"L'Arc~enCiel's alluring front man HYDE is no ordinary pretty-boy vocalist. HYDE's musical style ranges from his lullaby-like album Roentgen to his alt-rock guitar-driven album 666. His voice is reminiscent of Jimmy Gnecco of Ours, but perhaps with more depth and range- a voice worthy of envy amoung rock-ballad crooners."
Shojo Beat: You are a well-known member of the band L'Arc~en~Ciel. What made you decide to pursue a solo career?
HYDE: In a band, all the members work together to complete the songs, and by working together, they make the songs change form. I believe that's what band magic is. But after doing that for a while, I wanted to make music from my own world perspective. It took a while for it to come to fruitition after I started thinking that way, though.
SB: Your new album is titled FAITH. How did you come up with that title?
H:When I put the ten songs together for this album, I thought the best way to summarize them was with the word faith. There are a lot of religious expressions in this album, so I thought the word that represented those things should be chosen.
SB: So faith is teh message you want to convey with your album?
H: No, you have to look at each song individually. Faith can be understood in so many ways, and that alone will not lead you to the core of the songs. You actually have to listen to each of the songs to understand.
SB: How is FAITH different from your previous solo album, such as Roentgen and 666?
H: The atmosphere, the pleasure of performing heavy songs, the enjoyment of a slow song, the feeling of missing an emotion such as passion, sweat, and so on- I put all the things I felt during my last solo tour, 666, and all the things that were missing then, into making this new album. For the new album, I incorportated what kind of performance I wanted to give this time around.
SB: Your group L'Arc~en~Ciel has performed inthe United States, China, and Korea. How has your international recognition affected your work with L'Arc? How about as a solo performer?
H: When our music reached out to foreign audiences, it was a big deal for me to have the music transcend borders... to have people from different countries learning our Japanese songs and singing along with us. I felt as if we became one through music overseas. I saved up each of those emotions within me. I don't actually know how that has affected my new album, but I'm certain it had an effect.
SB: What made you decide to perform concerts in California this summer?
H: I think it's because I'm confident about the sound I create. I really feel that Americans will connect with my hard-rock sound... So if there is a chance and a place for me to perform, I'll gladly be there.
SB: Will your performances in the States vary from those you've done in other countries? If so, how?
H: Well, I have the Japan tour prior to that, so I'm going to try things out there first and bring the best of it to U.S. fans.
SB: You have released many songs with English lyrics; did you originally intend your songs to reach listeners who can't speak Japanese?
H: I usually listen to English songs, so naturally, I thought about writing songs that you can listen to alongside other English songs. It would be ideal to have you listen to my song on your iPod, along with the kind of music that you usually listen to, and have it feel completely natural. In parts where Japanese would flow better, though, I prefer to use Japanese. But overall, English just sounds good to me, so I write in English, with a flow that comes naturally.
SB: Do you read any books or manga?
H: I like the Harry Potter series, and I like Nana, Death Note, and manga like that.
SB: Is there anything else you'd like to share with your American fans?
H: For the first time, I recorded in L.A. and created a sound I really like. I can't wait to do that album live in the United States. Please come enjoy the show.
Credits: Shojo Beat, JPM, Rinoa Heartilly.
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Music: DOLLY
