D'erlanger (stylized as D'ERLANGER) is a Japanese rock band from Kyoto Prefecture, formed in 1983 by guitarist Cipher and bassist Seela. While they originally played

speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

and

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

, after recruiting drummer Tetsu and vocalist Kyo they switched to an

alternative rock Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercia ...

sound for their debut album ''

La Vie En Rose "La Vie en rose" (; ) is the signature song of popular French singer Édith Piaf, written in 1945, popularized in 1946, and released as a single in 1947. The song became very popular in the US in 1950, when seven versions reached the ''Billboard ...

'' in 1989. Although it was on an indie label, it sold out and was reissued three times that year, earning them a major label record deal with BMG Japan the following year. They released ''

Basilisk In European bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Naturalis Historia'' of Pliny the Elder, the basilisk of Cyrene is ...

'' in March 1990 and it reached the top five on the charts. However, in December the group suddenly announced their disbandment. Despite their short time in the spotlight, D'erlanger remain well-known and are considered one of the founders of

visual kei is a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of varying levels of make-up, elaborate hair styles and flamboyant costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics, similar to Western glam rock. Som ...

. They reunited in 2007 and released the album '' Lazzaro'', with a new harder sound that adds a

gothic rock Gothic rock (also called goth rock or simply goth) is a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The first post-punk bands which shifted toward dark music with gothic overtones include Siouxsie an ...

feel. They have since released six more studio albums and toured extensively, including several overseas performances.

History

Formation to disbandment: 1983–1990

D'erlanger was formed in December 1983 by Cipher and Seela on guitar and bass respectively. Vocalist Kaoru and drummer Shi-Do, from the same high school, soon joined to complete the line-up. They had their first performance in May 1984 at the Osaka Bourbon House, when Cipher was just sixteen years old. In August 1984, Kaoru left the band and was replaced by Dizzy. They released 3 demo tapes by 1985, "Tonight", "The Birth of Splendid Beast!!" and "Blue". On October 26, 1986 they participated in an event at Meguro Rokumeikan, called The New Power Metal Audition. Which was organized by Mandrake Root Records to celebrate the first anniversary of the independent label. D'erlanger won the contest and the label released their single "Girl" on February 20, 1987, it was limited to 3000 copies. They also appeared on the live omnibus album ''Hungry Days'', with the song "Like a Beast". They then distributed another demo tape for free on February 22, it contained only "Sadistic Emotion". On August 1, 1987, D'erlanger had their first one-man concert at Meguro Rokumeikan. Soon after Shi-Do decided to leave the band, he was replaced by Tetsu, who was a roadie for 44Magnum alongside Cipher, in October. Dizzy then left the band in June 1988 and Kyo, who had previously played with Tetsu in the short-lived Dead Wire and in Saver Tiger, became their new vocalist on July 1. In addition to Cipher and Tetsu's connection to 44Magnum, Kyo was also influenced by them and their lead singer Paul. Hibiya Park - various - April 13 2019 sunny day

Hibiya Park - various - April 13 2019 sunny day

After their first show with Kyo on July 22, they went on their Sadistical Punk Tour. While touring in 1989, they released their first album ''

'', with Danger Crue Records on February 10. All copies were sold out just by pre-orders, so they released another press eleven days later. The album's sound was a drastic departure from their previous material, being punk and alternative rock instead of the speed and power metal they originally had. The band then went on the short Incarnation of Eroticism Tour. The year 1990 started off with the band signing to the major label

Ariola Ariola (also known as Ariola Records, Ariola-Eurodisc and BMG Ariola) is a German record label. In the late 1980s, it was a subsidiary label of the Bertelsmann Music Group, which in turn has become a part of the international media conglomerat ...

, at the time a sub label of BMG. During their Ai to Shi to Koh-Kotsu Tour at the beginning of 1990, they released their first major single, "Darlin'" on January 25. On March 7, they released their second album ''

''. They released the single "Lullaby -1990-" before starting the Moon and the Memories Tour on September 10. The tour ended on October 31, at Koseinenkin Kaikan in Osaka. On December 24, 1990, D'erlanger shocked their fans by suddenly announcing that they had disbanded. A home video and two separate live albums entitled ''Moon and the Memories... the Eternities Last Live'' 1 and 2 were released on March 6, 1991. All of which were recorded from their penultimate concerts on October 27 and 28, 1990 at Hibiya Open-Air Concert Hall in Tokyo. On April 21, 1995, both their studio albums were remastered and re-released. In 2020, Danger Crue Records founder Masahiro Oishi said that D'erlanger broke up due to poor management.

Reunited: 2007–2012

On March 14, 2007, the greatest hits album and DVD ''Pandora'' was released. Also released that same day on Cutting Edge, a sub label of

Avex Group is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate led by founder Max Matsuura and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1988, the company manages J-pop talents like Ayumi Hamasaki and internet sensation PikoTaro. It has also shifted into other b ...

, was D'erlanger's first release of new material in 17 years, their third album '' Lazzaro''. On April 22, they played their "rejuvenation performance" entitled Bara Iro no Sekai - Rosy Eyesight at

Zepp The Zepp music halls are a group of Japanese music venues covering every area of the country. They play host to many international tours and are a popular stop among Japanese musicians. Each venue takes the Zepp name, along with the city in which ...

Tokyo, which was released on DVD on September 19. On September 22, 2007, D'erlanger held Abstinence's Door #001, which was an event where themselves,

Mucc is a Japanese visual kei rock band, formed in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1997. The classic line up of Tatsuro on vocals, Miya on guitar, Yukke on bass, and Satochi on drums was solidified in 1999 following the departure of original bassist Hiro. A ...

and Merry performed. They released the single "Zakuro" on March 19, 2008. It includes "Love Anymore", which was first composed by Cipher when he was sixteen years old and included on the "Blue" demo tape under the name "Telephon", with new lyrics by Kyo. The band released their fourth album '' The Price of Being a Rose is Loneliness'' on April 30. They then embarked on the D'erlanger Tour '08 -A Rose Insane- tour. The tour started on May 6 with the D'erlanger 25th Anniversary concert at the Nihon Budokan. Footage from this concert was released on December 10, as the ''Bara Iro no Jinsei -La Vie en Rose-'' DVD. D'erlanger held Abstinence's Door #002 on September 21, Inoran, Merry and heidi. performed. Abstinence's Door #003 was held on November 8, with the Underneath and La;Cen-zhow. performing. The following day was Abstinence's Door #004, where lynch., Sadie and the Underneath performed. 新木場周辺CIMG1362

On July 25, 2009 they played in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

, Taiwan. It was the band's first performance in a foreign country. D'erlanger performed at the V-Rock Festival '09 on October 24, the show was broadcast live worldwide on the festival's official website. They also held a gig in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...

on October 30. The band then released their fifth album, the self-titled '' D'erlanger'', on November 11, 2009. The album includes a studio version of "Easy Make, Easy Mark", a song they wrote and played back in the '80s. On September 19 and 20, 2010, Abstinence's Door #005 and Abstinence's Door #006 took place. Head Phones President, defspiral and

Girugamesh is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2003. Their name is sometimes stylized with a metal umlaut as girugämesh and is derived from the ''Final Fantasy'' character. They disbanded on July 10, 2016, although announced a new song, to celebrate lab ...

performed the first night, whereas Acid Android and Pia performed the second night. Each concert was streamed worldwide live on Ustream.tv. Abstinence's Door #007 was held three days later in Taipei, with Taiwanese band Overdose and Korean Pia performing. D'erlanger announced they would release an album entitled ''A Fabulous Thing in Rose'', on September 29, 2010. It contains eleven tracks: 8 self-cover versions of songs from their first 2 studio albums, an English version of "La Vie En Rose", plus the new tracks "Everything is Nothing" (a song they wrote and played back in the '80s) and the instrumental "Adameve". It is available in two versions. The regular edition only includes the three "best tracks": "XXX for You", "Zakuro" and "Angelic Poetry" (which were selected from the three albums released after their comeback), and the "bonus track: "Dummy Blue (English Lyrics)". Whereas the limited edition includes the same three "best tracks", the three "bonus tracks": "Dummy Blue (English Lyrics)", "La Vie En Rose" and "An Aphrodisiac (Trance Rock Remix)", a special book, a 64-page photobook, a poster and more. On December 13, it was announced on their official website that D'erlanger would be performing in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...

, Russia at the XO-Club on April 30, 2011. However, on March 29, after the

2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami The occurred at 14:46 JST (05:46 UTC) on 11 March. The magnitude 9.0–9.1 (M) undersea megathrust earthquake had an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Oshika Peninsula of the Tōhoku region, and lasted approximately six minut ...

that occurred on March 11 in Japan, the band decided to postpone the show until a new date can be announced. This would have been the band's first concert in a European country. They once again returned to Taiwan, this time for a performance at the Hohaiyan Rock Festival on July 15, 2012. D'erlanger covered "Iconoclasm" for '' Parade II -Respective Tracks of Buck-Tick-'', a tribute album to

Buck-Tick Buck-Tick (stylized as BUCK-TICK) is a Japanese rock band, formed in Fujioka, Gunma in 1983. The group has consisted of lead vocalist Atsushi Sakurai, lead guitarist Hisashi Imai, rhythm guitarist Hidehiko Hoshino, bassist Yutaka Higuchi a ...

, and participated on the album's tour Buck-Tick Fest 2012 On Parade on September 23.

Warner Music Japan: 2013–present

D'erlanger released their sixth studio album, ''#Sixx'', on May 22, 2013. It was their first release since switching record labels from Cutting Edge to

Warner Music Japan Warner Music Group's labels include the following. Flagship labels *Atlantic Records *Elektra Records * Parlophone Records *Warner Records Atlantic Records Group * 1st & 15th Entertainment * All Money In * Artist Partners Group * Asylum Re ...

. They covered hide's song " Genkai Haretsu" for ''Tribute VII -Rock Spirits-'', released in December 2013. 2014 saw a continuation of the sixth album's tour, titled #Sixx-69-. Their next album, ''Spectacular Nite -Kuruoshii Yoru ni Tsuite-'', followed on April 22, 2015. On May 2 D'erlanger began a nationwide tour in celebration of their 25th anniversary that finished on June 14 at

Akasaka Blitz was a music venue in Minato, Tokyo, which opened in April 1996, and was owned and operated by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. On September 22, 2020, the venue was permanently shut down due to COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 201 ...

. They also performed at the second day of Luna Sea's Lunatic Fest on June 28, as well as at Angelo's annual Intersection of Dogma concert on August 5. The group released ''J'aime La Vie'' on May 3, 2017, which became their highest-charting studio album since reuniting. They also began celebrating the 10th anniversary of their reunion. A tribute album to the band called ''D'erlanger Tribute Album ~Stairway to Heaven~'' was released on September 13, 2017. It contains covers of their songs by acts such as

Dir en Grey Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitarists Kaoru and D ...

, Hyde, Teru and Hisashi, and Psycho le Cému. D'erlanger then hosted and performed at Abstinence's Door #008 and #009 at EX Theater Roppongi on September 15 and 16. The first included Angelo and Dezert, the second saw lynch. and Psycho le Cému perform, while D'erlanger performed with Hyde the first night and Kiyoharu the second. The band held Abstinence's Door #010 on April 20, 2019 with Merry and Cali Gari. D'erlanger released their ninth album ''Roneve'' on May 22. It was supported by a fifteen-date nationwide tour from May to July. On September 14, 2021, D'erlanger announced the postponement of their nationwide Agito Tour, which was set to begin later in the month, so that Kyo could have a tumor on his lung removed. D'erlanger performed at the Jack in the Box 2021 event on December 27. The three instrumentalists in the band were first joined by Tatsurou (

) and Hyde on vocals for a song each, before returning to the stage later in the show with Kyo for one song. The Agito tour eventually took place between March and July 2022 and celebrated the 15th anniversary of the band's reunion. D'erlanger performed on August 27 at the So no Sekai event hosted by Arlequin. Their anniversary celebration continued with five shows at Veats Shibuya under the title Sadistical Punk 2022 between September and November.

Legacy

D'erlanger are often credited as one of the founding acts of Japan's

movement. Tomokazu Nishihiro of ''Real Sound'' wrote that by showing influence from metal, punk and early Japanese rock in their music, they affected the sound as well as the image of visual kei. Kiyoharu said that, with band's like Boøwy and

being popular at the time, D'erlanger's mix of "beat rock" with metal was "shocking." Tomoyuki Hokari of ''OK Music'' also described their music as taking aspects from beat rock like Boøwy and mixing it with metal like 44Magnum. Nishihiro stated that D'erlanger are still held up as a unique band decades later because each member is distinct and unlike any other musician. ''

Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication '' Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a on ...

'' included ''Basilisk'' on a list of 13 essential

Japanese rock , sometimes abbreviated to , is rock music from Japan. Influenced by American and British rock of the 1960s, the first rock bands in Japan performed what is called Group Sounds, with lyrics almost exclusively in English. Folk rock band Happy ...

and

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typica ...

albums, writing that its songs "engulfed a generation with a burgeoning erogenous intensity the scene has seldom seen since." Inoran was influenced by D'erlanger as a teenager and has expressed particular admiration for Cipher on several occasions. His Luna Sea bandmate Shinya described D'erlanger as exemplifying all the elements of visual kei and praised Tetsu's drumming. Hyde looks up to D'erlanger, particularly Kyo, whose style he imitates.

Dir en grey Dir En Grey (stylized as DIR EN GREY and previously as Dir en grey) is a Japanese heavy metal band formed in February 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. With a consistent lineup of guitarists Kaoru and D ...

guitarist Die developed his love of the instrument from ''La Vie En Rose'' and called Cipher his "guitar hero."

Members

The members of D'erlanger are credited exclusively by their

mononymous A mononym is a name composed of only one word. An individual who is known and addressed by a mononym is a mononymous person. In some cases, a mononym selected by an individual may have originally been from a polynym, a word which refers to one o ...

stage name A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...

s. * –

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

1983–1990, 2007–present (→Body, Craze) * – bass, backing vocals 1983–1990, 2007–present (→Fix, Vinyl, Atomic Zaza, No Stars Innovation) * –

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumstick ...

1987–1990, 2007–present (ex:Rabbit, Dead Wire, Saver Tiger, Mephistopheles,→ Zi:Kill, Body, Craze) * –

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...

1988–1990, 2007–present (ex:Runaway Boys, Dead Wire, Saver Tiger, Ba-Ra,→ Die in Cries, Bug) ;Former members * – vocals 1983–1984 * – drums 1983–1987 * – vocals 1984–1988 (→Strawberry Fields, Vinyl)

Discography

Albums

* ''

'' (February 10, 1989),

Oricon Albums Chart The Oricon Albums Chart is the Japanese music industry standard albums popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Oricon originally published LP, CT, Cartridge and CD charts prior to the establishment of the Oricon A ...

Peak Position: No. 25 * ''

'' (March 7, 1990) No. 5 * '' Lazzaro'' (March 14, 2007) No. 32 * '' The Price of Being a Rose is Loneliness'' (April 30, 2008) No. 22 * '' D'erlanger'' (November 11, 2009) No. 19 * ''#Sixx'' (May 22, 2013) No. 16 * No. 18 * ''J'aime La Vie'' (May 3, 2017) No. 14 * ''Roneve'' (May 22, 2019) No. 15 ;Live albums * ''Moon and the Memories... the Eternities Last Live 1'' (March 6, 1991) No. 5 * ''Moon and the Memories... the Eternities Last Live 2'' (March 6, 1991) No. 7 * ''#Sixx -Discordantly-'' (December 18, 2013) No. 117 * ''D'erlanger Reunion 10th Anniversary Live 2017-2018'' (September 12, 2018) No. 115 ;Other albums * ''Pandora'' (March 14, 2007, greatest hits compilation with DVD) No. 54 * ''A Fabulous Thing in Rose'' (September 29, 2010, self-cover album) No. 26 * ''D'erlanger Tribute Album ~Stairway to Heaven~'' (September 13, 2017, tribute album) No. 4

Singles

* "Girl" (February 20, 1987) * "La Vie En Rose" (January 1989) * "Darlin'" (January 25, 1990),

Oricon Singles Chart The Oricon Singles Chart is the Japanese music industry-standard singles popularity chart issued daily, weekly, monthly and yearly by Oricon. Chart rankings are based on physical singles' sales. Until 2017, Oricon did not track download sales. In ...

Peak Position: No. 9 * "Lullaby -1990-" (September 5, 1990, cassette & CD contain different B-sides) No. 12 * No. 26 ;Demos * "Tonight" (1984) * "The Birth of Splendid Beast!!" (December 26, 1985) * "Blue" (1985) * "Sadistic Emotion" (February 22, 1987)

Home videos

* ''An Aphrodisiac'' (October 15, 1989) * ''La Vie En Rose'' (October 28, 1989, given by lottery at a Hibiya Yagai Ongakudo gig) * ''Incarnation of Eroticism ~Live at Hibiya Yaon~'' (VHS: February 7, 1990, DVD: May 23, 2001) * ''Kid's Blue PYX '90 SPR'' (March 1990, sold with a magazine) * * ''Moon and the Memories... the Eternities/Last Video'' (VHS: March 31, 1991, DVD: May 23, 2001) * , Oricon DVDs Chart Peak Position: No. 16 * No. 36 * ''13e Cross Intoxication'' (March 24, 2010) No. 63 * ''Deep Inside of You'' (September 28, 2011, DVD & CD) No. 25 * ''#Sixx -Flick-'' (December 18, 2013) No. 51 * , Oricon Blu-rays Chart Peak Position: No. 19 * ''D'erlanger Reunion 10th Anniversary Live 2017-2018'' (September 12, 2018) DVD: No. 46, Blu-Ray: 25

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Derlanger Visual kei musical groups Japanese hard rock musical groups Japanese gothic rock groups Japanese alternative rock groups Japanese punk rock groups Japanese power metal musical groups Musical groups established in 1983 Musical groups disestablished in 1990 Musical groups reestablished in 2007 Musical quartets Avex Group artists Warner Music Japan artists Musical groups from Kyoto Prefecture