:biography;
† Part I ~ Prologue
† Part II ~ New Blood flowing in 2003
† Part III ~ Paradoxical 2004: the Aerial Garden
† Part IV ~ 2005 Sub Nomina Rosae: Dark Opera of the Rose
† Part V ~ The day the Sun was buried: reborn D in 2006 and their Tafel Anatomie
† Part VI ~ Another Face of D: the Neo Culture in 2007
►Prologue···
D is an extremely talented Japanese rock/metal band formed in March
2003. They are part of the Visual Kei scene, also because of the musical background
of the band members. In fact, all of them have great experience in the
music scene:
ASAGI, Ruiza and
SIN were all members of the
Gothic Rock/Visual Kei band
Syndrome, leading band of the
indie label
Matina from 2000 to 2002. Leader of
Syndrome and also head of the Matina
label was KISAKI, who played in various Gothic/Visual bands like La:Sadie's,
MIRAGE, and more recently, Phantasmagoria.
In November 2002 KISAKI's health problems led to the disbandment of Syndrome and the end of Matina (he would later recover and return to the music scene with his solo project, founding a new recording label, Under Code Productions).
ASAGI, Ruiza and SIN still wanted to play in the Visual Kei scene, but without KISAKI they couldn't continue under the banner of Syndrome, so they decided to start together another band. Apparently Syndrome's drummer, Shion, didn't want to play anymore as a Visual Kei artist, and he joined a rock/pop band, Shelly Trip Realize. The remaining ex-Syndrome members found another bassist, LENA, formerly of the band PERSONA; and a drummer with remarkable technical skills: Hiroki, formerly member of Aioria and S to M / Michiru Project.
The newly formed 5 members unit took the name D. The meaning of this letter and the reason why they choose it are still unknown; but we can point out that the first demo tape of Distray (Ruiza's first band) released in 1998 was called "gene of D". ASAGI's fascinations with vampire themes also lead to think about "Vampire Hunter D", the famous series of horror novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi (later adapted in animation series).
►new blood flowing in 2003···
ASAGI, Ruiza, SIN,
Leba and Hiroki formed D in March
2003, but they debuted on April 6th at Kawasaki CLUB CITTA', playing at the
"Shock Jam #001" event. Then they played some other events and recorded
their first 4-tracks mini-album (songs composed by ASAGI and Ruiza). But
only 3 months after the band's foundation, in June, SIN decided to leave
D and the whole music scene. Around the same time they temporarily lost also Ruiza, who was hospitalized
for unknown reasons until September. During this unlucky period, ASAGI and
the others didn't want to stop activities and they temporarily changed their
name to Night of the children, playing at the I.D. Pilot Dead One
event at Shinsaibashi under this new monicker. To play live they also
recruited 2 support guitarists:
HIDE-ZOU (formerly
of S
to M like Hiroki) and
Tetsu (formerly
of Domestic†Child). D finally released their first mini-album "New
Blood" on July 18 through their independent label God Child Records.
In September Ruiza was released from the hospital and D's lineup was complete again: the support guitarist HIDE-ZOU became part of the band as official second guitarist. In November they played their first one-man live at Meguro Rock May Kan, entitled "Believe or not Believe" (they also presented new songs, and distributed the new single "Alice", composed by Lena). The first, troubled year of D's career ended with other lives, including the "LooP OF HEAVEN 2003 FINAL" at Harajuku ASTRO HALL, the leading event of Michiru's label LooP ASH (we remind that both Hiroki and HIDE-ZOU played in LooP ASH bands before joining D).
►paradoxical 2004: the aerial garden···
The new year started with intense activities from D.
First they released a new mini-album, "Paradox"
with 5 new songs (3 composed by ASAGI and 2 by Ruiza), then they went on
playing in many concerts, including another one-man on January 24 to
promote the new release, called "Genjitsu to Hi
Genjitsu no Paradox", and an event sponsored and presented by D
themselves called "Mad tea party". They held many other Mad tea
party events after that, establishing a band tradition.
In February D partecipated in the compilation "CANNONBALL Vol.1" of the major label Nippon Crown, providing the previously unreleased song "Nageki no Tenshi". This, and the following tour with other bands featured on the compilation, helped to raise the fame of D among other indies rock bands (even if they were already famous because of the members' previous musical experiences in other bands). Another tour with other bands, ("stylish wave CIRCUIT '04 Haru no Arashi") started at the end of March.
In May D were ready to release their new maxi-single, "Yume narishi Kuchuu Teien" (3 songs composed by Ruiza), and they held another one-man to promote the sales at Shibuya O-WEST, also distributing a memorial video. The new single debuted at rank 5 in the Oricon Indies chart and sold out shortly after its release: though an entirely self-promoted and self-produced band, D were growing popular thanks to their experience and qualities of their songs and performances.
2004 went on with a lot of other live concerts, including other Mad tea party events at Takadanobaba AREA, until November, when D organized their first one-man tour "Mayutsuki no Hitsugi" for a total of 3 dates at Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. In each date they sold the new single "Mayutsuki no Hitsugi" (the title track being composed by Ruiza, coupling with a song by ASAGI) in three different versions.
The year ended with other live concerts, but D also re-recorded with HIDE-ZOU their long sold-out debut mini-album and re-released it in limited edition with the title "NEW BLOOD ~Second Impact~", featuring a bonus track.
►2005 sub nomina rosae: dark opera of the rose···
The beginning of 2005 is marked by another milestone release: the
limited edition of new maxi-single "Mahiru
no Koe ~Synchronicity~" and among other regular
concerts, they promoted the single in another one-man at Shibuya O-EAST in
February, distributing another free CD.
In March they played other concerts as well as 2 new Mad tea party events where the band anticipated a new concept on Opera, Roses and Darkness.
The new concept developed in the one-man tour "The Phantom of the Opera" in April and May, and the tour's final date at Ebisu LIQUID ROOM went sold out. Prior to this tour they also released simultaneously the regular editions of "NEW BLOOD ~Second Impact~" and "Mahiru no Koe ~Synchronicity~".
After the Phantom of the Opera tour D released the new single themed after the same concept "Yami yori Kurai Doukoku no ACAPPELLA to Bara yori Akai Jounetsu no ARIA", in both limited and regular edition, the limited one including a DVD with their first Promotional Video. The long-titled song was composed by ASAGI, coupling with a song by Ruiza. D also held 3 sale commemoration events for the single in June.
On August 7 D launched their self-produced music magazine: "Mad tea party MAGAZINE", featuring articles on themselves and on other Japanese visual/indies bands. In the same month they started a coupling tour with the indies industrial/gothic rock band D'espairsRay, called "Gekka Soukage". A new Mad tea party event held at Ebisu LIQUID ROOM went sold out.
Unfortunately after that Lena left the band, leaving D without a bassist. They decided to carry on nonethless, and HIDE-ZOU switched to bass for live performances.
In September 2005 D finally released their first, amazing full-lenght album: "The name of the ROSE" in 2 different limited edition, the black one including the bonus DVD with the promotional video of "Mayutsuki no Hitsugi", the red one with the promotional video of "Sleeper". During the recording of the album HIDE-ZOU played his guitar, while the bass lines has been recorded by the band's producer Tatsuya Kase. D, with HIDE-ZOU still on bass, started a long one-man tour, "Sub Rosa ~Bara no Na no Shita ni Tsudoe~", to promote the new album. At the opening gig of the tour at Shibuya AX they distibuted a free DVD with the Making of "Mayutsuki no Hitsugi" PV, and a similar DVD with the Making of "Sleeper" at the tour's final gig.
On October 20th they also released the second volume of Mad tea party MAGAZINE. 2005 closed with a good new: in December D found a new bassist, the young Tsunehito (formerly in SCISSOR and Givuss), and they played 2 concerts with him.
►the day the sun was buried: reborn d in 2006 and their tafel anatomie···
2006 saw the rebirth of D, now active again with a full
lineup. Beside the new issue of
Mad tea
party MAGAZINE they launched another series of publications: the
photobook Mad tea party MAGAZINE alpha, and maybe to honour their
new bassist Tsunehito the first issue was called "The Bassists & D",
with photoshoot and interviews with other bassists from Japanese Visual/indies
rock bands.
D started to partially re-record their older material with Tsunehito: the album "The name of the ROSE" was released in regular edition with bass lines by him on February 8, and both PARADOX and Yume narishi Kuchuu Teien (including 2 new songs by Ruiza) came out on March 3.
Beside 3 other Mad tea party events D started their 3rd Anniversary one-man tour "Ultimate lover" on March. The final date at Nippon Seinenkan (May 21) went sold out (they also distributed a free memorial DVD). In May they also continued the habit of 2 simultaneous releases for their Mad tea party MAGAZINE, this time with the photobook "Blitz ~Raikou~ The Guitarists & D" followed by a second volume "Blitz ~Raimei~ The Guitarists & D" on July 12. In the same date Ruiza revived his solo career (originally started in 2002) and released a new CD: "amenity gain".
After another one-man tour of 7 dates ("from Dusk till Dawn"), all sold out, D released a new single CD: "Taiyou wo Okuru Hi" (the song being written by ASAGI, coupling with a Ruiza song), again in both limited (with the promotional video DVD) and regular edition and announced am upcoming new full-lenght.
After Ruiza's new solo CD, ASAGI also wanted to start a solo career, so on September 20 he released a single, "Corvinus", together with an homonymous Eau de toilette. Just like for Ruiza's CD, ASAGI's release came out on the same date of the new issue of Mad tea party MAGAZINE + Special Photobook, this time obviously entitled "Noir ~The Vocalists & D~".
On October 18 the new full-lenght album, "Tafel Anatomie" was ready and the limited edition came out, the band starting a one-man tour to promote it. On November 22 the regular edition was also released, then D closed the tour with a final sold out gig at Shibuya Koukaidou (December 6), and filmed it for an upcoming live DVD. At the concert they also distributed a new single, "Ultimate lover" the theme song for their homonymous Fanclub, whom opened in the same month. The release of another volume of Mad tea party MAGAZINE with the photobook "Blanc ~The Vocalists & D~" closed the year.
►another face of d: the neo culture in 2007···
After the opening of their official Fanclub, D started to
play live concerts reserved to the Fanclub members, the first on January 6
at the Takadanobaba AREA. In February the band restlessly organized a 3
dates one-man tour, "Another face". In March another Fanclub concert take
place followed by the release of the first live DVD filmed
at the Tafel Anatomie tour final gig.
On April 25 D started a long singles-releasing campaign with the new CD "Dearest you" (2 songs by ASAGI and 1 by Ruiza), as always, with a limited edition + DVD with PV. The single debuted at n°1 position on the Oricon indies chart, and the band was interviewed by Noriko Shoji on her music TV show. To promote the new single another small one-man tour started, where they distributed a free DVD with the making of the new PV. In June they played in other concerts with other bands, including the "10th Anniversary" of Zepp Tokyo, and "Fool's Fest '07".
In July they started a new long one-man tour: "Neo Culture", promoting 2 new singles: the ancient Japan-themed "Ouka Sakisomenikeri", released on July 18, and the dark "Schwarzschild", released on August 15, both in limited (+PV DVD) and regular edition.
continues...
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