Makoto Koshinaka

Koshinaka Makoto (越中睦士)
Born	(1980-07-15) July 15, 1980 Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Rock, pop rock, folk rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, actor, model
Years active	1999–present
Associated acts	Λucifer, †яi￠к

Makoto Koshinaka (越中睦 / 越中睦士 or Makoto, born July 15, 1980 in Moto Azabu, Tokyo) is a Japanese singer, songwriter, actor and model, activating both in Japan and in Thailand, starting with the year 1999. His musical career covers various musical styles (from pop rock, folk rock, solo – as Makoto, and with the visual kei bands Λucifer and †яi￠к, under the agencies Unlimited Records, BM Factory, Crown Records, T.N.B and, currently, SCSC Records) and his acting career covers roles in stage plays, TV dramas and feature movies.

Λucifer

Makoto Koshinaka started his career in 1999, as the singer of the Japanese rock band Λucifer.^[1] An incarnation of the characters in Mayu Shinjo's manga and subsequent anime series "Kaikan Phrase" ("Sensual Phrase"), the group continued making music after the release of its first album, specially created for the anime, counting the collaborations of numerous famous musicians in Japan. The band reached popularity at an international level. The group disbanded in 2003, but reunited briefly in November 2009 for a special tour, taking place between August and September 2010, with concerts in Osaka, Nagoya, Tokyo and Bangkok, Thailand, before a public of more than 4.000 people.^[2][3][4]

Solo musical career

After the first disbanding of Japanese rock band Λucifer, Makoto Koshinaka started a solo career, under the simple name "Makoto".^[5] He switched to his own musical style, folk rock and, with this new sound, released the mini-album "Vibration" in October 2003 and the singles "Secret Colors" and "Rise" in the year 2007.^[6] On the international scene, he participated to the Pattaya International Music Festival, in Thailand, in 2005. In the following year, Makoto was invited to participate to a three-days visit, promoting the tourism in the Pattaya area.^[7][8] In 2007, his first full-length solo album was released, "Flair".^[9][10] The album marked his return on the Japanese musical scene after several years of activity in Thailand, and was very well received.^[11] His activity on the musical scene in Thailand continues, as at the end of the year 2012 he participated in the prestigious charity concert "Jazz for His Majesty", held on December 19 at the Royal Paragon Hall, for His Majesty, the King of Thailand.^[12][13]

†яi￠к

Since 2010, Makoto Koshinaka is the vocal of the visual kei rock band TRICK (stylized as †яi￠к). This marks another change in his musical style, which turns now towards metal, which always attracted him, as he declares in interviews.^[14] The other members of the band are: guitar: Taiji Fujimoto (ex. D･T･R, Groove Master, The Dead Pop Stars); guitar: Shintaro Mizuno; bass: Shuse (ex. La'cryma Christi, Acid Black Cherry); drums: Tero (ex. Vidoll). The band headlined Music Japan Plus’s MJP Gig on June 23, 2012, at Shibuya O-East, and made the event available also to a public of more than 30.000 viewers, at home, by live broadcasting through NicoNico.^[15] The band doesn't target only the Japanese market, but also the international scene.^[16] †яi￠к made its international debut in Thailand, on September 24, 2011, with the mini-concert "We are †яi￠к".^[17] The band released three singles to the date, in 2012: "Phenomena", "Scar" and "Love Rain" (released on November 21 and ranked a few days later, on December 3, on the 18th place in the Oricon Indies Chart^[18]). The launching of the third single was immediately followed by two consecutive concerts in Osaka, on 24 and 25 November.^[19] On December 1st 2012, the band participated in the festival LOFT「master+mind」presents Rock is Culture 2013.^[20] The beginning of the year 2013 marked another concert, on 17 March, SHUSE Birthday Presents & TAIJI 50th Anniversary「LOVE RAIN」~Epilogue~, at EDGE Ikebukuro.^[21] †яi￠к toured Japan in the summer of 2013, as it follows: June 16 - Sapporo, June 21 - Nagoya, June 22 - Osaka, June 25 - Fukuoka, June 29 - Tokyo. The band released the first album on May 22, 2013.^[22] On October 18, 2013, the band took part at Legend Rokumeikan PARTⅢ〜GENERATION CRASH. On October 28, 2013, †яi￠к also participated in a sponsored event - BULL ZEICHEN 88 "Fall Battle Royal 2013" at Shibuya O-West. On October 30, 2013 the band released the 4th single "Changin' The New World". On 11 February 2014, †яi￠к participated to 『MUSCLE ATTACK 1st LIVE TOUR ～Road Of Muscle～』at Shinjuku BLAZE. On June 1, 2014, they participated in the live DearLoving×NINJAMAN JAPAN "BROTHER BATTLE" at Takadanobaba CLUB PHASE.

Acting career

Aside from singing, Makoto Koshinaka is a model and an actor on stage, in dramas and in feature films. In 2000, he acted in the stage play "NINAGAWA-火の鳥", followed in 2003 by "Reign of terror". In 2002 he took on a role in Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".^[23] He starred in the feature film "嗤う伊右衛門 Warau-iemon", in 2004.^[24][25] Also in 2004, he got a part in TV drama "Be-bop high school". In 2005, he played a part in the stage play "Little Shop of Horrors".^[26] In 2010 he got the main part in the play "うりずんの風"^[27] and acted in the feature film "美しき女豹 Beautiful female panther: Body sniper".^[28][29] In 2014, Makoto Koshinaka stars in the Japanese-Thai movie directed by Tanwarin Sukkhapisit "Love Sud Jin Fin Sugoi", next to Suppanad Jittaleela, Apinnya Sakuljarunsoek and Tao Sattaphong Phiangpor. The movie premiered at the Osaka Asian Film Festival 2014.^[30]

Press

During 2005-2006, he starred a series of interviews for the magazine "A/r/e/c/o/l/e アレコレ", issues 1-23, documenting his acting and musical career at the time,^[31] and was featured in several Japanese magazines such as "TV Bros",^[32] "Look at Star!" vol. 17 (covering the stage play "Little Shop of Horrors")^[33] and "Theater Guide Magazine" vol. 166 (also about the play "Little Shop of Horrors").^[34] In 2008-2009 he was featured in many numbers of the magazine "J-Spy", among which vol. 109,^[35] vol. 117,^[36] vol. 131 (Special interview Makoto Koshinaka).^[37] In 2011 he was featured on a special number of the Thai magazine "ผู้หญิง" ("Woman"), vol. 559, with the title "The Mission of Stars".^[38] His visit in Thailand, on December 2012, was covered in an article on Asian Plus Magazine, vol. 6, issue 85.^[39] On October 12, 2013, Makoto Koshinaka was featured in the top fashion photographer Leslie Kee's exhibition "Super Love", featuring portraits of some 500 well-known artists, dancers, creators, actors, models and personalities.^[40] On April 2014 he was featured on the Thai publication I Like, volume 13, number 273.^[41]

Charity work

Makoto Koshinaka is an active supporter of the International Peace Foundation.^[42]

Discography

With Λucifer:

Studio albums:

• [December 8, 1999] Limit Control
• [February 21, 2001] Beatrip
• [March 13, 2002] Element of Love

Compilations:

• [December 5, 2002] The Best

Singles:

• [September 15, 1999] Datenshi Blue
• [November 3, 1999] C no Binetsu
• [February 16, 2000] Tokyo Illusion/Lucy
• [June 7, 2000] Carnation Crime
• [August 2, 2000] Junk City
• [November 8, 2000] Tsubasa
• [August 1, 2001] Hypersonic Soul
• [February 6, 2002] Regret
• [August 7, 2002] Realize

DVDs:

• [May 30, 2001] Be-Trip Tour 2001
• [June 28, 2000] Vision File Film: Escape (PV compilation DVD)
• [November 7, 2001] Vision File Film: Escape 2 (PV compilation DVD)
• [March 26, 2003] Last Tour 2002-2003 Energy Tour Final at Tokyo Kokusai Forum (live DVD)

Solo:

Albums:

• [October 22, 2003] VIBRATION (mini album)
• [September 26, 2007] flair

Singles:

• [December 17, 2003] Mado

Live album:

• [October 16, 2004] VIBRATION

Digital singles:

• Secret Color
• Blue Moon

Collaborations:

• [March 16, 2006] S2 - the EP "Just Like Me" (duet with Kim Soo-hyun)

With TRICK (†яi￠к):

Special:

• [September 15, 2010] Tribute to Seikima-II -Akuma to no Keiyakusho- Song 「怪奇植物」 (Kaiki Shokubutsu)

Singles:

• [March 17, 2012] Phenomena
• [July 25, 2012] SCAR
• [November 21, 2012] Love Rain
• [October 30, 2013] Changin' The New World
• [March 19, 2014] RADIANT

Albums:

* [May 22, 2013] METHOD

Actor

Drama:

• Semi Double (on Fuji TV 1999)
• Psychometre Eiji 2 (on NTV 1999)
• Hikon Kazouku (on TV Tokyo 2001)
• Ketsumyaku (on TV Tokyo 2003)
• Jikuukeisatu PART3 (on NTV 2003)
• Be-bop high school (on TBS TV 2004)
• Suiyoumisutiri-9 (on TV Tokyo 2005)
• Koisuronichiyoubi (on BS-i 2005)
• Be-bop high school 2 (on TBS TV 2005)

Stage:

• NINAGAWA-火の鳥 (2000)
• 夏の夜の夢 A Midsummer Night's Dream (2002)
• 恐怖時代 Reign of terror (2003)
• リトルショップ・オブホラーズ Little Shop of Horrors (2005)
• うりずんの風 (2010)

Movie:

• 嗤う伊右衛門 Warau-iemon(2004)
• 美しき女豹 Beautiful Female Panther: Body Sniper (2010)
• Fin Sugoi (2014)

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website Λucifer
• Official website †яi￠к
• Official blog