Oct 7

Justin’s Japan: Interview with Yoshiki of X Japan

Yoshiki of X Japan. (Nishioka)

By JQ magazine’s Justin Tedaldi (CIR Kobe-shi, 2001-02) for Examiner.com. Visit his NY Japanese Culture page here to subscribe for free alerts on newly published stories.

After 25 years of recording and 30 million discs sold, the biggest rock group in Japanese history is finally come coming to New York. X Japan, the pioneers of the elaborate “visual kei” movement, launched themselves with a glam-meets-metal look and sound that instantly set them apart from the pack. After selling out the 55,000-seat Tokyo Dome a record 18 times in its career, X Japan will take Roseland Ballroom Sunday. Band leader/drummer/pianist Yoshiki shared his thoughts with me on breaking America and recording a new album.

For your current North American tour, what are you looking forward to doing in New York and the other cities in the U.S. and Canada?
Do the best X Japan shows EVER. (Love)

Your forthcoming album is going to be almost entirely recorded in English. Since many popular musicians have experienced plummeting CD sales, what are the goals with the new record?
Quality and quantity secondary!

Who is your label in the States? How did you choose them?
We are in the middle of closing the deal. If we come to an agreement, we may be able to announce the label and distributor at the New York show.

Read the rest of the interview here. Click the button below to visit X Japan’s U.S. homepage.


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