Hizaki facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Hizaki
Hizaki in 2010
Background information
Also known as	Hizaki (緋咲)
Born	(1979-02-17) February 17, 1979 (age 46) Shiga, Japan
Origin	Kyoto, Japan
Genres	Power metal symphonic metal neoclassical metal
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter record producer
Instruments	Guitar bass
Years active	1997–present
Associated acts	Jupiter Versailles Node of Scherzo Sulfuric Acid Schwardix Marvally Crack Brain Garnet Grave

Hizaki (born February 17, 1979) is a talented Japanese metal musician. He is famous as the guitarist for the symphonic power metal band Versailles. Hizaki is also a member of the band Jupiter and creates music as a solo artist. Before joining Versailles, he played in several other bands.

Hizaki's Early Life and Music Journey

Hizaki grew up in the countryside of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. When he was very young, he loved classical music, especially the violin. However, his parents did not let him learn the violin or piano.

Discovering the Guitar

In sixth grade, Hizaki's older brother started learning guitar. The first time Hizaki played it, he felt a strong connection to music. Even as a child, he preferred making his own songs instead of playing others' music. He was a big fan of bands like Loudness and X Japan. Hizaki wanted to play lead guitar, but their songs were too difficult at first. So, he created his own guitar exercises to get better.

High School and Finding His Style

By middle school, Hizaki was very skilled. However, he did not find other musicians at his level nearby. When he entered high school, many bands were popular in Japan. He finally found people to play with, but he had to play at a simpler level to fit in. Hizaki loved metal and visual kei style, but his friends liked punk or grunge. Because of this, he said his high school band days were "quite gloomy."

After high school, Hizaki moved to Kyoto. There, he finally found the music scene he had always wanted. He was already comfortable wearing makeup from high school shows. He formed a visual kei band with an older friend and his friends. Hizaki felt that just being able to play guitar was not enough. He believed a musician also needed to look good or put on an amazing show. He thought about how to stand out on stage and decided to "look like a girl." In 2020, Hizaki mentioned that his visual kei style, with makeup and skirts, has been the same since high school. He also noticed many childhood photos show him in red clothes. This might be why many of his stage costumes are red.

Hizaki's Music Career

Hizaki started his music career in 1997 as a guitarist for Garnet Grave, a visual kei band from Kyoto. After two years, Hizaki and bassist Hizumi left Garnet Grave. They formed a new band called Crack Brain.

New Bands and Solo Work

In 2002, Crack Brain broke up. Hizaki then formed a band called Gurotesuku Romantikkaa, which later changed its name to Schwardix Marvally in 2003. They released two EPs (mini-albums). One EP included cover songs from other bands. Schwardix Marvally disbanded in 2004.

That same year, Hizaki began his solo career and released an album called Maiden Ritual. He released two more EPs, Dance with Grace and Maiden Ritual -Experiment Edition-, working with different musicians. In 2005, he paused his solo work to join the band Sulfuric Acid. He stayed with them until they disbanded in October 2006.

Hizaki Grace Project and Versailles

After Sulfuric Acid, Hizaki restarted his solo music. He formed his solo group, Hizaki Grace Project. This group included Hikaru on vocals, Yuu (Jasmine You) on bass, and Seiji as a support drummer. Later, Mikage joined on drums, Teru on guitar, and Juka on vocals. They released the album Dignity of Crest. Another album, Curse of Virgo, came out in December 2007.

In early 2007, Hizaki also supported Node of Scherzo, a music project. At Node of Scherzo's first live show in March, Hizaki and Kamijo announced they were forming a new band together. On March 30, the new band's name was revealed: Versailles. The band also included drummer Yuki and Hizaki Grace Project members Jasmine You and Teru. Hizaki then put his solo work on hold to focus on Versailles.

Other Projects and Jupiter

In September 2008, Hizaki modeled clothes for Baby, The Stars Shine Bright at a fashion event. In July 2010, he took part in a special one-night reunion of Crack Brain.

In January 2011, Hizaki and the other members of Versailles starred in their own TV mini-drama. It was called Onegai Kanaete Versailles (meaning "Fulfill My Wish Versailles"). The show aired until March.

Hizaki (right) performing with Jupiter in 2015.

After the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, Hizaki wrote a song called "Prayer" for the victims. Both Hizaki and Teru joined the Blue Planet Japan project. This project brought together many visual kei artists to help after the disaster. They performed live and released a single called "Hitotsu Dake ~We are the One~". All money from the single went to the victims.

Hizaki composed music for Kaya's single "Vampire Requiem" in January 2012. On July 20, Versailles announced they would stop all activities by the end of the year.

On April 1, 2013, all members of Versailles except the singer Kamijo formed a new band called Jupiter. They added Zin as their new singer. They released their first single, "Blessing of the Future," in the summer. Hizaki also played on a tribute album for the band Dead End that year.

Returning to Solo Work

Hizaki returned to his solo music in 2015 with short tours in Europe and South America. He released his first solo album in 11 years, Rosario, in August 2016. A mini-album, Back to Nature, was released in November 2019. The single "Pavane" was released in July 2020, credited to Hizaki Grace Project. Another solo mini-album, Rusalka, came out in February 2021. For his first international solo release, Setsuzoku Records combined his two recent mini-albums into Rusalka + Back to Nature, released in September 2021. Hizaki also played guest guitar on a song for Ancient Myth's 2021 album. His latest solo album, The Zodiac Sign, was released in June 2024.

Hizaki's Music Style

Hizaki's solo music mainly focuses on guitar instrumentals. He uses the guitar to create the main melody, almost like the guitar is singing instead of a vocalist. He believes his strength is creating melodies, not just playing difficult techniques.

Guitar Solos and Practice

When playing guitar solos in a band, Hizaki has a unique approach. Instead of just fitting into the song, he tries to take the song to "another dimension." He creates a "song within a song" during his solos. He said this idea might come from another guitarist, She-Ja, who used to play solos that seemed "completely irrelevant" to the song.

Hizaki has shared that he dislikes practicing guitar. He prefers to create music whenever he has a guitar in his hands. He admits he sometimes loses his skill because he often goes a couple of days without playing. He also mentioned that he has a "heavy" way of picking the guitar strings.

Jupiter vs. Versailles

Hizaki said that when Jupiter first started, it sounded quite similar to Versailles. This was because four out of five members were the same. However, when Versailles reunited, they decided to make each band sound different. In 2020, he explained that the main difference is the singer's voice range. Jupiter's singer, Kuze, has a "powerful, masculine voice with very high notes." Versailles' singer has a "mid-range voice with a great artistic feel." Because the voices are different, Hizaki composes music differently for each band. He sees them as completely separate groups.

Hizaki Grace Project Members

Last Line-up

Hizaki – guitar
Yuu/Jasmine You – bass
Teru – guitar
Mikage – drums
Juka – vocals

Former Members

Hikaru – vocals
Seiji – drums (support member)

Hizaki's Equipment

Current Gear

ESP Maiden Hizaki Custom Rose

Other Equipment

ESP Horizon-III Hizaki Custom Pearl White Gold w/flake
ESP Horizon-III Hizaki Custom Illusion
ESP Bottom Line GT
Boss GT-10 Guitar Effects Processor
Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
Ibanez Jemini Distortion Pedal
Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer
Marshall Guvnor
Morley Wah Pedal
Custom Audio Electronics Cables
TC Electronic G Major
Korg DTR-1 Rack Tuner
EX-PRO Wireless System
Furman Power Conditioner
Roland FC-200 Midi Foot Controller
Marshall JVM410H
Hughes & Kettner, Bogner, Brunetti, Mesa Boogie and Laney Amps
Keeley Katana Boost Pedal
Boorocks MD-1 LEON Multi-Driver

Discography Highlights

Hizaki has released many albums and EPs both as a solo artist and with his bands.

Solo Albums and EPs

Maiden Ritual (2004)
Dance with Grace (2005)
Rosario (2016)
Back to Nature (2019)
Rusalka (2021)
The Zodiac Sign (2024)