Malice Mizer Story
Introduction
So who's MALICE MIZER? Just about the wierdest, up-and-coming super-visual j-rock group to hit Japan. Their name stands for "malicious misery", which Mana (guitar & synth) and Gackt (vocal) both define as "human nature." Their music encompasses a wide range of different sounds, from gothic (or vampire music), classical (Baroque style), and pop, to French café, circus, and techno music. A good friend of mine actually coined the term "Visual Pop" to describe MALICE MIZER's music as a whole, and now I'm inclined to think that the term suits this band rather nicely.
Starting Out
MALICE MIZER (pronounced "marisu miseru") was formed in August 1992 by co-founders Mana (guitar & synth) and Közi (guitar & synth). Mana and Közi first came across each other in Tokyo. When Közi was asked to be a supporting member for an existing band, he also recommended Mana, and both of them eventually became supporting members, providing the band with their own pieces. When that band broke up after half a year, Mana and Közi decided to make their own band which would have a solid concept and which would never imitate foreign artists.
"What is human?"
Then the concept of evil (malice) and tragedy (misery) was born. Mana defines "MALICE MIZER" as "human nature", so the meaning of the band's name is probably the answer to MALICE MIZER's question "What is human?" (which is the foundation of the band's concept). As Közi says, "We have been seeking something which lurks deep inside the human mind." Since Mana formed the band, he was a heavy influence at the start for the type of music MALICE MIZER would play. It started with the fact that he decided his direction in music was not masculine, (like punk, heavy metal), plus he also happened to be listening only to classical music at the time. He was also influenced by the background music of Italian horror movies, and he realised he wanted to play that kind of music because it has slight feelings of heavy metal but has a melody of pathos (like classical music), so it was rather dull and heavy at the same time. He decided he would make a group which played that kind of music.
Recruiting the members
Mana attended the last concert of Yu~ki's former band and asked him to play bass for MALICE MIZER. When original drummer Gaz left (for Kneuklid Romance) in early '93, MALICE MIZER made support drummer Kami (originally from Kneuklid Romance) an official member. Then Tetsu, the former vocalist of MALICE MIZER, left the band in 1994. When asked to explain why, Yu~ki says: "Because (the band's) musical orientation was different. We used to dance and act short plays on the stage even in those days but (Tetsu) didn't like that." (Tetsu is now with a band called Zigzo). It took almost a year for the band to find a new vocalist, (Gackt). The band held a lot of auditions, searching for a vocalist who could share their values, "even if he cannot play a musical instrument." Says Yu~ki, "It took such a long time to get a vocalist that the other members asked me to sing!" Eventually, an acquaintance introduced Gackt to the band. "After getting his photo and demo-tape," says Yu~ki, "Mana and Közi went to see him first. They went to Karaoke with Gackt to check him out." (Actually, it was Kami who went with Mana and Gackt to Karaoke. And Gackt insists that the Karaoke thing was not an audition at all. "It was more like a party," he says.) Yu~ki's first impression of Gackt: "Közi said that Gackt has a really good voice and personality but he is a little bit eccentric, even the way he speaks over the phone(?). But I got used to him right after meeting him. I am rather shy but Gackt's approach was not like a new vocalist but like one of the member who creates MALICE MIZER. It was the same as ours. And since he had his own musical knowledge and theories, he inspired us a lot." Gackt joined the band in October '95. With a new-found vocalist, MALICE MIZER were reincarnated and they were able to enjoy a successful run as an Indies band.
In Future
In 1997, the band became big enough to move from their independent record label Midi:Nette to major record label Nippon Columbia. So far, they've been commercially successful, (Au Revoir, their biggest hit, peaked at No. 2 in the charts for a while, and first major album, Merveilles, debuted at No. 2 in the Oricon CD album chart). Admittedly, the group's success relies not so much in their sound as in their looks, (the band is rarely seen without heavy make-up and/or beautiful costumes, both definite attention-grabbers in the j-rock world). This is not to say that their music is all that bad. It's just different, and may need some getting used to (whether or not you're a loyal fan of the band). (Don't get me wrong... They do have their share of catchy tunes, like "Au Revoir" and "Brise"). Let's just say that if you're into heavy guitar riffs and fancy plucking, then this band's not for you. On the other hand, if you're open-minded and willing to dish new things out, then I think Malice Mizer is definitely worth a try.