Inoran

Inoran

Inoran performing with Luna Sea in Singapore 2013
Background information
Birth name Kiyonobu Inoue (井上 清信)
Also known as Inoran
Born (1970-09-29) September 29, 1970
Hadano, Kanagawa, Japan
Genres Alternative rock, indie rock, shoegazing, dream pop, ambient, trip hop
Occupation(s) Musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, model, clothing and jewelry designer[1]
Instruments Vocals, guitar
Years active 1986–present
Labels King
Associated acts Luna Sea, Tourbillon, Muddy Apes, Fake?, M*A*S*S
Website inoran.org
Notable instruments
Fender Inoran Road Worn Jazzmaster
ESP ILP-00 Black Dragon

Kiyonobu Inoue (井上 清信 Inoue Kiyonobu, born on September 29, 1970 in Hadano, Kanagawa), known exclusively by his stage name Inoran, is a Japanese musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known as the rhythm guitarist and a co-founder of the rock band Luna Sea. He started his solo career in 1997 and when Luna Sea disbanded in 2000, he formed Fake? with Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd a year later. Then in 2005 when leaving Fake? he founded Tourbillon with Luna Sea vocalist Ryuichi Kawamura and Hiroaki Hayama. He has recently rejoined Luna Sea as they reunited in 2010, and in 2012 formed Muddy Apes with bassist Taka Hirose and support guitarist Dean Tidey, both from Feeder, and 8otto's vocalist Maeson.

Career

In middle school through high school, Inoran became good friends with J, and they formed a band called Lunacy in 1986.[2] In 1991, they changed their name to Luna Sea and released their first album. They went on to become very successful, having sold more than 10 million certified units in Japan, and are considered one of the most influential bands in the visual kei movement.

In 1993, Inoran and J teamed up with X Japan guitarist hide to form the group M*A*S*S. Their only material released was the song "Frozen Bug" on the sampler Dance 2 Noise 004 (the song would later be remixed by hide and put on his debut solo album Hide Your Face).

On September 25, 1997, Inoran released his first solo material, the single "Sou" on King Records. The following month his debut album, also titled Sou, was released on October 22. Interestingly, Inoran does not sing on the album himself (except the title track), instead it features several different female vocalists.[1]

When Luna Sea "drew the curtain" in 2000, Inoran started Fake? in late 2001 with former Oblivion Dust vocalist Ken Lloyd. When he left Fake? in October 2005, citing musical differences with Ken Lloyd, he founded Tourbillon with former Luna Sea vocalist Ryuichi Kawamura and Hiroaki Hayama.

In the summer of 2006, he began his solo career again and released the album Photograph. After releasing the album Nirai Kanai in July 2007, he performed many live concerts and released the concert DVD Tour 2007 Determine along with The Best album, which covers his favorite music selected by himself and his fan-club. The album also features the new song "I Swear". On December 24, 2007, Inoran reunited with Luna Sea to play a one-night concert in front of an audience of around 45,000 people at the Tokyo Dome.[3] One more reunion would happen again at the hide memorial summit on May 4, 2008.[4]

In March 2008, Inoran released his first official book Monophonic. Inoran performed overseas for the first time in July in Taiwan and South Korea (for the Formoz Festival 2008 and Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival 2008, respectively). On September 21, he performed at D'erlanger's Abstinence's Door #002 event, along with Merry and heidi..[5] His fifth original album Apocalypse was released on September 24. The tour for the album, entitled Butterly Effect, incorporated an international extension to perform overseas again, this time in Hong Kong in November, before the tour finale back in Japan. He released his first instrumental album Shadow on December 24, the album includes the title track for the movie A Symmetry.

Inoran performed on October 25 as part of the two-day V-Rock Festival '09.[6]

In May 2010, Inoran and Orange Range guitarist Naoto created and released the song "Love For..." for the victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake.[7] In August, he appeared with the other members of Luna Sea at a press conference in Hong Kong, where they officially announced their reunion and their 20th Anniversary World Tour Reboot -to the New Moon-. On September 19, Inoran joined British rock band Feeder on stage at the Tokyo Unit for a cover version performance of the Nirvana track "Breed". Feeder's bass player Taka Hirose played on Inoran's next single, "Hide and Seek".[1]

Inoran released the album Teardrop on March 30, 2011 and went on tour in support of it. In April the song "Love For...", which he and Orange Range guitarist Naoto created in 2010 for the Haiti earthquake, was offered for download once again. This time with the proceeds donated to aid reconstruction of the area damaged by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.[7] On September 21, his first album Sou was re-released with a new version of the title track, the bonus track "The Agenda", which was a B-side on his debut single and features American hip-hop artist Black Thought, and a DVD of the promotional video for "Sou".[8]

In June 2012, Inoran teamed up with Taka Hirose once again, as well as Feeder's support guitarist Dean Tidey and 8otto's vocalist Maeson, to form the band Muddy Apes.[9] Their debut album, Crush It, was released in Japan by King Records and digitally in Europe by Bishi Bishi on September 5.[9] Inoran's album Dive Youth, Sonik Dive was released on June 27, 2012 and includes "Lemontune", a song originally by Fake?.[10] Anna Tsuchiya provides additional vocals on the song "No Options", the limited edition of the album comes with a DVD and a 12-inch vinyl record with "No Options - Mirrorless", a version of the song which Inoran sings himself.[11] It was supported with a nationwide Japanese tour that also celebrated his 15th anniversary as a solo artist.[10] On August 31 in Stockholm, he kicked off his first European tour, Seven Samurais, which took him to Vienna, Cologne, Hamburg, Venice, Milan and ended on September 16 in Paris.[12]

Inoran returned to the stage with Ken Lloyd and Fake? on February 23, 2013, for the concert Fake? -Live Decade-, his first performance with him since he left the group in 2005.[13] On August 16, Inoran performed at Angelo's "Intersection of Dogma" event, alongside other acts such as heidi., lynch. and Mucc.[14]

He released his next studio album, Beautiful Now, on August 26, 2015. It includes a cover of hide's "Pink Spider" and was followed by a nationwide tour in September.[15]

Personal life

Inoran has two younger brothers. He loved playing baseball when he was in school. The nickname Inoran came into existence when he was playing a baseball game; he hit the ball and a fan kept shouting "Ino! Run!!", which sounded like "Inoran".[16] He was also said to be popular among girls in his school. Because of his good manner and looks, Tokyo Pop contacted him to be an idol but Inoran refused.

At age 16, Inoran became a big fan of Cipher,[17] the guitarist and co-founder of the band D'erlanger, when he went to see one of their live concerts. Inoran said in an interview that Cipher is a person who has changed his life. Though Inoran is left-handed, he said he's more comfortable playing guitar with his right hand. He is also claustrophobic, this inspired him to compose the song "Claustrophobia", the B-side of Luna Sea's first single "Believe".

Equipment

Inoran endorses ESP Guitars and has around 8 signature models with them. He also uses a selection of different Fender guitars, such as Stratocasters and Jazzmasters, and has been known to occasionally use Jaguars as well. In addition to Fenders and his own signature ESP models, Inoran uses Gibson Les Pauls, ES-335s, and an assortment of other ESP Standard and Custom models.

In 2010, he endorsed the American-based guitar brand Fender. Inoran (together with ken from L'Arc-en-Ciel) was approached by Fender and signed the endorsement contract; his signature model is based on a 1959 Jazzmaster.[18] The black "Inoran Jazzmaster #1 LTD" was released in 2011 and the aged Olympic White #2 model in 2013.[19][20] Another aged Olympic White model, "Inoran Road Worn Jazzmaster", was released in 2015.[21]

Discography

Albums

Compilation album

Remix album

Instrumental album

Singles

Inoran×Roen collaboration, limited CD and DVD release available at Inoran Live Tour 2009.

Home videos

Books

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Interview with INORAN". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2012-03-11.
  2. ↑ "LUNA SEA: God Bless You". JRock Revolution. 2007-08-27. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  3. ↑ "「いつかどこかの空の下でまた会おう」LUNA SEA復活ライヴで意味深発言". Barks.jp (in Japanese). 2007-12-25.
  4. ↑ "hide Memorial Summit". jame-world.com. 2008-03-21. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  5. ↑ "Abstinence's Door #002". derlanger.jp. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
  6. ↑ "V-ROCK FESTIVAL: Sunday, October 25th - L Stage". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2011-10-15.
  7. 1 2 "INORAN (LUNA SEA) and NAOTO (ORANGE RANGE) Offer Unreleased Song "LOVE FOR..." for Charity Purpose.". musicjapanplus.jp. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  8. ↑ "Reissue of INORAN's First Album". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
  9. 1 2 "INORAN's New Band: Muddy Apes". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2012-09-17.
  10. 1 2 "INORAN announces new album and summer tour". tokyohive.com. Retrieved 2012-04-28.
  11. ↑ "INORAN to collaborate with Tsuchiya Anna for new album". tokyohive.com. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  12. ↑ "Interview with INORAN". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2012-08-31.
  13. ↑ "FAKE?、INORAN全面参加の結成10周年ライブ大成功". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  14. ↑ "[Event Report]INORAN, MUCC, lynch, heidi at event presented by Angelo". barks.jp. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  15. ↑ "INORAN announced his upcoming album "Beautiful Now" to be released on August 26th and a domestic tour in September to follow.". barks.jp. Retrieved 2015-06-13.
  16. ↑ "The Men of LUNA SEA: A Closer Look". JRock Revolution. 2007-09-03. Retrieved 2013-03-01.
  17. ↑ "LUNA SEAフェスにDEAD END、D'ERLANGERらレジェンド陣6組追加". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. 8 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Ken and INORAN get endorsed by Fender". tokyohive.com. Retrieved 2011-07-28.
  19. ↑ "INORANとフェンダーカスタムショップがコラボ「INORAN Jazzmaster #1 LTD」". Barks.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  20. ↑ "INORANの「生涯最高のGUITAR」がFender Custom Shopから30本限定で登場". Barks.com (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  21. ↑ "INORANこだわりのJAZZMASTER、シグネイチャーモデル年内発売". Natalie (in Japanese). Retrieved 2016-03-05.
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "INORANのアルバム売り上げランキング". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  23. 1 2 3 "INORANのシングル売り上げランキング". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "INORANのDVD売り上げランキング". oricon.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-01-22.

External links


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