drummers (namely Shue, who is not shown in the band's later and final music videos, nor credited) and Kami would be credited as "eternal blood relative" on all their future releases.
Klaha era (2000 – 2001)
In the second half of 1999 and the beginning of 2000, Malice Mizer — still without an official vocalist — released a number of singles and began to work on a new album. Eventually, they recruited Klaha (real name Masaki Haruna), vocalist of visual kei/darkwave band Pride of Mind. By then the band had abandoned the lighter pop music sound of the Gackt era for a dramatic mixture of classical music, Goth and heavy metal music, and adopted an elaborate funereal Goth look. In the summer of 2000, they released what would be their last album, 薔薇の聖堂 (Bara no seidou), followed by a very spectacular and theatrical live show, featuring pyrotechnics, a choir of veiled nuns and a scaled-down cathedral as stage prop. In 2001, Malice Mizer starred in a feature length vampire movie, 薔薇の婚礼 ～真夜中に交わした約束～ (Bara no konrei ~Mayonaka ni kawanutsa yakusoku~), and released three more singles: Gardenia, Beast of Blood, and Garnet ～禁断の園へ～ (Garnet ~Kindan no sono e~). Eventually the band members decided to go their own separate ways, leaving disband messages on their official website, Miroir, which can still be viewed today
Post Projects
After his departure in early 1999, Gackt started a solo career which has been enormously successful; he is now one of Japan's top entertainers and TV personalities. Klaha started a solo career as well in December 2002; as of 2005 the status of his project is uncertain. Mana has formed his own solo project, Moi dix Mois, and simultaneously pursues a career as fashion designer for his Gothic Lolita fashion label, Moi-même-Moitié. He continues to also run his Indie record label, Midi:Nette, and is looking for bands to sign and produce. Közi has joined Haruhiko Ash's Industrial band Eve of Destiny and also has a solo project. After his departure in 1994, Tetsu has subsequently taken part in a series of bands such as Zigzo and Mega 8 Ball and has released one solo album; his most recent being the independently released band nil. The whereabouts of Yu~ki were unknown until he briefly resurfaced in 2004 as lyricist for Közi's single "MEMENTO".
Discography
In several cases, the Japanese titles are given first, followed by the rōmaji titles in square brackets.
Demo tapes
Sans Logique (31 October 1992)
SADNESS / SPEED OF DESPERATE (1993)
Sadness (5 April 1993)
The 1th Anniversary (12 October 1993)
Singles
麗しき仮面の招待状 [Uruwashiki kamen no shoutaijou] (10 December 1995)
ma chérie ～愛しい君へ～ [ma chérie ~itoshii kimi e~] (10 October 1996)
ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ [Bel Air ~Kuuhaku no shunkan (toki) no naka de~] (19 July 1997)
This release is generally romanized as "Bel Air", but sometimes as "Vert Aile". Consensus has not been reached on which interpretation is correct.
au revoir (3 December 1997)
月下の夜想曲 [Gekka no yasoukyoku] (21 February 1998)
ILLUMINATI (20 April 1998)
Le ciel ～空白の彼方へ～ [Le ciel ~Kuuhaku no kanata e~] (30 September 1998)
再会の血と薔薇 [Saikai no chi to bara] (3 November 1998)
神話 [Shinwa ~Kami's Memorial Box~] (1 February 2000)
虚無の中での遊戲 [Kyomu no naka de no yuugi] (31 May 2000)
白い肌に烂う愛と哀しみの輪舞 [Shiroi hada ni kuruu ai to kanashimi no RONDO] (26 July 2000)
Gardenia (30 May 2001)
Beast of Blood (21 June 2001)
Garnet ～禁断の園へ～ [Garnet ~Kindan no sono e~] (30 November 2001)
Albums
memoire (24 July 1994)
memoire DX (24 December 1994) — reissue with bonus track
Voyage ～sans retour～ (7 June 1996)
merveilles (18 March 1998)
薔薇の聖堂 [Bara no Seidou] (23 August 2000)
VHS
Sans retour Voyage "derniere" ～encoure une fois～ (30 June 1997)
ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ de l'image [Bel Air ~Kuuhaku no shunkan (toki) no naka de~ de l'image] (13 July 1997)
ヴェル・エール ～空白の瞬間の中で～ de l'image [Bel Air-Verte Aile ~Kuuhaku no shunkan (toki) no naka de~ de l'image] (3 September 1997) - a short film
merveilles ～終焉と帰趨～ l'espace [merveilles ~Shuuen to kisuu~ l'espace] (28 October 1998)
merveilles -cinq parallele- (24 February 1999)
再会の血と薔薇 ～de l'image～ [Saikai no chi to bara ~de l'image~] (21 December 1999)
虚無の中での遊戲 ～de l'image～ [Kyomu no naka de no yuugi ~de l'image~] (31 May 2000)
薔薇に彩られた悪意と悲劇の幕開け [Bara ni irodorareta akui to higeki no makuake] (22 November 2000)
薔薇の軌跡 [Bara no kiseki] (25 April 2001)
Beast of Blood ～de l'image～ (11 July 2001)
薔薇の婚礼 ～真夜中に交わした約束～ [Bara no konrei ~Mayonaka ni kawanutsa yakusoku~] (22 March 2002)
DVD
薔薇に彩られた悪意と悲劇の幕開け [Bara ni irodorareta akui to higeki no makuake] (22 November 2000)
Sans retour Voyage "derniere" ～encoure une fois～ (18 April 2001)
薔薇の軌跡 [Bara no kiseki] (25 April 2001)
Beast of Blood ～de l'image～ (11 July 2001)
真夜中に交わした約束 ～薔薇の婚礼～ [Mayonaka ni kawanutsa yakusoku ~Bara no konrei~] (30 October 2001)
Cardinal (6 February 2002)
contains the final 6 PVs and a live performance of "Beast of Blood"
薔薇の婚礼 ～真夜中に交わした約束～ [Bara no konrei ~Mayonaka ni kawanutsa yakusoku~] (22 March 2002)
merveilles ～終焉と帰趨～l'espace [merveilles ~Shuuen to kisuu~ l'espace] (30 March 2002)
merveilles -cinq parallele- (30 March 2002)
MaliCe MizER offiCiaL fanSitEs:
MaliCe mizer www.malice-mizer.co.jp/
Mana www.mana-sama.com/
Gackt www.dears.ne.jp/
Klaha www.klahainfo.com/
Tetsu www.afro-skull.com/
Kozi www.kozi.info/
Moi Dix Mois midi-nette.com/mdm/
Eve of Destiny www.eveofdestiny.net/