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An interview with the biggest rock star in Japan
Hyde can be said to be the biggest rock star in Japan. For three decades, he has been navigating the ever-changing changes in rock, popularity and visual culture with remarkable mobility. In the early 1990s, as the mysterious host of L’Arc-en-Ciel, he helped define the Visual Kei movement. For most artists, this alone would be an achievement that defines a career – but for Hyde, it is just a chapter in life that reinvented and experimentally defined. From fashion design to film, he is a boundary boating force, constantly challenging himself through new creative businesses.
In my first year of college, I first discovered Hyde in Japan 101 course. I was doing an assignment where we had to translate Japanese songs into English and present the lyrics to the class along with the music video. It’s been over 20 years since L’Arc-en-Ciel debuted, and when I first heard the melody and unique tremolo of the organization, seeing its members’ punk getups and spiked bleached hair, I didn’t know how to do it.
At the beginning, especially my style didn’t seem to be. But it left me with a lingering impression – a strong enough person that I found myself listening to the same song later that week, then listening to a few more songs next week, and then the whole album. Before I even knew, Hyde’s voice was clear, and L’Arc-en-ciel’s style made me win.
As I followed Hyde’s career over the next decade, what impressed me the most was his constant evolution – from emotional ballads to hard rock anthem to pop and anime openings, from lead singers to soloists, directors, actors. So maybe another unexpected twist in his latest effort might be natural: a custom vodka brand, strikingly called Psycho Love.
On a recent afternoon in Tokyo, Tokyo weekend Meet the legendary rock star to discuss his artistic path, his latest projects and what he next.
Never regret in your life
Born in Hideto Takarai, Wakayama Prefecture in 1969, Hyde initially developed a strong interest in design and painting. In fact, his earliest wish was to become a comic artist before he sold the Tokyo Dome and played for thousands of worship fans. He still quotes Toya comic about the underground punk rock band, designed to make a big difference in his music career, especially his style.
L’Arc-en-Ciel was founded in 1991 by Besto Tetsuya in Osaka in 1991, and soon after Hyde joined. As the lead singer, he is all razor che bone, smeared eyeliner and gothic romantic films, a striking, androgynous character who blurs the line between beauty and danger. Over time, L’Arc-en-Ciel became one of Japan’s most successful rock bands, and Hyde’s image matured. He went on to build his own solo artist, and later co-created the darker, harder project upper, pushing his voice and image into more provocative areas: leather clothing, vampires and life, drawing inspiration from the influence of Western hard rock.
During his career, Hyde proved his adaptability. He played with sold-out domes, worked with international artists, and developed a loyal fan base in Japan and abroad. Hyde himself admits that it can be challenging to keep taking risks into new sounds and styles. There is always a risk to move away from one’s niche and isolate fans. But never trying anything new comes with greater risks.
“Given that life only happens once, I want to try all kinds of things. Just decide one thing and make your life regret it.” “I want to live at the end of my life, I have no regrets.
“When I try something new, there’s a little bit of pressure,” he continued. “Personally, I’m already thinking about what to do next, and if I lose fans because of it, I think that’s… It’s crucial for me to challenge myself in new things.”
Hyde’s Psychological Love
For Hyde, a new adventure means not only going against the familiar business. Instead, they are a way to advance what always defines him – resonating and reworking them into something new but without a doubt. He also carried out his business on the spirit in an obvious way. His signature product comes with a Gothic font and a skull logo on it, but there is something soft on it too – it has less alcohol than most vodkas, making it easier, lighter, and easier.
The name Psycho Love is a word of one sentence: Japanese word “Saikou“means the greatest”, pronounced the same as the English word “Psycho”. As for the “love” part – Hyde likes the layered meaning of Psycho/saikou, but “psychology” itself may sound harsh, making it feel scary.
For Hyde, getting into vodka makes a lot of sense. His motivation is simple: his love for the Holy Spirit and his lack of high-quality choices in his homeland. “Initially, I loved vodka and often drank in the US, but when I returned to Japan, there wasn’t a lot of good ones,” he said. “I thought many times, ‘This is not good. It is not good.’ I thought if I did it myself, I might be able to drink delicious vodka in Japan.”
His intuition is correct. Since its launch in 2023, Psycho Love has claimed to have won over a dozen acclaims at the 2024 Los Angeles Spirit Awards, including in a country that dominates the highest dominance, which has managed to put vodka on the map.
What’s next for Hyde? He is currently working on a new album – he describes “a totally different from anything I’ve made so far”. However, there is no doubt that it will find the mark of the audience. After all, Hyde’s relentless evolution has driven him to the forefront of Japanese music for more than 30 years. So pour yourself a glass of psychological love (Hyde picks up him with soda and lime), sit down and let the music play.
More information
Keep up with Hyde’s latest projects on Hyde.com.
Learn more about Psycho Love on Psycholovevodka.com.
