Exciting news for fans of J-Rock with the news that four legends of the genre are joining forces to create a supergroup!
On November 11th JST, Japanese rock royalty Yoshiki, Hyde, Sugizo, and Miyavi held a press conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo announcing the formation of a new band, THE LAST ROCKSTARS.
The quartet unveiled teasers of their two debut singles, “THE LAST ROCKSTARS” and “PSYCHO LOVE,” and revealed plans for their live debut in January 2023 including a string of shows in Japan before making their way to the US in February to perform concerts in New York and LA.
According to members, the idea for the supergroup project developed naturally. At the press conference, Sugizo stated that “rock stars are about to go extinct” and later added that “The most important thing is innovation and evolution. Rock is not just a genre, it is a philosophy.”
The guitarist further said that he “feels the defiant spirit of rock music needs to continue” as he noted that the members are getting older. “This may be our last chance at this challenge,” according to Sugizo “We want to put what’s left of our lives on the line to make the world rock with our music.”
Meanwhile, the band’s leader Yoshiki told reporters “we’ve come together to start this challenge for the world out of Japan.” He then went on to explain the band’s sound, saying, “our members are all each their own genre.” Hyde chimed in to express his enthusiasm for the project, “Finally, this day has come… I’m so excited.”
Introducing THE LAST ROCKSTARS
Each member of THE LAST ROCKSTARS has been a pivotal figure in the Japanese rock music industry for decades. Maintaining successful careers spanning multiple generations, they have played important roles in shaping the scene and in particular, the sub-genre “visual kei” and its subsequent movement.
Additionally, each one of them has established their own record labels and collaborated with a variety of different artists. They eventually expanded into other industries including fashion design, acting, winemaking, modeling, and more.
These four multi-talented musicians have helped push the genre of J-Rock into the mainstream, both domestically and globally.
Yoshiki
He is the composer, pianist, and drummer of J-Rock band X Japan which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The group is often cited as one of the first pioneers of the “visual kei” movement in the 1980s.
Yoshiki has been labeled a “musical innovator” by Billboard as well as “one of the most influential composers in Japanese history” by the publication Consequence Of Sound. He has collaborated with an array of artists including George Martin, Bono, Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Gene Simmons and KISS, will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, and Jennifer Hudson just to name a few.
With X Japan, Yoshiki has sold over 30 million albums and singles with performances at the Madison Square Garden and Carnegie Hall. In 1999, he composed a classical song for Japan’s Emperor Akihito at the request of the Japanese government. He also composed the theme for the 69th Golden Globe Awards in addition to anime and film soundtracks including those for “Attack on Titan” and “SAW VI.”
Hyde
Hyde is best known as the lead vocalist and main lyricist of the rock band L’Arc-en-Ciel. Selling over 40 million records, the band became the first Japanese act in history to headline Madison Square Garden to a sold-out crowd
Hyde is best known as the lead vocalist and main lyricist of the rock band L’Arc-en-Ciel. Selling over 40 million records, the band became the first Japanese act in history to headline Madison Square Garden to a sold-out crowd in 2012.
His successful solo career began in 2001 and gave rise to several number-one singles and over 60 top-ten singles. Many of his solo albums have reached the top five on Japan’s Oricon Music Charts and he has sold out Tokyo Dome sixteen times.
In 2008, Hyde formed the hard rock band Vamps with musician K.A.Z. The duo toured and collaborated with international metal bands including Apocalyptica, Motionless In White, Starset, Sixx:A.M., In This Moment, and Danzig. The pair have also worked with acclaimed music producers Kane Churko, Nicholas Furlong, Drew Folk, and Howard Benson.
Hyde and Yoshiki have previously teamed together through the years on various collaborations and performances. Most notably, the L’Arc-en-Ciel singer provided vocals on the “Attack On Titan” opening theme song “Red Swan” during the third season of the series.
Sugizo
Since 1989, musician Sugizo has been the lead guitarist and violinist of the rock band Luna Sea. They are considered one of the most successful and influential visual kei bands due to their use of make-up and costumes early on in their career.
After Luna Sea took a break from activities to focus on individual projects, the multi-instrumentalist started his own career in 1997. His first solo album Truth? crossed over into electronic music with its experimental drum ’n’ bass influences.
Eventually, Luna Sea resumed activities, and during this time that Sugizo began working with pop artists such as Miki Nakatani, Miu Sakamoto, and Vivian Hsu among others. Sugizo experiments with multiple genres, notably rock, psychedelic, and electronica, and has been involved in various bands and projects over the years.
In 2007, he joined Juno Reactor – a multi-national music and performance group known for incorporating cinematic electronic influences with installation art and film work. Sugizo became an official member of Yushiki’s band X Japan in 2009 and holds the position to this day.
Miyavi
Miyavi is the youngest member of THE LAST ROCKSTARS but a J-Rock veteran in his own right. Famously dubbed the “samurai guitarist,” he has a unique and unconventional “finger-slapping” guitar-playing style that doesn’t use a pick. Originally a member of the visual kei rock band Dué le quartz, he became the artist known as Miyavi in 2002.
He has held eight successful world tours with over 250 shows in over 30 countries and counting. His most recent thirteenth studio album Imaginary featured collaborations with K-pop star Kang Daniel, alternative indie artist Troi Irons, and New Zealand singer-songwriter Kimbra.
His talents extend beyond music as an in-demand fashion model (becoming Gucci’s first ever Japanese model in 2020) and actor who has starred in blockbuster films “Kong: Skull Island,” “Maleficent 2,” and the Angelina Jolie-directed movie “Unbroken.” Miyavi has also produced music for TV commercials including ads for Uniqlo, Nissan, Toshiba, and more.
Like the other THE LAST ROCKSTARS members who have previously worked together before on various projects, Miyavi has worked with Yoshiki and Sugizo. As a matter of fact, this isn’t the first time the three artists have been involved in a supergroup.
2007 saw the formation of S.K.I.N. consisting of Yoshiki, Sugizo, and Miyavi as well as musician and fellow visual kei artist Gackt. Despite a lot of global buzz, the band never really came to fruition, only performing a single show at LA’s Long Beach Arena.
THE LAST ROCKSTARS 2023 Debut
THE LAST ROCKSTARS’ live debut tour kicks off on January 26th at the Arirake Arena in Tokyo, Japan followed by shows at Tokyo Garden Theatre before heading to New York and LA.
Watch the special preview teaser video for their debut singles “THE LAST ROCKSTARS” and “PSYCHO LOVE” below!
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Justin is an Aussie K-pop fan who is passionate about shining a light on underrated and lesser-known groups and artists. A lover of all types of music, a dedicated tv show + soap opera fan, and a casual gamer.
MEDIA: THE LAST ROCKSTARS