is a Japanese

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. Some ...

rock/metal musician, best known as the guitarist and main composer for the now disbanded

D'espairsRay D'espairsRay (formerly stylized as DéspairsRay or +DéspairsRay+) was a Japanese visual kei rock band active from 1999 to 2011. The lineup of Hizumi on vocals, Karyu on guitar, Zero on bass and Tsukasa on drums remained the same, with the group ...

. He is now in Angelo, which he joined in 2011.

Biography

Early life

During middle school Karyu's father gave him an electric guitar and taught him how to play; this was the start of his interest in music. While in high school he started to search for band mates, and eventually formed the short lived Dieur Mind. They performed

Boøwy Boøwy ( ; stylized as BOØWY) was a Japanese rock band formed in Takasaki, Gunma in 1981. The classic lineup of vocalist Kyosuke Himuro, guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei, bassist Tsunematsu Matsui, and drummer Makoto Takahashi reached legendary sta ...

covers, until recording their demo tape "Message". But by then Karyu, who at the time went by the name Yoshitaka, was threatening to disband. On Dieur Mind's last tour Karyu randomly met Zero and his band at that time. After dining together they had found they shared the same goals. Later Karyu went and saw Le'Viel, Hizumi and Tsukasa's band. Karyu was so impressed by their performance that he asked Hizumi to join him, but he declined until Le'Viel had broken up. Karyu finally met Tsukasa after Hizumi suggested him for the band. Eventually, Karyu called Zero, Hizumi, and Tsukasa one day to record a demo tape; that being the birth of

Post D'espairsRay; Luv Parade and Angelo

After D'espairsRay disbanded on June 15, 2011, Karyu along with Zero and Tsukasa, participated in Luv Parade, a live session band, with

defspiral Defspiral (stylized as defspiral, and briefly existing under the name Wilma-Sidr) is a Japanese visual kei rock band composed of most of the former members of the Underneath. When the Underneath disbanded in 2010,Vidoll was a Japanese visual kei rock band formed in 2002. Their concept was "Occult Romance".www.cdjour ...

), had joined

Kirito is a Japanese rock singer and musician. He was born in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Formerly vocalist of the rock band Pierrot, he is now the vocalist of Angelo and also holds a solo career. Bands Kirito was initially involved with Pierrot (original ...

, Kohta and Takeo (all three ex:

Pierrot Pierrot ( , , ) is a stock character of pantomime and '' commedia dell'arte'', whose origins are in the late seventeenth-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne. The name is a diminutive of ''Pi ...

) in Angelo.

References

External links

Signature ESP guitar
{{Authority control Living people Industrial musicians Visual kei musicians Japanese heavy metal guitarists Japanese rock guitarists Musicians from Yamaguchi Prefecture 20th-century Japanese guitarists 21st-century Japanese guitarists 20th-century Japanese male musicians 21st-century Japanese male musicians 1978 births