Közi


Közi is a Japanese musician, singer-songwriter and DJ. He is best known as one of the guitarists for the 1990s visual kei rock band Malice Mizer. After they went on indefinite hiatus in 2001, he formed the industrial rock duo Eve of Destiny and also started a solo career. Közi is currently in the bands Dalle, XA-VAT, ZIZ and Vamquet, while occasionally performing solo shows.
During his time in Malice Mizer, Közi often assumed the role of a pierrot doll, dressing in clown-like costumes with large ruffs, always in shades of red, his favorite color. In music videos and on-stage he would often make movements reminiscent of a marionette. Közi has continued this visual style to some extent, but his contemporary stage costumes are more gothic. His work on the Izayoi no Tsuki project was reminiscent of carnival music, and artwork for his projects usually follow a dramatic, theatrical theme. Very few details about his private life are known.

Biography

Early life

Közi first learned to play bass guitar because everyone else wanted to play guitar. But after seeing guitarist Seiji Watanabe play songs by Los Angeles heavy metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Ratt, he began dabbling in guitar and wanted to form his own band. He performed bass, and occasionally vocals due to revolving lineups, in many cover bands around his hometown in Niigata. He started playing guitar when he moved to Tokyo at eighteen years of age.

Career

Közi's career began in the mid 1980s in the underground band Girl and, later, as a member of Beyond The Reinsight. Information about both of these bands, however, is very scarce. In 1991, he joined Matenrou with Mana and released two demo tapes. Közi and Mana left Matenrou after deciding they both had similar ideas about creating music, they formed Malice Mizer in 1992. After Malice Mizer disbanded in 2001, Közi joined Haruhiko Ash and created Eve of Destiny, an industrial rock band that toured outside Japan several times.
In 2002, Közi collaborated with Japanese author Minako, to provide the soundtrack, Izayoi no Tsuki, for her book of the same name. He then performed a special singing event, which cemented the fact that he was following a solo career. Közi's first solo release was the two-disc, double-single package, "Khaos/Kinema", released on November 1, 2003. On March 11, 2004, he released his debut album, Catharsis. Közi's second single, "Memento", was released on December 1, 2004. The song is dedicated to deceased Malice Mizer drummer Kami and was written by Malice Mizer bassist Yu~ki. On May 17, 2006, Közi released his second album, Loki N' Roll.
Former Deadman frontman Mako released a photo book called Buried Alive by Words on May 29, 2008, which came with a CD of a song called "Buried with the Light" that features Közi on guitar and bass. On September 22, 2008, Közi joined the punk rock band Dalle, which consisted of Satoshi on vocals, Atsushi Hatta on bass, Fuchi on drums and of course Közi on guitar. The band played its first live on October 18 at Shinjuku Marz during the Tokyo Dark Castle ~ Halloween Special event, which also featured Auto-Mod and Aural Vampire. However, due to a five year hiatus and member changes, they did not have their first release until 2015. The group now consists of Közi, Atsushi, vocalist Ryo and Rieu on keyboards. Following numerous singles, Dalle released their first album, Ambivalence to Violenta, at the end of 2017.
On December 27, 2008, Közi played on stage with, his former Malice Mizer bandmate Mana's solo project, Moi dix Mois for a session gig at their Dis Inferno Vol.VI ~Last Year Party~ event. In 2009 he went on a short coupling tour with Moi dix Mois called Deep Sanctuary, on July 17 in Osaka and the 19th in Tokyo. A year later in July 2010, Közi went on another tour with Moi dix Mois, titled Deep Sanctuary II. This tour had six shows, but the gig at Akasaka Blitz on the 17th was special, as Malice Mizer bassist Yu~ki, was a special guest. This was the first time in nine years that the three remaining original members played together. The trio have performed together at the event several times since.
Around June 2010, Közi started to perform with a band called My Horror Revue. He also formed the band XA-VAT, with Shuji Ishii on vocals, Takao Koma on drums, Sadie Pink Galaxy on rhythm guitar and Közi on lead guitar. They held their first performance on November 16, 2010 and released their first self-titled single on December 2. They released their debut album Tsuya°C on March 26, 2011 in two limited editions, one with a live DVD, the other with a remix CD, and a regular edition. Following a hiatus that began in 2013, XA-VAT resumed activities in 2018 and released the mini-album K-I-S.
Közi performed in Paris at Porte de Versailles on April 9 and 10, 2011, with guest Miyu from Royal Cabaret. He planned to go to Moscow with The Candy Spooky Theater and Velvet Eden for a Halloween concert, however, it was moved and took place in Japan. In 2012 he formed the band ZIZ, composed of his backing band from his solo career; with himself as vocalist and guitarist, bassist Sugiya, guitarist Jiro, keyboardist Yugami and drummer Chargeeeeee.... Their first album, Gift, was released on May 29 and a collaborative EP with Ken Morioka followed on December 28. ZIZ released their second album, Neighboring Chaosmos, on December 12, 2014.
In 2016, he formed the trio Vamquet with Sadie Pink Galaxy and Kai. They released their first album on November 23.

Discography

Albums
Singles
DVD
With Malice Mizer
With Eve of Destiny
With XA-VAT
With ZIZ
With Dalle
With Vamquet