Biography 京

京 (Kyo) (born February 16, 1976) is a Japanese musician, poet and singer-songwriter known as the vocalist of DIR EN GREY. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was previously the frontman of La:Sadie's, 廃人黒薔薇族, Ｍａｓｑｕｅｒａｄｅ, Visun and 月蝕. He was also the roadie for 黒夢 and ALBATROSS. Kyo was inspired to become a musician when he saw a picture of BUCK-TICK vocalist 櫻井敦司 (Atsushi Sakurai) on the desk of a junior high school classmate.

While he has only composed a handful of DIR EN GREY's songs (for example, "The Domestic Fucker Family" and "HADES"), Kyo is responsible for all the lyrics, which usually have negative implications and touch on a variety of dark, sometimes taboo, subjects, such as sexual obsessions ("ZOMBOID"), abuse ("Berry"), and mass media ("Mr.NEWSMAN"). Several songs deal with specifically Japanese issues, such as the country's casual attitude towards abortion ("mazohyst of decadence" and "OBSCURE") and its conformity-oriented society ("children"). Others deal with more traditional subject matter such as personal feelings, emotions, and lost love ("undecided", "Taiyou no Ao", "蟲 -mushi-").

The vocabulary used ranges from vulgar to exalted, with wordplay and double entendres occurring frequently. For example, the title of the song "Mitsu to Tsuba", which is about rape, means "Honey and Saliva", but is written with the kanji inverted, suggesting reading them with an inverted pronunciation - "Tsumi to Batsu" - which would translate to "Crime and Punishment", a more appropriate title.

Kyo is well known in the heavy metal scene as one of the most versatile vocalists currently active. His singing alone is impressive (as showcased in songs such as "THE PLEDGE", "GLASS SKIN", and "Ruten no Tou"), however this is not where his strength as a metal vocalist lies. He has throughout his career as DIR EN GREY's vocalist displayed screamed vocals ("Agitated Screams of Maggots", and "CLEVER SLEAZOID"), death growls ("Hageshisa to, Kono Mune no Naka de Karamitsuita Shakunetsu no Yami"), and black metal-like "shrieks" ("DIFFERENT SENSE").

His stage performances became known for their shock elements such as full-body makeup resembling heavy burns, fake vomit of varying color and consistency, and various acts of self-mutilation. The authenticity of the latter is debated, given how frequent certain practices occur, sometimes firmly in place within a tour's usual set-list. For example, Kyo would regularly engage in fish-hooking during the performance of "Kodoku ni Shisu, Yueni Kodoku" throughout the "It Withers and Withers" and "INWARD SCREAM" tours. However, in recent "UROBOROS-era" performances he has toned down this violent stage persona.

Kyo has released two volumes of poetry, published through Media Factory. Both books are accompanied by short bonus CDs, containing the only solo music he has released to date.

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