is a
Japanese musician,
songwriter and actor. Usually referred to by his
first name only, he is best known for his work with
Malice Mizer and his subsequent career as a successful solo artist.
Biography
Early life
Gackt Camui was born in
Okinawa,
Japan, on a
July 4 (precise year unknown),
[1] as the second of three children (he has an older sister and a younger brother). His father was a
jazz musician who played the
trumpet. According to his
autobiography, he was a mischevious child and enjoyed taking risks; at age seven he nearly drowned while swimming off the coast of Okinawa. After this
near-death experience, he claimed to have the ability to see and speak with deceased family members, a notion which was dismissed by his parents. At the age of ten, Gackt was hospitalized with a
gastrointestinal condition and had to remain at the hospital for a prolonged time. He made the acquaintance of several terminally ill children, some of whom died during his stay.
[2]
Gackt's musical education began at age three, when his parents initiated his classical
piano education, of which he grew tired four years later. It would take another four years until his parents allowed him to quit. Competition with a friend lead Gackt to learn other instruments, with a focus on contemporary
rock. He later resumed playing the piano.
Malice Mizer
Main articles: Malice Mizer
In
1995, Gackt joined Malice Mizer as the group's vocalist,
lyricist and pianist. Fan base and record sales grew substantially over the following years and the band became known for its distinct
visual kei theme, with elaborate costumes, on-stage scenery and theatrics. Malice Mizer released two albums with Gackt, ''
Voyage ~Sans Retour~'' and ''
Merveilles''. When Gackt began seeking further creative control over the group's compositions, as opposed to just writing the lyrics, he was removed from the group.
Solo career
Gackt launched his solo career on
May 12,
1999 with the release of the
EP ''
Mizerable''. Several albums, singles and videos (on
VHS and
DVD) have since followed. Gackt's music has also been featured as theme songs for
anime and
video games multiple times, such as ''
New Fist of the North Star'', ''
Texhnolyze'', ''
Bujingai'' and ''. He has also provided
voice acting,
motion capturing and his likeness for such works on several occasions
[3][4] and co-wrote and co-starred in the
2003 movie ''
Moon Child'', which also features
Hyde (vocalist of
L'Arc~en~Ciel) and Taiwanese-American singer
Wang Lee Hom.
[5]
In the same year, Gackt published his autobiography, ''Jihaku''. For Caparison Guitars, he has designed two guitars, named "Marcury" and "Venus".
[6][7] Since
January 7,
2007, Gackt has been playing the warlord
Uesugi Kenshin in the
NHK drama ''
Fūrinkazan''.
[8] Gackt's most recent solo release is the single "
Returner ~Yami no Shuen~", released on
June 20,
2007, which is the first in the artist's career (both solo and in a band) to reach the number one spot on the Japanese
Oricon charts.
[9] Gackt will be providing the voice for Malthazar in the Japanese release of the film ''
Arthur and the Minimoys'', set for September 2007.
[10]
Skin
Main articles: Skin (Japanese band)
On
May 25,
2007, the formation of the
supergroup Skin was announced, which besides Gackt consists of fellow pop/rock artist
Miyavi, former
Luna Sea guitarist
Sugizo, and
X Japan co-founder
Yoshiki. The group gave its debut performance at the
Anime Expo convention in
Long Beach, California on
June 29,
2007[11] and plans to release an album.
[12]
GacktJob
Gackt Job is Gackt's live support band. Its current lineup is as follows:
★ Chachamaru (茶々丸) – backing vocals, guitar
★ You – violin, guitar
★ Ju-Ken – bass
★ Jun-ji – drums
★ Igao – keyboard
'Former members'
★
Masa – rhythm guitar
★ Ren – bass
★ Ryu – drums
★ Toshi – drums
Discography
Main articles: Gackt discography
References
1. A tombstone used as a set piece during a live performance in 2004, which read "Gackt 1973~2007" (as seen on the DVD ''The Sixth Day & Seventh Night''), has led to speculation that the artist was born in 1973. His website only mentions a month and day.
2. ''Jihaku'', Kobunsha Co., Ltd., ISBN 4-3349-7412-0
3. ''New Fist of the North Star'' credits
4. ''Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII'' credits
5. ''Moon Child'' credits
6. Caparison Marcury
7. Caparison Venus
8. 来年の大河ドラマ「風林火山」、主役に内野聖陽さん
9. Oricon compliments Gackt on his first #1 single
10. Ｇａｃｋｔが映画声優初挑戦！Ｄ・ボウイ演じた仏アニメ悪の帝王役
11. Anime Expo 2007 announcement
12. Yoshiki interview at JRock Revolution
External links
★
Official Website
★
Gackt at Nippon Crown
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