Luna Sea | Artist
Luna Sea is a Japanese rock band formed 1986 in Kanagawa Prefecture by founding members Kiyonobu Inoue aka Inoran (rhythm guitar, backing vocals) and Jun "J" Onose (bass, backing vocals). Originally called Lunacy, the duo changed their name to Luna Sea in 1989 and added new members Yūne Sugihara aka Sugizo (lead guitar, violin, backing vocals), Shinya Yamada (drums, percussion), and Ryuichi Kawamura (lead vocals) to form the five piece group that has remained unchanged to the present day. Due to the use of makeup and costumes early in their career and their widespread popularity, they are considered one of the most successful and influential bands in the visual kei movement. On May 21, the band released their first studio album Image on the MCA Victor label. The album immediately jumped to #9, spending 14 weeks on the Oricon charts. Their first tour of 25 concerts attracted an audience of more than twenty-eight thousand people each night, culminating in the Extasy Summit concert at the Nippon Budokan. With growing popularity in Japan, In 1999 Luna Sea reached overseas to neighbouring countries in Asia, embarking on their first Asian tour in January, visiting Taipei, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the band, their first live compilation album Never Sold Out was released in May, which peaked at #5 and was certified gold. They then planned an open-air concert in Tokyo, with a stage costing 10 million US dollars. On May 27, two days before the planned concert, a typhoon destroyed the elaborate set. However, at the suggestion of Sugizo, the debris was used as a backdrop. In the studio Luna Sea have been sparing with their output having only released 11 albums in 28 years. Their first five albums; Luna Sea (1991), Image (1992), Eden (1993), Mother (1994) and Style (1996) are standout releases, after which their creative output dipped somewhat. Also recommended is their 1999 live compilation Never Sold Out. Stylistically, the band's sound is firmly based in '80s hard rock with a versatile progressive approach to songwriting, with a softer side displayed later in the group's career. The members' individual music backgrounds also influenced the band's style; as children, Sugizo and Shinya mastered the violin and the traditional taiko drums respectively. Their sound has been influenced equally by England's shoegaze music culture and American "hair metal" rock, as well as by native Japanese bands such as Dead End and X Japan.
Artist Website: lunasea.jp
Featured Albums: Luna Sea
Related Artists: Inoran, Sugizo, Ryuichi Kawamura, Dead End, X Japan
