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any YOSHIKI drummer fans here?

Started by 4CV, June 03, 2005, 02:41 AM

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4CV

I wonder that nobody of you mentioned one of the most best drummer of all times:

Hayashi Yoshiki  (Japan)

Birthday: 11.20.1965
Birthplace: Teteyama, Chiba

Yoshiki was the founder of X Japan. He plays piano, keyboard and drums, he also can play guitar and bass - a real multitalent.

He loves opposites and likes to play the mysterious, so he used to tell his birtday is the day X and that he has amethyst-colored blood.
He always makes the impression of a shy and sensitive person but this changes when he is behind his drums when he makes the impression that he is pure engery.

On the stage he gave everything and he often fell from the higher part of the stage where the drums were located. In 1996 during the Dahlia Tour he couldn't play to the end of the show and had to go to a hospital because of his backbone. The docter warned him that he should be more carefull and that he had eventually to stop playing drums. Yoshiki continued to play but he wears a special neck-support.

September, 22nd in 1997 was the day Yoshiki announced the disbanding of X Japan. He had secret plans (with "Hide") to form a new band with a new singer. His plans died with hide in 1998 with "Hides" death.

After this tragedy he spent most of the time in his house in Los Angeles where he has 2 recording studios and produces some new American and Japanese band for his record company Extasy International and Extasy Japan.

Some "X" and "X-Japan" albums which are MUST have ones:

Vanishing Vision (1988)
Blue Blood (1989)
Jelousy (1991)
Art of Life (1993)
Dahlia (1996)

I also can highly recommend all the original DVD's

short summery of the band's history:
X Japan were one of the first visual bands in Japan and also one of the most popular. They started in teh mid-80's with the union of school friends Yoshiki (drums and piano) and Toshi (lead vocals). After that the joined with a couple other guys and formed the band X.

They released the two singles 'I'll kill you' and 'Orgasm' and made it on two compilations albums with other Japanese newcomer bands. At that time Pata (guitar) and Taiji (bass) joined the band.

In 1988 they made their first album 'Vanishing Vision' and hired a second guitarist, hide. The album was released on Yoshikis new record label Extasy. It was a great success and they changed to Sony records. More albums ('Blue Blood' and 'Jealousy') and more touring.

With "Jealousy" they tried to come out in America, but no one there wanted visual bands. They renamed the band in X Japan because in America there was already a band called X. The band had great success in Japan and the members also made solo projects.

At this time Taiji (bass) left the band and was replace with Heath. Yoshiki wrote the 23 minutes long song 'Art of life' which was the first record on their new label Atlantic Records.

In 1996 finally came their last album 'Dahlia'. In the spring of 1997 Toshi (vocals) decided to quit the band for 'artistic and religous reasons', so they announced their disbanding in September 1997. They made a final Goodbye concert in December.

The members made different solo projects. In 1998 a tragedy happened, hide commited suicide for unknown reasons. The fans were shocked. Yoshiki draw back from public.

In 2000 he started a comeback with his project Violet UK...

If you need more infos about him and the band "X-Japan" (former bandname "X"), feel free to contact me or visit an informative forum which is in English language:

http://www.xjapan.de/main.htm

Hayashi Yoshiki ... you will put him on your list of favourites


Marcos

I will look into this. Looks very interesting.

Other good Asian acts I'm into are :

The all-female heavy rockers Angel'In Heavy Syrup



... and the very spaced-out Acid Mothers Temple


Mark Schlipper

Quote from: Marcos on June 03, 2005, 09:44 AMAcid Mothers Temple

Makoto Kawabata is amazing.  His album with Richard Youngs is one of my all time favorites.   Check out his other band Musica Transonic sometime, the drummer (Tatsuya Yoshida, who's also in The Ruins and many MANY other projects), is outstanding as well.  


jokerjkny


4CV

Quote from: 4CV on June 03, 2005, 02:41 AM
I wonder that nobody of you mentioned one of the most best drummer of all times: Hayashi Yoshiki  (Japan)

I'm still wondering that nobody of you "experts" jumps into this thread.

Yoshiki is/was definitively one of the world's most best drummer and cannot be missed here.

Is it, why he's originally from Japan? .. or because X-Japan disbanded some years ago?  

If you need more infos about him and the band "X-Japan" (former bandname "X"), read my introduction to the band,  feel free to contact me or visit an informative forum which is in English language:

http://www.xjapan.de/main.htm

I highly recommend to buy a DVD - you would be surprised indeed.

drummer1202

Quote from: 4CV on August 24, 2005, 04:09 AM
I'm still wondering that nobody of you "experts" jumps into this thread.

Unfortunatly, I don't think I qualify as one of the 'experts' to whom you speak, but I will have a go at this.  

The majority of drummers you hear people talk about on this forum are famous. For one reason or another. Maybe they were/are in a world renown band (Neil Peart), maybe they are self promotion machines (Thomas Lang), maybe they are known as an originator and innovator to the art of drumming (Buddy Rich).  And of course the common denomenator is that they are some of the BEST that ever lived.  (Which is a funny thing to say, considering the drumset as an instrument has only been around for ~ 100? years? Less?  Imagine where we will take it in the next century!  But that's for another topic! ;))

I'm not knocking any of the above, mind you.  It may sound that way.  I do not, for instance, think that Neil Peart's existance is solely to provide beat & tempo to Geddy & Alex.  But,  how many people do you know that are not Rush fans or drummers that read Ghost Rider?  Thomas Lang has never done anything 'IMO' that is groundbreaking musically or very intriguing.  He's just really good- REALLY REALLY REALLY GOOOODDD technically.  And he's found a way to make sure the world took notice.  I personally love all the 3 that I mentioned , they all have their place in drumming history.

My favorite drummers have never been mentioned on this forum - and no doubt never will be.  Unless it's by me, that is.  

If people are not exposed to the music, they will not, of course gain the oppurtunity to enjoy and appreciate it.  I don't think the fact of homeland has anything to do with it.  Exposure is the issue at hand.  Well...exposure and taste.

Some people think if you are not playing constant double bass rhythms or constant chops, it is because you can't & you are a no talent hack.  Some people think if you are playing that stuff it is because you are trying to cover up for the fact that you don't know how to really groove.  All about taste.

I dont think it's because X-Japan disbanded either.  Buddy Rich not only stopped playing - he died.  And his name comes up quite frequently on the forum. ;)


So save your anger for the record company.  And MTV.  And the radio stations.  And whoever is marketing their DVD's outside of Japan.

To end this post I would say that I've never heard of Hayashi Yoshiki, but you make a compelling arguement.  Is there a place where I could download a short clip or 2 before I decide to purchase something that I may not like?

You never know, I might become his biggest fan!

Oh wait - Second biggest!!!! ;D

Tripsleft

I agree - hit us with a clip or two. There are none on the website.

I did notice that he likes to dress like a girl.....not that there's anything wrong with that :)

4CV

Hello

:o a reply - whoww, thank you so much

" .. The majority of drummers you hear people talk about on this forum are famous. For one reason or another .."

yes, but  ::) Yoshiki is famous as well but musicians from Japan have it much more difficult to get acceptance and/or to attrackt people from outside Japan.

" .. My favorite drummers have never been mentioned on this forum - and no doubt never will be.  Unless it's by me, that is .. "

That's why I feel to push Yoshiki into this forum and website

" ..  And whoever is marketing their DVD's outside of Japan .. "

Well there are a huge number of shops in the USA, GB, GER etc which are specialized in selling J-Pop, J-Rock and Visual Kei.

Please email me privately to get some links

Also, there is a big webshop called eb** where you find CDs and DVDs of X-Japan, and .. as a newbie ... a low prized lincensed Taiwan press is fine

" .. Is there a place where I could download a short clip or 2 before I decide to purchase something that I may not like? .. "

well, I'm not a computer or MP3 expert but go to this site:

(attention: it possibly needs a minute before the site opens)
http://whitecondor.321.cn/

Then click on:
- music online
- the blue button saying: you can request me to listen ...

Then you find a list with several Japanese musicians, click (for example) on X-Japan N° 27, 36, 38

Unfortunately the quality of Yoshikis drumming don't come out enough but I highly recommend you to buy the DCD:
Dahlia or X Japan Best of Fan's Selection

If you're NOT fully satisfied (and I would trust on you), I send you some US $ or EURO as a refund.

Is that not a great offer?




Rusty Beckett

It is a matter in musical tastes on who people will think one of the best drummers are.  Personally I enjoy music that is a little less frantic.

I listened to some of the tunes on the web site listed by 4CV - #28 - X (live) - the speed of the tune wasn't constant, it seemed to me it kept speeding up.   He is one busy drummer though - strong double bass stuff . . .  I did like the sound the bass player got out of his instrument.

drummer1202

Okay I listened to the tracks you suggested.  I'm not too impressed, but I wouldn't be disheartened just yet.

The first track was very ballad-y (I should mention - not my thing).

The second track is more my speed.  A little bit on the generic tip.  Reminds me of some of the soundtracks used in Italian horror films of one Dario Argento.  That's not an insult BTW, I own some of those soundtracks.  Couple of interesting points during the song.

The third track again I found too ballad-y for my tastes.

Then I went in search of something maybe minus the love theme.  Played the track RUSTY NAIL. Of course there was still the love theme... oh well.  That was pretty good.  A nice breakdown followed by some pretty cool drumming in there.

So, If you could pick one album that could show me the best of them, probably to the harder edge of their catalog, you might get a taker.


P.S. Don't take that word generic as an insult please.  I don't mean bad.  There are alot of things that I listen to that I consider 'generic'.  And some of this stuff is a little dated,  which always makes it seem more generic.  I'm really trying to give you honest feedback here.  You seemed a little upset in your earlier post!  The first 2 - I mean.