Malice Mizer & Mana
Malice Mizer is what’s known as a “visual kei” band. Visual kei is the Japanese equivalent of 70s glam rock; except that Japanese go for bright colors and an androgynous look, with much more elaborate costumes and makeup. Malice Mizer was one of the most popular groups in the visual kei genre, and with frontmen Mana, Gackt, and Kozi, they led the Gothic Lolita subculture with their fresh take on French Renaissance, British Victorian and Edwardian style, which was incorporated into their music. With inspiration from the classical music of those eras thrown in, Malice Mizer led the Gothic Lolita culture for a little over ten years.
The group began with Tetsu as the vocalist, but he didn’t last long once the costumes came into play, –he claimed the flamboyant style wasn’t really his thing, and made way for Gackt, possibly the most popular vocalist ever to be part of the band. Gackt has an impressive track record with roles in games, films, anime, music, modeling, and fashion. He left the band suddenly and there has been no confirmed reason as to why. He’s gone on to do pretty damn well on his own, despite whatever friction existed within the band. After a short period with Klaha as their lead vocalist, the band split up in 2001.
They went through several image changes; from Tetsu’s mixture of Goth rock and 80s wave, to the lighter pop sound of Gackt’s era, and then the dramatic Gothic metal sound with Klaha as their vocalist. They concluded their stage life with a massive, elaborate performance, which featured nuns, a cathedral built on the stage, and the film “Bara no Konrei ~Mayonaka ni Kawashita Yakusoku~” –”Wedding Rose ~The Promise Exchanged at Midnight~” –the film was silent with subtitles, and basically inspired by every Dracula movie ever made. The colorful costumes and background score made the film an instant musical classic.
Meanwhile, throughout all this, lead guitarist Mana was silent in the background; despite the fact that he and Kozi founded Malice Mizer, and his own music label, Midi:Nette which is the label on which most of the band’s music was released. Mana’s earliest work was Girl’e, and Matenrou, after which he started Malice Mizer. After MM broke up, he went on to work on his fashion label, Moi-même-Moitié –for which he coined the terms and clothing lines “Elegant Gothic Lolita” and “Elegant Gothic Aristocrat”. He also began a solo project, Moi dix Mois, which is still popular, and currently his main focus.
