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Versailles (band)

From Alfawiki
Versailles
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded2007
FounderKamijo, Hizaki
Headquarters
Tokyo
,
Japan
ProductsMusic albums, singles, live performances

Versailles—known in North America as the Versailles Philharmonic Quintet—is a Japanese band specializing in visual kei and symphonic power metal genres, established in 2007 by vocalist Kamijo alongside guitarist Hizaki. After adding bassist Jasmine You, drummer Yuki, and guitarist Teru to the lineup, they debuted live on June 23. The group is distinguished by their elaborate Rococo-inspired attire, intricate dual guitar work, and a blend of heavy yet melodic musical arrangements. Their initial EP, Lyrical Sympathy (2007), launched under Kamijo's own label Sherow Artist Society with simultaneous European release, rapidly expanded their international fanbase. The following year saw them touring across Europe and the United States. Their first full album, Noble (2008), was later issued in North America in 2009.

In the middle of 2009, Versailles secured a contract with major label Warner Music Japan. Shortly after announcing a break due to health concerns, bassist Jasmine You passed away on August 9. The band's major label debut album, Jubilee (2010), was finalized with Hizaki handling the remaining bass recordings. They then embarked on a world tour encompassing Latin America and Europe, culminating with Masashi joining as the new bassist. Early 2011 featured the band starring in their own television program, which aired from January through March. Their third album, Holy Grail (2011), reached their highest position on the Oricon Albums Chart, peaking at number 12 and was supported by an additional global tour.

In July 2012, Versailles declared they would enter hiatus at the end of that year. Prior to this pause, they released their self-titled album Versailles in September and held a farewell concert at NHK Hall in December. The band reactivated their activities with a performance at Zepp DiverCity in December 2015.

2007: Formation

Following his relocation to Tokyo, guitarist Hizaki was approached by vocalist Kamijo with the idea of forming a band centered around twin guitar harmonies. Although initially hesitant due to prior obligations, Hizaki consented after supporting Kamijo's previous group Lareine during their farewell show in October 2006. Together, Kamijo and Hizaki envisioned Versailles as an ensemble embodying "the absolute youshikibi (beauty of form) sound and extremes of aestheticism."[1]

The official announcement of Versailles came on March 30, 2007, featuring members Kamijo, Hizaki (formerly of Sulfuric Acid), and Jasmine You (formerly of Jakura). Subsequent additions included guitarist Teru (formerly with Aikaryu) and drummer Yuki (formerly Sugar Trip), both recommended by Tokyo’s Rock May Kan venue. Hizaki, Jasmine You, and Teru had previously collaborated within the Hizaki Grace Project. The band leveraged MySpace alongside international media outlets for promotion, debuting with a showcase on June 23 followed by their inaugural concert on June 24 at Ebisu Liquid Room.[2] Concurrently, they released their first single and DVD single titled "The Revenant Choir".

Versailles signed with German label CLJ Records, releasing the EP Lyrical Sympathy simultaneously in Japan and Europe on October 31.[3] Additionally, their song "The Love From A Dead Orchestra" appeared on Sony BMG Germany's compilation album Tokyo Rock City, which was released on November 9.

2008: Noble

In 2008, Versailles broadened their reach by entering the European and American markets. During March and April, they embarked on a European tour alongside Matenrou Opera. On May 3, the band appeared at the hide Memorial Summit held at Ajinomoto Stadium, performing before an audience of 30,000 alongside notable acts such as X Japan, Luna Sea, and Mucc. Their United States debut followed with performances at Project A-Kon in Dallas on May 30 and at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles on June 3.

The group digitally launched their debut full-length album, Noble, on July 9, making it available exclusively through international iTunes Stores. Physical CD editions were released in Japan and Europe on July 16, with the American version arriving over a year later, on October 21, 2009, via Maru Music; this edition included an additional bonus track.

On August 19, 2008, their Japanese record label revealed a naming dispute involving a US artist also using "Versailles." To maintain their activities in America, the band sought input from fans to select a new promotional name. By September 14, they adopted "Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet-" for their US presence while continuing to use "Versailles" elsewhere. Their first release under this new title was the single "Prince", distributed as a complimentary digital download. They returned to the US stage at Anime USA on October 11 in Crystal City, Virginia, followed by another show at New York City's Knitting Factory on October 13.

2009: Major label debut and death of Jasmine You

At a live event held at C.C. Lemon Hall on December 23, 2008, Kamijo announced that Versailles would sign with major label Warner Music Japan in June 2009 to handle distribution both domestically and internationally. Their first major label single, "Ascendead Master," was released on June 24, 2009.

The band wrapped up their nationwide independent tour titled The Fragment Collectors between March 26 and May 9. This tour concluded with the Anthology of Revolution series and a consecutive five-night run at Meguro Rock May Kan. Their final independent performance took place on June 21, 2009, after which they declared a pause from live shows until their next album launch.

On August 3, it was disclosed that bassist Jasmine You would halt activities due to health complications encountered during the last stages of album production. Tragically, early on August 9, 2009, Versailles announced his passing, describing it as an unexpected and devastating loss. Additional information was withheld pending family notification and consent.

2010: Jubilee

Following a canceled appearance earlier in the year, Versailles performed at V-Rock Festival '09 on October 25, 2009, with Yo from Matenrou Opera supporting as bassist. On January 4, 2010, they hosted the Jasmine You Memorial Ceremony at Shibuya O-East, featuring Kaya and Matenrou Opera as guests. Their major label debut album, Jubilee, was released shortly thereafter on January 20, 2010.

The Methods of Inheritance world tour commenced on February 28 in Yokohama and included support bassist Masashi from Cosmo and Közi's live ensemble. The Japanese portion concluded in April with two final concerts held in Osaka and Tokyo; both featured performances accompanied by a live choir.

The tour extended internationally to Latin America—covering Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Mexico—and Europe—including Norway, Russia, Finland, England, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Hungary—culminating on September 4 at C.C. Lemon Hall in Japan. Portions of this final concert were broadcast by WOWOW. Masashi was officially confirmed as Versailles' new bassist while Jasmine You was commemorated as an "eternal member." Additionally, live recordings of their indie albums Lyrical Sympathy -Live- and Noble -Live- were released on September 1; these performances were captured during their December 23, 2008 Chateau de Versailles tour finale.

Their single "Destiny -The Lovers-" was issued on October 27, 2010 in two limited editions alongside a standard edition. In November of the same year, Panasonic aired a fifteen-minute highlight reel of their World Tour 2010 concert in three-dimensional format across more than 8,000 retail locations nationwide. This featured footage from the April 30 performance at JCB Hall; an exclusive early screening was held at the Panasonic Center in Ariake from November 8 through November 14.

2011–2012: Holy Grail, Fourth Album, and Hiatus Announcement

Beginning in January 2011, Versailles took the lead in a television mini-drama broadcast on Mainichi Broadcasting System and TV Kanagawa, which ran through March. Their single "Philia", released on March 15, served as the show's theme track. On June 15, they launched their second major-label studio album, Holy Grail, available in three different versions. This album includes tracks such as "Masquerade" and "Vampire," both of which were used as themes for films scored by Kamijo.

The band embarked on their second global tour, titled Holy Grail, commencing on July 31, 2011, in Kyoto. The tour spanned multiple regions including Asia (Hong Kong, Taiwan), Europe (Russia, England, Spain, Italy, Austria, Poland, Germany, France), and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile), concluding in November.

On April 25, 2012, Versailles released the digital single "Rhapsody of the Darkness." This was followed by the single "Rose" on July 4 to commemorate their fifth anniversary. Shortly after, on July 20, the band announced plans to halt group activities by the end of the year to focus on individual creative pursuits.

Their self-titled fourth studio album was released on September 26. Subsequently, they conducted an eight-stop tour across Japan in November. The final live show took place on December 20 at NHK Hall. On January 30, 2013, the compilation album Anthologie, covering their years with Warner Music Group from 2009 to 2012, was issued; a limited edition featured a five-track live CD. Additionally, the concert footage compilation DVD Live Best was released on March 27.

In early 2013, Kamijo began his solo career with the debut single "Louis ~Enketsu no La Vie en Rose~," which came out on August 28. Meanwhile, Hizaki, Teru, Yuki, and Masashi formed the band Jupiter alongside vocalist Zin on April 1. Jupiter’s first single "Blessing of the Future" was released on July 24. In April 2016, Yuki and Masashi left Jupiter.

2015–present: Reunion and Continued Activities

On December 20, 2015, Versailles revealed their reunion through their official Twitter accounts. The reunion concert was held on December 28 during Kamijo's World Tour 2015 -20th Anniversary Best- Grand Finale at Zepp DiverCity and was streamed globally. They marked their ninth anniversary with a performance at Zepp DiverCity on June 25, 2016. A concert entitled Versailles Kanzen Fukkatsu Live "Chateau de Versailles" at Maihama Amphitheater on August 7 signified their full return to performing. This was followed by the release of the compilation album The Greatest Hits 2007-2016 on September 14, which featured re-recorded versions of earlier songs along with two new tracks.

The Renaissance tour from January 26 to February 5, 2017 represented their return to European stages. A mini-album titled Lineage ~Bara no Matsuei~ was distributed exclusively to attendees of their February 14 show at Nippon Budokan. Their tenth anniversary world tour took place between September and November with stops across Latin America, Hong Kong, Canada, and Japan. On December 25, 2019, Lineage ~Bara no Matsuei~ received a worldwide digital release. Their first single in eight years, "Emperor," had been planned for release on July 15, 2020 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In celebration of their fifteenth anniversary in 2022, Versailles embarked on a multi-part tour spotlighting specific albums. The Noble segment occurred on June 24; the Jubilee leg followed in October; and from February 3 to February 12, 2023 they performed the Holy Grail segment. Upon its conclusion, drummer Yuki announced he would pause musical activities after that year to manage chronic dystonia and attend to family responsibilities. The band then proceeded with the Varoque tour from May 13 through June 24 of the same year. On June 21 they released "Vogue," marking their first new single in eleven years. On September 10 Yuki declared his intention to retire fully from music following Versailles’ December 14 concert at Zepp Haneda.

During this timeframe, Versailles joined forces with Moi dix Mois, D, and Matenrou Opera for a four-date Visual Metal tour across Japan from September 22 to October 2. These groups also collaborated on releasing the single "Kyōsōkyoku ~Tanbinaru Kettō~" under the JVM Roses Blood Symphony project.

Members

  • Kamijo – lead vocals (2007–2012, 2015–present)
  • Hizaki – guitar (2007–2012, 2015–present)
  • Teru – guitar (2007–2012, 2015–present)
  • Masashi – bass guitar (2010–2012, 2015–present)

Past members

  • Jasmine You – bass guitar (2007–2009; deceased)
    • The group honors Jasmine You as an "eternal member".
  • Yuki – drums (2007–2012, 2015–2023)

Live support musicians

  • Yo – bass guitar during V-Rock Festival '09 on October 25, 2009 (Matenrou Opera)

Discography

Albums and EPs

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Metropolis
  2. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named firstconcert
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named lyrical
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