Tetsu Takano
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese musician, probably best known as the first vocalist of the visual kei
band Malice Mizer
. After leaving Malice Mizer, he joined Mega8Ball from 1995 to 1997. He then started the band Zigzo
with other formerly popular musicians, they were active from 1999 to 2002. Tetsu is currently working on his band Nil, which was originally formed in 1998 but went on hiatus until restarting in 2002, his solo career which he began in 2006, and the newly formed band The JuneJulyAugust.
In August 1992, Tetsu became vocalist of Malice Mizer
alongside Mana
, Közi
, Yu~ki and Gaz. For the next two years they would perform live, release several demos, and have a song on an omnibus, shortly after which Gaz left and was replaced by Kami
, before they were finally able to release their first full length album, Memoire
, in July 1994. Later that year the album would be released again as Memoire DX with the bonus track "Baroque," but at that point Tetsu had decided to leave the group. While the exact reason for his departure is not known, his parting words at his last show with them, on December 27, 1994, hinted at musical differences, which can arguably be verified by the sound of Tetsu's later musical endeavors. While only eight Malice Mizer songs with Tetsu were recorded and released officially, nearly 10 more were written and performed by the band during that two year period; these appear on a large number of bootlegs. Two of the songs, "Ma Cherie" and "Shi no Butou," would later be released by Malice Mizer with new vocalist Gackt
; these songs feature Tetsu's original lyrics, suggesting an amicable split from the band.
on bass and Yasu also on guitar and vocals. They performed only a few cover songs and the original composition, "Ima wa...". Around fall of 1995, Tetsu would team up with Yasu again to form Mega8Ball with Rikiji
on bass and Nori on drums. Yasu left by the year's end and Rikiji had his friend Yoshiyuki replace him. Mega8Ball started touring again in 1996 and throughout 1997 until the release of their first album Hybrid. The band later disbanded and had its last live on December 29, 1997; Rikiji immediately joined Oblivion Dust
. They released one demo tape, one album, and participated in an omnibus with Tetsu as lead vocalist. The band would later reunite without Tetsu in 2001. Rikiji has since become the only original member to stay in Mega8Ball and Tetsu has fondly referenced the band in online diary entries over the years.
Tetsu had grown tired of being in a band and not having control, so he decided to start his own solo unit. He recruited Kashimoto and Moro, friends from his Ner-vous days, as support members and entered the studio, eventually creating 20 songs. They became known as Nil in January 1998 debuting in his hometown of Tokyo. Nil's sound is self-described as "rock with punk, grunge, and funk mixed in". They toured and performed until November, when Kashimoto announced that he wanted to leave the band to pursue a traditional career. Tetsu and Moro continued on for several more lives, but eventually called it quits before the year's end. Moro would go on to start the band Mugiwara Boushi, performing as both drummer and vocalist.
) and Sakura (ex:L'Arc-en-Ciel) started a session band that evolved into a full-fledged group when Tetsu joined in the summer of 1998. In February 1999, they debuted live under the secret band name Malice en Sex, a play-on words from their former band's names being Malice Mizer, L'Arc-en-Ciel, and By-Sexual. The name Zigzo
, which is a streamlined romanization of the Japanese katakana spelling of "jigsaw," was soon officially decided upon. That summer they started touring, recording, and releasing at a feverish pace. Tetsu was the primary songwriter and lyricist of the group and only a few of the other songs were written by the group as a whole. They released eight singles, two albums, and several videos within the next two years and grew to have considerable success as a group. Zigzo announced their breakup and the band's final single "Chelsea" addressed some of the concerns by the band and of the fans. The band would have "The Last Scene", its series of final shows, in March 2002.
While the exact reason of Zigzo's disbandment is not known, it is likely a decision on Tetsu's part that caused the end of the band, possibly out of his desire to create music outside the restrictions of the major music scene. In January 2002, before Zigzo even finished touring, Tetsu decided to restart Nil and got in contact with Kashimoto, who rejoined the band as well; the first song they composed was "Mona Lisa." Moro, who had grown tired of his band Mugiwara Boushi and moved to Jamaica, was not initially interested in rejoining, so Tetsu and Kashimoto held auditions for a new drummer and finally settled on female drummer Kaori Kobayashi. However, she didn't get a chance to play with the band, as Moro reconsidered and moved back to Japan in June 2002. He was welcomed back into the band and by the end of the month they had recorded their first mini album Nil from Hell. They then started touring right away and eventually recorded their second mini album Sayonara da Vinci by the end of the summer. Both mini albums were released back to back, the first in September and the second in December, and are meant to be complimentary albums. While certain similarities in lyrical content and musical style exist between Zigzo and Nil, themes such as Humanity, Love, Peace, War, Life, and Death have a much greater roll in the latter. Around this time, Tetsu formed his own record label, Afro Skull Records, which naturally Nil was signed to.
Drummer Sota "Furuton" Oofuruton (ex:Oblivion Dust
and support drummer of Mega8Ball) and Kobayashi Masaru (ex:Soy Sauce Sonic, ex:Sads
, The Cro-Magnons
) joined the group and toured for the abbreviated "Excalibur Tour." Two mini albums, Scherzo and Agape, were recorded and released right after the tour. Unfortunately, Furuton would disappear soon after the recording sessions, recommitting to his tour with Hyde from L'Arc-en-Ciel. Tetsu enlisted the support of Kazama Hiroyuki (ex:Fantastic Designs) who would eventually become a permanent member of Nil.
And so, the fourth stage of Nil had begun and the forming of a permanent lineup allowed the band more time to play together, try out new songs live, and record together at a somewhat slower pace. An extended "Agape Tour" started and ended by midsummer of 2006 and recording for their next release happened in between the days off during the tour. Tetsu, ever ambitious, also decided to record on his own as a solo artist in May and August 2006 he released The Ball and Wall, featuring acoustic takes of many ballad and mid-tempo Nil songs and their two unreleased tracks "Beautiful You" and "Hotel."
Visual Kei
is a movement among Japanese musicians, that is characterized by the use of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Some sources state that visual kei refers to a music genre, or to a sub-genre of Japanese rock, with its...
band Malice Mizer
Malice Mizer
Malice Mizer was a visual kei rock band from Japan. They were active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by Mana and Közi, the band's name stands for "malice and misery", extracted from "nothing but a being of malice and misery" — their reply to the question "what is human?"...
. After leaving Malice Mizer, he joined Mega8Ball from 1995 to 1997. He then started the band Zigzo
Zigzo
Zigzo is a Japanese rock supergroup that originally started activities in 1999 and disbanded in 2002. Each member came from a prominent band and they became very popular in the indies scene...
with other formerly popular musicians, they were active from 1999 to 2002. Tetsu is currently working on his band Nil, which was originally formed in 1998 but went on hiatus until restarting in 2002, his solo career which he began in 2006, and the newly formed band The JuneJulyAugust.
1991–1994: Ner-vous and Malice Mizer
Tetsu Takano first burst onto the scene as a vocalist sometime in 1991 at the age of 18 as vocalist for the band Ner-vous. In January 1992, Ner-vous' drummer left the band and Kiyoshi Moro replaced him; however, he only had the chance to play with the band for two lives before they disbanded. In March 1992, Tetsu went to see Kiyoshii play in his new band which included bassist Hiroyuki "Marawo" Kashimoto. Tetsu, Kashimoto, and Moro became good friends for years to come.In August 1992, Tetsu became vocalist of Malice Mizer
Malice Mizer
Malice Mizer was a visual kei rock band from Japan. They were active from August 1992 to December 2001. Formed by Mana and Közi, the band's name stands for "malice and misery", extracted from "nothing but a being of malice and misery" — their reply to the question "what is human?"...
alongside Mana
Mana (musician)
Mana is a Japanese musician and fashion designer, best known for his role as leader and guitarist of the visual kei band Malice Mizer. His clothing label, Moi-même-Moitié, helped popularize Japan's Gothic Lolita fashion movement. Mana is currently working on his solo project Moi dix...
, Közi
Közi
Közi is a Japanese musician who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. Közi is best known as guitarist for the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, he joined the industrial rock act Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career...
, Yu~ki and Gaz. For the next two years they would perform live, release several demos, and have a song on an omnibus, shortly after which Gaz left and was replaced by Kami
Kami (musician)
, better known by his stage name Kami, was a Japanese musician best known as drummer for the rock band Malice Mizer. He died on June 21, 1999 in his sleep of a subarachnoid hemorrhage at the age of 26.- Early life :...
, before they were finally able to release their first full length album, Memoire
Memoire
-Personnel:* Tetsu – vocals, classic guitar on track 4* Mana – synth guitar, synth keyboard on track 1* Közi – synth guitar, synth keyboard on track 6* Yu~ki – bass* Kami – drums, percussion...
, in July 1994. Later that year the album would be released again as Memoire DX with the bonus track "Baroque," but at that point Tetsu had decided to leave the group. While the exact reason for his departure is not known, his parting words at his last show with them, on December 27, 1994, hinted at musical differences, which can arguably be verified by the sound of Tetsu's later musical endeavors. While only eight Malice Mizer songs with Tetsu were recorded and released officially, nearly 10 more were written and performed by the band during that two year period; these appear on a large number of bootlegs. Two of the songs, "Ma Cherie" and "Shi no Butou," would later be released by Malice Mizer with new vocalist Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
; these songs feature Tetsu's original lyrics, suggesting an amicable split from the band.
1995-1998: Mega8Ball and Nil
Sometime in late 1994 or early 1995, Tetsu was part of the session band Forme'd Eros, providing vocals and guitar alongside KöziKözi
Közi is a Japanese musician who plays guitar, piano, keyboard and synthesizer. Közi is best known as guitarist for the visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After the band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2001, he joined the industrial rock act Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career...
on bass and Yasu also on guitar and vocals. They performed only a few cover songs and the original composition, "Ima wa...". Around fall of 1995, Tetsu would team up with Yasu again to form Mega8Ball with Rikiji
RIKIJI
is a Japanese musician and bassist. He is known for his work with Oblivion Dust and Mega8Ball.His musical career started as the bassist of Three Eyes Jack from 1993 to 1995, under the nickname "ChaChaMaru" . In fall 1995 Rikiji formed Mega8Ball with vocalist/guitarist Tetsu Takano...
on bass and Nori on drums. Yasu left by the year's end and Rikiji had his friend Yoshiyuki replace him. Mega8Ball started touring again in 1996 and throughout 1997 until the release of their first album Hybrid. The band later disbanded and had its last live on December 29, 1997; Rikiji immediately joined Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust is a Japanese post-grunge/alternative rock band very influenced by early 90’s American rock bands, but with a trademark sonority that makes the band unique...
. They released one demo tape, one album, and participated in an omnibus with Tetsu as lead vocalist. The band would later reunite without Tetsu in 2001. Rikiji has since become the only original member to stay in Mega8Ball and Tetsu has fondly referenced the band in online diary entries over the years.
Tetsu had grown tired of being in a band and not having control, so he decided to start his own solo unit. He recruited Kashimoto and Moro, friends from his Ner-vous days, as support members and entered the studio, eventually creating 20 songs. They became known as Nil in January 1998 debuting in his hometown of Tokyo. Nil's sound is self-described as "rock with punk, grunge, and funk mixed in". They toured and performed until November, when Kashimoto announced that he wanted to leave the band to pursue a traditional career. Tetsu and Moro continued on for several more lives, but eventually called it quits before the year's end. Moro would go on to start the band Mugiwara Boushi, performing as both drummer and vocalist.
1998-2002: Zigzo and Nil restart
In early 1998, recently bandless musicians Ryo and Den (both ex:By-SexualBy-Sexual
By-Sexual was a Japanese visual kei punk band from Osaka. They were active from 1988 to 1995, when vocalist Sho left the band and they went on hiatus. In August 1996, the remaining members restarted the group under the name By-Sex with Ryo changing to vocals and guitar...
) and Sakura (ex:L'Arc-en-Ciel) started a session band that evolved into a full-fledged group when Tetsu joined in the summer of 1998. In February 1999, they debuted live under the secret band name Malice en Sex, a play-on words from their former band's names being Malice Mizer, L'Arc-en-Ciel, and By-Sexual. The name Zigzo
Zigzo
Zigzo is a Japanese rock supergroup that originally started activities in 1999 and disbanded in 2002. Each member came from a prominent band and they became very popular in the indies scene...
, which is a streamlined romanization of the Japanese katakana spelling of "jigsaw," was soon officially decided upon. That summer they started touring, recording, and releasing at a feverish pace. Tetsu was the primary songwriter and lyricist of the group and only a few of the other songs were written by the group as a whole. They released eight singles, two albums, and several videos within the next two years and grew to have considerable success as a group. Zigzo announced their breakup and the band's final single "Chelsea" addressed some of the concerns by the band and of the fans. The band would have "The Last Scene", its series of final shows, in March 2002.
While the exact reason of Zigzo's disbandment is not known, it is likely a decision on Tetsu's part that caused the end of the band, possibly out of his desire to create music outside the restrictions of the major music scene. In January 2002, before Zigzo even finished touring, Tetsu decided to restart Nil and got in contact with Kashimoto, who rejoined the band as well; the first song they composed was "Mona Lisa." Moro, who had grown tired of his band Mugiwara Boushi and moved to Jamaica, was not initially interested in rejoining, so Tetsu and Kashimoto held auditions for a new drummer and finally settled on female drummer Kaori Kobayashi. However, she didn't get a chance to play with the band, as Moro reconsidered and moved back to Japan in June 2002. He was welcomed back into the band and by the end of the month they had recorded their first mini album Nil from Hell. They then started touring right away and eventually recorded their second mini album Sayonara da Vinci by the end of the summer. Both mini albums were released back to back, the first in September and the second in December, and are meant to be complimentary albums. While certain similarities in lyrical content and musical style exist between Zigzo and Nil, themes such as Humanity, Love, Peace, War, Life, and Death have a much greater roll in the latter. Around this time, Tetsu formed his own record label, Afro Skull Records, which naturally Nil was signed to.
2003-2010: Nil's first album and lineup changes
Nil would perform throughout 2003 writing new songs and only releasing one 4-track EP, Down to Dawn. In May 2004, Nil released their debut full length album 12 Inplosion. Several more releases came out in a rather quick pace throughout the remainder of the year; Tetsu even wanted to start recording the second album mere months after the first album was released, but was talked into doing the cover album The Covering Inferno instead. In any case, the band had starting recording again in October 2004 for their second album. The constant recording and performing seemed to have fatigued Kashimoto and Moro to the point where they both decided to leave Nil at the end of the "Covering Inferno Tour" on January 10, 2005. While the reason for their departure is not known for sure, Tetsu and Nil recorded, released, and toured quite a lot compared to many other indie bands and it is possible that such a constant hectic schedule was too much for Kashimoto and Moro. Another possibility was the direction of the second album which was more pop than previously before. Whatever the reason may have been, Tetsu's ambitions for the band took a deep blow and Nil's second album Excalibur was completed during the turmoil and aftermath of their departure. The situation seemed frail and he openly reaffirmed his ambitions and Nil's fans repeatedly through his diary and fan-club messages that he would continue on. At one point he stated that his life work is Nil and that he would never stop the band. Moro and Kashimoto would later go on to perform together in bands such as Gold77, The High Streets, and Toguar and the Creeplands. In July 2006, Moro restarted Mugiwara Boushi under the name Mugi.Drummer Sota "Furuton" Oofuruton (ex:Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust
Oblivion Dust is a Japanese post-grunge/alternative rock band very influenced by early 90’s American rock bands, but with a trademark sonority that makes the band unique...
and support drummer of Mega8Ball) and Kobayashi Masaru (ex:Soy Sauce Sonic, ex:Sads
SADS (band)
Sads is a post-punk and glam rock band formed in Japan in 1999. The band made its debut with the single "Tokyo". They released nine singles and four albums before their disbandment in 2003. In 2010, Sads reformed with a more metal sound and signed to the Avex label...
, The Cro-Magnons
The Cro-Magnons
is a Japanese rock band founded in July 2006 by Hiroto Kōmoto and Masatoshi Mashima , previously of The Blue Hearts and The High-Lows, with Masaru Kobayashi and Katsuji Kirita .- History :...
) joined the group and toured for the abbreviated "Excalibur Tour." Two mini albums, Scherzo and Agape, were recorded and released right after the tour. Unfortunately, Furuton would disappear soon after the recording sessions, recommitting to his tour with Hyde from L'Arc-en-Ciel. Tetsu enlisted the support of Kazama Hiroyuki (ex:Fantastic Designs) who would eventually become a permanent member of Nil.
And so, the fourth stage of Nil had begun and the forming of a permanent lineup allowed the band more time to play together, try out new songs live, and record together at a somewhat slower pace. An extended "Agape Tour" started and ended by midsummer of 2006 and recording for their next release happened in between the days off during the tour. Tetsu, ever ambitious, also decided to record on his own as a solo artist in May and August 2006 he released The Ball and Wall, featuring acoustic takes of many ballad and mid-tempo Nil songs and their two unreleased tracks "Beautiful You" and "Hotel."