Do you all know hide, the late Japanese guitarist?
I’m sure many of you have at least heard the name, but in fact, he’s the guitarist who inspired me to dive into the world of music.
“So what kind of person was hide?”
I honestly can’t do him full justice, but I’d like to introduce him in a way that’s easy to understand, even for those who don’t know much about him.
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What does 'hide' mean?
https://www.facebook.com/Official.hide/photos_stream
hide (HIDE), real name: Hideto Matsumoto, December 13, 1964 – May 2, 1998.
From 1987 to 1997, he performed under the name HIDE as the guitarist of X JAPAN (formerly X), and in 1989 made his major debut as a member of X with the album “BLUE BLOOD.”
From 1993, he also began solo activities under the name hide, and after X JAPAN disbanded in 1997, he started working with hide with Spread Beaver and zilch, but he passed away suddenly on May 2, 1998.
Contrary to what her flashy appearance might suggest, in elementary school she was relatively fair-skinned and quiet.
He was also overweight at the time and was made to run around the school grounds during breaks, so it seems he was full of insecurities.
hide’s elementary school teacher says this:
It appeared on TV XHideto never even dreamed he would be active as a member of JAPAN.
What changed hide’s life was encountering rock music in his second year of junior high school.
Borrowing a KISS record from a friend became the catalyst that led me to dive into the world of rock.
With flamboyant fashion and makeup, and sounds no one had ever heard before (back when Japan was in the heyday of folk music).
Even within rock, he wasn’t confined by categories; he reportedly listened to punk bands like The Clash alongside mainstream rock, so this may be where hide’s musical style first began.
When he was in his third year of junior high school, hide received from his beloved grandmother,GibsonI’m going to get a Les Paul.
The first guitar I bought was a Gibson.
Even back then and still now, it counts as a high-end guitar, so I think it’s rare to have one at just 15 years old.
After entering high school, I still couldn’t do any band activities because the school had a “no electric guitars” policy.
I want to start a band.
Motivated by those feelings, I began frequenting Dobuita Street in my hometown of Yokosuka.
And to be in the band, I successfully lost 20 kilograms in two months.
Hide says that because Dobuita Street is located near a U.S. military base, American culture and information arrived there quickly, which he found stimulating.
He formed a band called Saber Tiger with the companions he met there (the only band he was active in before joining X), began writing original songs, and started performing live.
Following in the footsteps of my grandmother, who ran a hair salon, I attended beauty school after graduating from high school, and after finishing there I spent my days working as a hairstylist while continuing my band activities.
At the time, the band Saber Tiger that hide was in became a buzzed-about act in their hometown scene, thanks to its aggressive sound and look.
However, we ran into the obstacle that, to make it a better band, we have to keep going through member changes.
I don’t want to betray the friends I’ve been working hard with anymore. I won’t be in a band anymore.
Thinking that, hide decided to disband Saber Tiger.
At that time, the person he invited to join the band as a member was YOSHIKI, the leader of X.
When I dissolved Sabre Tiger, I decided to wash my hands of all musical activities and live as a hairdresser, but in the end I joined X at YOSHIKI’s invitation.
This will be the catalyst for us to resume our band activities once again.
With their eccentric makeup and intense sound, they rapidly gained fans and went on to break various records.
In April 1988, they released their debut album, Vanishing Vision. Within a week of its release, the initial pressing of 10,000 copies—an unusually large amount for the time—sold out.
Although there was a possibility that Vanishing Vision would be released by a major label, YOSHIKI said, "We haven't left anything in the indie scene yet," and deliberately released it through Extasy Records.
While simultaneously negotiating with several major labels, a bidding war broke out among record companies over X, but ultimately they signed with CBS/Sony.
The reason X signed with CBS/Sony was that the CBS/Sony directors who handled the negotiations were extremely arrogant.
It’s said that because the members were angered by this, YOSHIKI—who could handle negotiations calmly—took charge. The fact that the terms, such as the signing bonus and contract duration, were the least favorable also sparked a rebellious determination—“We’ll definitely make it big and prove them wrong”—which became one reason they decided to sign.
And in 1989, they made their major-label debut with their second album, “BLUE BLOOD,” released by Sony.
In February 1990, they successfully completed a nationwide tour that included their first performance at the Nippon Budokan. Then, at their 1992 dome concerts, they achieved the extraordinary feat of drawing 110,000 people in just three days. By the end of the year, they appeared on the Kōhaku Uta Gassen, appealing even to those who hadn’t been interested in rock at the time and rapidly growing into a band familiar to households across the country.
Since 1993, he has also been active as a solo artist.
Diversity of expression in visuals, sound, and beyond X JAPAN.
Amid the height of their popularity and while considering an overseas expansion, X JAPAN disbanded in 1997.
At the time, hide left the following comment.
Everyone might think X JAPAN has broken up, but I don’t think they’ve disbanded at all!
So, you know, on TV, on the radio, and in various interviews, the hosts and reporters ask me all sorts of questions, right?
You know, back then... they always said, like, ‘It was hide, formerly of X JAPAN,’ right?
Because I don’t think X JAPAN really broke up.
That's why it really pisses me off!
I heard X JAPAN is taking a brief break for a while!!
So, someday, we’ll all get back together and play (do it) again!!
Member interview right after X JAPAN’s breakup (after the Kōhaku Uta Gassen)
But the shock of the disbandment announcement is immeasurable, and many fans will be saddened.
Amid all this, he went on to release ROCKET DIVE under the name hide with Spread Beaver.
This was hide’s first solo single after X JAPAN disbanded, and it carries a message from him to fans who were depressed by the shock of the breakup at the time.
Therefore, true to hide’s words that he “wanted to deliver it to the fans as soon as possible,” it was released in less than a month after X JAPAN’s final concert, THE LAST LIVE.
And under the name zilch, while pursuing activities with an eye on overseas, he suddenly passed away on May 2, 1998.
Released 11 days after his death, “Pink Spider” was hide’s first and only million-selling single.
After that, there were plans for an album release and a tour, and the activities were continued by the remaining members and various musicians.
At the predecessor festival to the midsummer rock event Summer Sonic—the Beautiful Monsters Tour—a joint performance with Marilyn Manson had also been planned.hide – Wikipedia
What's amazing about hide
http://www.hide-city.com/
Treating the guitar like a toy / an intense live performance
His early guitar playing style was heavy metal, featuring distorted guitar with rapid chugging and fast picking.
It’s full of phrases and rhythms that you can’t play without a lot of practice, so it’s easy to see that from the moment they started, they never put the guitar down and kept playing because they loved it.
I really feel at times like that that the more you play guitar, the better you get. So I think the basic routine should be: come home from school, play guitar, eat, then play guitar again.
Guitar Improvement Tips Learned from hide in the X JAPAN Era | Just Go for It and Shred
hide’s playstyle isn’t just simply good.
We’ve packed in attention to detail not only in the playing, but also in the tones created with various effects and in the recording techniques used in the studio.
It covers most of the knowledge and techniques needed to play the guitar and is like a textbook of rock.
That is brilliantly reflected in their live performances and sound design.
Diversity in music and fashion
X JAPAN’s hide, who was also active under his solo name hide, as hide with Spread Beaver, and with zilch, demonstrated through the diversity of his previously released works just how significant his contributions to music history were.
From production methods and recording techniques to a meticulous focus on Japanese lyrics, every nerve is devoted to crafting the music.
In fashion, eccentric makeup and hairstyles are presented as if they were the norm.
He says, “People probably think I’m being deliberate about it, but I’m actually not really thinking about anything when I do it.”
Perhaps many people became fans partly because of their looks as well.
The term “visual kei” is often said to originate from the catchphrase of X JAPAN’s album BLUE BLOOD: “PSYCHEDELIC VIOLENCE CRIME OF VISUAL SHOCK.”
Seiichi Hoshiko claims that it all began when he launched the magazine SHOXX, starting to use the subtitle “Visual & Hard Shock Magazine,” which he adopted from HIDE’s words.
Reference:Lemoned, which hide launched in 1996. WHAT’S LEMONeD | LEMONeD SHOP
Make it → Deliver it → Immediately make the next one
I'm overwhelmed by this extremely forward-looking spirit of challenge and sense of speed.
A kindness you wouldn't expect from their appearance
Consideration for band members and staff, as well as proactive action toward fans, is highly regarded.
People who are called artists tend to have, to a greater or lesser extent, a duality between their everyday selves and their artist selves, but in hide’s case the gap was especially pronounced.
Even after putting on makeup and getting into costume, he cracks jokes with the staff in the dressing room just like he normally does.
But the moment the spotlight hits or the camera shutters start clicking, their expression instantly transforms into that of a rock star.
Reference: Two people talk about hide: LUNA SEA’s J — “To me, he was like an older brother.”
Lastly
Honestly, I can’t possibly sum up and fully convey hide’s appeal… but
Admired by musicians regardless of whether they were juniors or seniors, the impact hide had on the music scene remains legendary to this day.
He continues to live on in the hearts of many people even now, and I am one of them.