Klaha

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Klaha

Background information
Birth name	Haruna Masaki
Born	May 3
Origin	Osaka, Japan
Genre(s)	J-Rock Visual Kei Pop music Dark Wave Ballad
Occupation(s)	Musician
Years active	1992 - present
Associated acts	Pride of Mind Malice Mizer
Website	Official Website

Haruna Masaki, aka Klaha, is a Japanese singer and songwriter. He was one of the founders of Pride of Mind, a new wave/dark wave band active from 1992 to 1996. After leaving Pride of Mind, he had not stated intention to continue in music; little is known about the subsequent four years. However, in 2000 he resurfaced under the name "Klaha", as the session vocalist for Malice Mizer's final album, "Bara no Seidou". It is known that he was a fan of Malice Mizer's music, and had a friendship with bassist Yu~ki. The band Malice Mizer were in a difficult phase following the departure of their singer Gackt and death of their drummer Kami. Though Klaha provided the vocals for the single Shiroi Hada ni Kuruu Ai to Kanashimi no Rondo, he did not appear in any promotional material and was not officially revealed until the band's 2-day live at the Nippon Budokan.

Klaha the way he looked during Malice Mizer.

Klaha also starred as a Jonathan Harker-like character in Malice Mizer's reinterpretation of Dracula (a silent film called Bara no Konrei) and appeared in several photobooks during this period. It was during his time in Malice Mizer that Klaha built up a loyal fanbase, with many fans cosplaying him at concerts and conventions.

After Malice Mizer went on an indefinite hiatus on December 11, 2001, Klaha capitalized on his newfound fame by starting a solo career. In a sharp departure from his Malice Mizer days, Klaha billed himself as a pop artist, his solo work comprises piano driven ballads as well as more epic, orchestral pieces, and he dropped the Elegant Gothic Aristocrat fashion style. This drew criticism and comparisons with Gackt, though Klaha's work is decidedly unique and different from Gackt's. His first album, "Nostal Lab", was released on December 4, 2002; shortly thereafter, he followed it up with the single "Märchen". Both of these releases were accompanied by short live tours and instore appearances. Following "Märchen", Klaha went into seclusion for around a year, reemerging in early 2004 with his mini-album "切望" ("Setsubou"); he played one live to accompany it.

In mid-2004 it was stated that his fanclub would be closing down. This marked the beginning of a period of near-silence, punctuated only by rare updates on Klaha's official site. In December 2006, Klaha stated on his site that he would resume musical activity in 2007; further details have not been announced.