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Dir en Grey

Encyclopedia : D : DI : DIR : Dir en Grey

Dir en grey is a Japanese rock band formed in 1997. While the lineup has remained the same since the group's inception, numerous stylistic changes have made its genre difficult to determine (but it is generally a form of Rock music). Originally part of Japan's Visual Kei movement, Dir en grey have opted for less flamboyant attires in recent years.

Contents

History

1997~1999: Early career

Dir en grey's roots go back to the independent band La:Sadie's, which ended up including four of Dir en grey's later members. After disbanding and parting ways with La:Sadie's bassist Kisaki, Kyo, Kaoru, Die and Shinya along with newly recruiting bassist Toshiya briefly re-grouped as Deathmask but then changed their name to Dir en grey after a show in Nagano in early 1997. #redirect

A few months later a first EP, MISSA was released. In 1998 they became the first Japanese indies band to reach the singles top ten on the Oricon music charts after the release of their first singles JEALOUS and -I'll-. This caught the attention of Yoshiki Hayashi of X Japan fame, who produced and arranged the singles of their subsequent album GAUZE, released in 1999. Extensive touring followed, one of these early shows (filmed at the Osakajo Hall) became their first of several live performances to be released on VHS and DVD.

2000~2004: 3 albums in 3 years

In 2000, singer Kyo was hospitalized with hearing trouble (he remained partially deaf on his left ear). Their tour in support of Dir en grey's upcoming album MACABRE had to be postponed. After Kyo recovered, TOUR 00>>01: MACABRE eventually took off later that year. The missed shows were performed in early 2001 and shortly after the release of the single ain't afraid to die, the tour ended at Nippon Budokan.

In 2002, along with the release of their 3rd full-length album kisou, Dir en grey gave their first performances outside of Japan, touring China, Taiwan, and South Korea. In Shanghai fans got excited to the point that authorities attempted to cancel a planned second concert. The band and their management eventually resolved the dispute and the concert was performed as scheduled. Back in Japan, the last dates of the tour were already in support for the band's second EP, six Ugly. A couple of months later, Dir en grey performed at Akasaka Blitz for five consecutive evenings. Each show (except the first) was themed after a certain album, the last featuring songs from then still to be released VULGAR. Further touring and two more DVD releases followed (one of them exclusively for members of the band's fan club, "a knot").

Since 2005: Non-Asian touring

In 2005, Dir en grey played their first shows in Europe. Their concerts in Berlin and Paris (as part of the "It Withers and Withers" tour) sold out without any sort of promotion save for newsletters by import record stores and internet-based word of mouth. The band also appeared at two major festivals, Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.

These events apparently inspired a change in the band's live routine. They had not performed alongside other bands since being signed to a major label but after the festivals, Dir en grey had French band, Eths open up for them at their show in Paris. Later that year they invited long-time associate Wednesday 13 and his band to play at a show in Japan. Dir en grey also performed in the Japanese leg of the international "Taste of Chaos" tour. 2005 saw the first domestic European releases as well, such as that year's album Withering to death., which eventually reached #31 in the Finnish album charts (Dir en grey's first non-Asian chart positions). The subsequent single CLEVER SLEAZOID later made it to #15 of the singles charts in the same country.

In early 2006, the first concerts in the United States followed, performed in Austin, Texas (SXSW06), New York (Avalon Club) and Los Angeles (Wiltern Theater). All dates sold out in a very short amount of time. The audience being comprised of people from several countries. Soon afterwards the American release of Withering to death. and the DVD release of TOUR05 It Withers and Withers followed.

This summer Dir en grey are set to play more shows in Europe and later join Korn, Deftones and others during the Family Values Tour 2006 across the US. A new single has been announced, titled RYOUJOKU NO AME which is to be released July 26, 2006. There are also rumors of a new album to be released later this year, though this seems unlikely due to the band's current live schedule spanning three continents.

Lineup

As common with many Japanese and especially Visual Kei bands, the members of Dir en grey are always credited with their first or stage name, only two of them in Kanji though, namely Kyo (京) and Kaoru (薫).

Discography

This is a list of Dir en grey's full-length albums and EPs. See Dir en grey discography for information about singles and video releases.

Image:Missa.jpg|MISSA (EP)
July 25, 1997 Image:Gauze.jpg|GAUZE
July 28, 1999 Image:Macabrecover.jpg|MACABRE
September 20, 2000 Image:Kisou.jpg|鬼葬 (Kisou)
January 30, 2002 Image:Sixugly.jpg|six Ugly (EP)
July 31, 2002 Image:Vulgar.jpg|VULGAR
September 10, 2003 Image:Withering.jpg|Withering to death.
March 9,2005

Touring

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2006

2006

Reccomendations

If you like Dir's music & Kyo's vocals, here is a list of rather similar sounding bands.

External links

| Cage | Yokan | Myaku | 【KR】cube | taiyou no ao | ain't afraid to die | FILTH | JESSICA | embryo | Child prey | DRAIN AWAY | Kasumi | THE FINAL | -saku- | CLEVER SLEAZOID | ryoujoku no ame>
Dir en grey
Kyo | Kaoru | Die | Toshiya | Shinya
Discography
Albums: GAUZE | MACABRE | Kisou | VULGAR | Withering to death.
Extended plays: MISSA | six Ugly
Singles: JEALOUS | -I'll- | akuro no oka | Yurameki | -ZAN- (残 -ZAN-)

 

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