WRITTEN BY: ERIN
At this year's Anime Expo event in California, two special guest music groups traveled from Japan to be there. Los Angeles featured gothic, visual kei band, Moi Dix Mois, and the all-girl group, Morning Musume.
Moi Dix Mois, the solo art project of Mana, famous for his involvement with the visual kei band, Malice Mizer, composes all the music and lyrics for the group, as well as designs the stage costumes and works as the artistic director. His rotating cast of guest musicians have input to live events, but the band is essentially Mana's brainchild. The band was created in 2002, three months after the official hiatus of Malice Mizer was announced. Since then, the group has produced four albums, four singles and one mini album. The current lineup features Mana on guitar, Seth on vocals, K on guitar and vocals, Sugiya on bass, and Hayato on drums.
Morning Musume, beginning in 1997 by producer, Tsunku, is the lead group of Hello!Project. Originally what began as auditions for a female vocalist to his rock band, Tsunku took the runners up and began a girl band, creating what is now one of the most famous all girl groups in Japan, known for their choreographed dancing to upbeat music. The group has a constantly rotating cast of faces and since 1997 has released nine albums, one cover album, one EP, and forty singles.
If you were at Anime Expo and caught the shows, drop me an e-mail with a review!
