Hide (musician)

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hide
hide, with his trademark pink hair
hide, with his trademark pink hair
Background information
Birth name Hideto Matsumoto
Born December 13, 1964
Japanese flag Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
Died May 2, 1998
Tokyo, Japan
Genre(s) Japanese Pop ,Japanese Rock, Visual kei, Punk rock, Rock
Occupation(s) Singer, songwriter, musician
Instrument(s) Guitar
Years active 1980-1998
Label(s) Sony
Associated
acts		 X Japan, hide with Spread Beaver, Zilch, Saver Tiger
Website Hide-City.com

Hideto Matsumoto (松本 秀人 Matsumoto Hideto?, December 13, 1964–May 2, 1998 in Yokosuka, Japan), or hide (pronounced [ˈhide]), was a Visual Kei / J-Rock musician.

After achieving stardom as a guitarist in the influential Japanese group X Japan, hide also took part in the mainly American populated collaboration Zilch. Hide enjoyed additional success as a solo artist, in which he provided his own vocals in addition to songwriting and playing guitar. He also organized and creatively managed the group hide with Spread Beaver.

Hide died on May 2, 1998. After a night of drinking, hide was found the next day strangled by a towel hanging from a doorknob. Although police declared his death to be suicide, friends and fans alike have openly disputed this claim.

The hide museum in Yokosuka was posthumously constructed in hide’s honor. It opened on the second anniversary of his death on May 2, 2000. The museum featured many of his costumes, guitars, and personal possessions. The hide museum closed on September 25, 2005 due to the lack of funds.

Contents

[edit] Musical facts

In his late teens, hide led the controversial indie act Saver Tiger. In addition to handling the guitar-playing, hide also served as songwriter. Selections of Saver Tiger’s recordings (credited as Yokosuka Saver Tiger, to avoid confusion with Saber Tiger) have recently seen official release. Hide has become known and loved all over the world.

Although popular in their native town of Yokosuka, Saver Tiger underwent several band member changes. Frustrated and convinced he would not succeed in the music business, hide began looking into a career as a hair stylist. He then received a call from Yoshiki, inviting him to join X. hide joined, spawning a decade as a songwriter and guitarist for the (soon to be) notable X (later renamed X Japan to eliminate confusion with the Los Angeles punk band of the same name), with bandmates Yoshiki, Toshi, Pata, and Heath (Taiji played bass until 1992). X Japan released multiple albums, including Blue Blood, Jealousy, and Dahlia, and numerous popular singles such as “Kurenai,” “Tears,” “Forever Love” and “Art of Life.”

Shortly after the release of “Art of Life,” the members of X Japan went on hiatus as a group and began solo projects. hide recorded his first album Hide Your Face in 1994. On the album he recorded all the guitars (including bass guitars) and vocals. He hired a band to play with him on his “Hide Our Psychommunity Tour.” Two years later, hide recorded his second album Psyence, which is widely considered his best album for its remarkable versatility. Thus began the “Psyence A Go Go Tour” involving the same back-up band.

A collaboration with American band members developed into Zilch, for which hide wrote songs, played guitar, and provided vocals. Zilch released one album—3.2.1.—and an album of remixes—BastardEYES—containing mixes by artists including Praga Khan, Charlie Clouser, Pitchshifter, and Chris Vrenna. Although the plans never truly materialized, hide had hoped to bring Zilch to the North American mainstream. Nevertheless, one of their songs did see official release in the occident, as part of the soundtrack for Heavy Metal 2000.

Around the same time, hide decided that the back up band he’d had with him since Hide Your Face should simply become his band. He called them Spread Beaver, making their full name “hide with Spread Beaver,” for which hide composed, sang, and played “surf guitar.” They began recording Ja, Zoo, their first album. Midway through recording however, hide was found dead. The remainder of the album was recorded with pre-existing recordings and the help of hide’s brother, Hiroshi Matsumoto. After this began a heartfelt tour with the band playing live while videos of hide’s previous performances were projected onto a big screen. The tour sold out every night.

A wide array of hide tribute records have been released in the years after his passing. Shortly after his death, a hide tribute album called Spirits was released, which included Luna Sea’s version of “Scanner,” Buck-Tick’s version of “Doubt,” and Oblivion Dust’s cover of “Genkai Haretsu.” In March of 2000, an 18-track best-of was released, called ~Psychommunity~. A plethora of other singles, compilations, and mix albums have continued to maintain hide’s presence in record stores across Japan and elsewhere in the world. 2004 saw the release of a “new” hide solo album, King of Psyborg Rock Star, a blend of remixes, live recordings, and hide-only versions of X Japan songs.

[edit] General facts

He was known by the nickname “Gibson” in primary school, because he was seldom not seen carrying around his first guitar (a Gibson), and would use it to play Kiss songs (later cited by hide as a major influence on his music).

hide was a certified beautician. He attended cosmetology and fashion school, Hollywood Beauty Salon in present-day Roppongi Hills, and was aspiring to become a hairstylist when Yoshiki asked him to join X Japan. hide became recognized in X Japan for his alternative fashion, reflecting on his knowledge and eye for visual aesthetics.

In 1988, hide (along with the rest of X Japan) appeared in the American film Tokyo Pop, starring Carrie Hamilton (Carol Burnett’s daughter). The group members resembled the band mates of Hiro, represented by the rock musician Diamond Yukai.

In 1993 hide starred in the 43 minute art film Seth et Holth (Produced by Fool's Mate magazine) with fellow j-rocker Tusk. The film was a blend between the biblical story of Adam and Eve, Egyptian Mythology, goth Visual Kei, and social commentary on the hectic nature of modern life.

hide’s Hide Your Face album features a distinctive mask designed by H. R. Giger across the cover (the mask was on display at the hide museum).

hide was also involved in various medical aid foundations, and was a marrow and blood donor. When a terminally ill girl wrote the Make a Wish Foundation that her last wish was to meet hide, he visited the young girl in the hospital.

The hide museum in october 2003
Enlarge
The hide museum in october 2003

In the summer of 2000, the hide museum opened in Yokosuka. The museum displays a variety of hide’s personal items, as well as famous pieces such as his guitars, and clothing worn in concerts and music videos. The entire building is designed in the shape of one of hide’s guitars, and closed on September 25, 2005.

The title of one of hide’s songs, about an abusive, unhealthy relationship, “Genkai Haretsu,” is actually a phrase that he himself coined. It literally means “limiting explosion.”

His song “Pink Spider” won the Japanese International Viewer’s Choice Award at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1998.

hide's “Pink Spider” was re-released in America on November 22, 2006.

[edit] Death

hide died on May 2, 1998. A room mate put hide down in bed after a night of drinking, but when she went to check on him an hour later, he was not in his room. hide was found hanged with a ripped towel in his apartment bathroom, the towel tied to the doorknob. He was barely alive when the ambulance arrived, and later died in the hospital. hide was 33 years old.

There is much debate as to the true nature of hide’s death. Some say it was an accidental death, explaining that he was drunk; hide left no suicide note. Others cite the suicide of INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence, who was reputed to have died from hanging in an attempt to gratify himself through autoerotic asphyxiation. hide was known for performing stunts in attempts to scare others, and some suspect his death to be a stunt gone wrong. Taiji, who played in X Japan with hide for several years, offered a possible explanation for hide’s death in his book X no Sei to Shi: Uchuu wo Kaeru Tomo e. He explained that after performing shows, the band members would often tie towels around their shoulders and necks to relieve muscle stress. Taiji implies that hide had most likely tied a towel on in such a manner (and one can subsequently assume that he had fallen against the door and was ultimately unable to free himself). Although many fans support Taiji’s suggestion, others have preferred to see hide’s death as a purposeful incident, not wanting to see hide’s death as an accident. These fans have speculated that his song “Pink Spider” was a musical suicide note (the song was hide’s final single and music video released before his passing. It features a woman jumping off a building to her death).

hide’s funeral was held at the Buddhist temple, Tsukiji Hongan-ji, in Tsukiji, Tokyo on May 7, 1998. Over 70,000 people attended. Streets were closed off, and police had to deploy boats, helicopters, 100 officers, and 170 security guards to the temple to control the emotional crowd. By the end of day, 26 people had been hospitalized for various injuries. There is still a small memorial and guest book at the temple—you can find it on the far left on entering the main hall.

hide’s death and funeral was announced by CNN and other TV channels around the world, despite only being a household name within Japan.

The remaining members of X Japan performed “Forever Love” at the funeral, and the band leader Yoshiki gave a speech. He was crying and shaking so hard that he was struggling to hold onto the paper he had written the speech on. Below is an excerpt:

hide's gravesite
Enlarge
hide's gravesite
“I'm very shocked to hear about his death. I still can't believe what has happened. Right now, he's sleeping with a beautiful face. I tried to wake him up many times, but he's still sleeping.
Between the five of us, hide was the one who kept his calm and thought out things. Even though I was the leader, he was the calm one who gave me good advice when I was being short tempered and emotional. Of course with all that pressure, he too almost lost his identity. But during those hard times, he'd always give me a call. We would talk about X, music, friends, life, fans, almost anything. He was like a big brother to me and sometimes like a young brother too. We'd drink together and sometimes fight. But the next day, he'd come to me and say, "Yoshiki, have I done something last night? I'm sorry, I don't remember a thing." But this time, he didn't say anything back to me... sleeping.
To all fans and friends, you must all be confused. I also cannot express this sadness in words, but we must understand and accept this painful reality. Everyone please watch over his eternal sleep warmly”

hide was known to be upbeat, a joker and party-loving, adding to the confusions as to why such a person would choose to escape his problems through suicide. He had gone on record however, that he frequently scared himself when drunk, and frequently regretted what he would do while drunk.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

  • Hide Your Face (1994)
  • Psyence (1996)
  • Ja, Zoo (1998)
  • 3.2.1 (1998 with Zilch)
  • hide SINGLES—Junk Story (2002)
  • KING OF PSYBORG ROCK STAR (2004)

[edit] Singles

[edit] Filmography

  • Tokyo Pop (1988, with the other former members of X Japan)
  • Seth et Holth (1993, with TUSK)

[edit] External links

hide
Albums
HIDE YOUR FACE | PSYENCE | Ja,Zoo | BEST ~PSYCHOMMUNITY~ | SINGLES ~ Junk Story | KING OF PSYBORG ROCK STAR
Others
tune-up | WooFer!! | WooFer!!2 | hide TRIBUTE SPIRITS | Cafe Le PSYENCE | Psy-clone hide electric remixes | compilation cd LEMONed
Singles
EYES LOVE YOU | 50％ & 50％ | DICE | TELL ME | MISERY | Beauty & Stupid | Hi-Ho / GOOD BYE | ROCKET DIVE | ピンク スパイダー | ever free | HURRY GO ROUND | TELL ME | In Motion | hide PERFECT SINGLE BOX
Related articles
Discography | hide with Spread Beaver | X JAPAN | zilch
This box: view • talk • edit
X Japan
Members
Toshi | hide | Pata | Heath | Yoshiki
Jun | Taiji
Discography
Studio albums: Vanishing Vision | Blue Blood | Jealousy | Art of Life | Dahlia
Singles: I'll Kill You | Orgasm | Kurenai | Endless Rain | Week End | Silent Jealousy | Standing Sex | Say Anything | Tears | Rusty Nail | Longing ~Togireta Melody~ | Longing ~Setsubou no Yoru~ | Forever Love | Crucify My Love | Dahlia | Scars | Forever Love Last Mix | The Last Song
Related articles
Extasy Records | Violet UK
This box: view • talk • edit
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