Taiji (musician)

Taiji

Taiji performing with X circa 1990
Background information
Birth name Taiji Sawada
Also known as Ray
Born (1966-07-12)July 12, 1966
Ichikawa, Chiba, Japan
Died July 17, 2011(2011-07-17) (aged 45)
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Bass guitar
  • guitar
Years active 1982–2011
Associated acts
  • Trash
  • Dementia
  • X
  • Loudness
  • D.T.R
  • Kings
  • Cloud Nine
  • Otokaze
  • the Killing Red Addiction
  • Taiji with Heaven's
  • TSP
Website taiji-tsglaston.com
Notable instruments

Taiji Sawada (沢田 泰司 Sawada Taiji, July 12, 1966 – July 17, 2011) was a Japanese musician. Referred to by his stage name Taiji, he was most widely known as former bassist of the heavy metal band X (currently known as X Japan), with whom he also served as an occasional songwriter and acoustic guitarist. After leaving X in 1992 he went on to work with many other bands, including Loudness and D.T.R.

History

1982–92: Early bands and X

After dropping out of high school in 1982, Taiji formed his first band Trash,[1] where he was the leader and guitarist. In late 1984 he switched to bass and going by the name Ray joined the metal group Dementia,[1] staying until 1985. He then played briefly with Prowler, as well as a few shows with X.[2] Until 1986 when he joined the very short-lived Dead Wire, whose line-up also included future Saver Tiger and D'erlanger members, Kyo and Tetsu. Soon after he officially rejoined X at the end of 1986.[2]

Although he wrote many songs for the band, "Phantom of Guilt", "Desperate Angel" and "Voiceless Screaming" were some of the few that were officially released. In 2001, some of the unpublished songs were finally released in Rose & Blood -Indies of X-. Taiji left X in 1992, the official reason given by the band was due to musical differences. However, in his autobiography Taiji claims he was asked to leave because he confronted Yoshiki due to the substantial income gap between Yoshiki and each of the other members.[1] His last concert with the band was the last day of three consecutive nights at the Tokyo Dome, it was released on DVD as On the Verge of Destruction 1992.1.7 Tokyo Dome Live.

1992–2006: Loudness, D.T.R, Cloud Nine

In April he was invited to join Japanese metal band Loudness.[3] He left them in November 1993, after recording only one studio album and one live album. In July 1994 he formed his own band and named it D.T.R, which stood for "Dirty Trashroad" and featured Mitsuo Takeuchi (ex:Joe-Erk) on vocals, Taiji Fujimoto (ex:The Dead Pop Stars, ex:Judy and Mary) on guitar and Toshihiko Okabe on drums.[4]

In 1995 he also joined the short-lived supergroup Kings, with Shuichi Aoiki (Night Hawks) on vocals, Luke Takamura (Seikima-II) on guitar and Satoshi "Joe" Miyawaki (44 Magnum, Spread Beaver) as support drummer.

Guitarist Tomoyuki Kuroda later joined D.T.R in 1995, but a year later Yoshihiko left, and then the band was put on hold when Taiji was going through personal problems.[4] During this time Taiji got divorced from his wife, whom he married in 1989, and became homeless.[1]

In 1998 he created Cloud Nine, but left in 2001 and they decided to continue on without him.[3] He then formed Otokaze (音風) with his sister Masayo on vocals, they released one self-titled album on November 9, 2004.[5]

In 2005 Taiji was in a motorcycle accident where he badly injured the ligaments in his foot. D.T.R resumed activity in 2006 with keyboardist Kenji Shimizu and their former support drummer Kazuhisa "Roger" Takahashi now official members.

2006–09: Taiji with Heaven's, the Killing Red Addiction

Also in April 2006, he formed another band, Taiji with Heaven's, with Taiji on bass and Dai on vocals; later guitarist Ryutaro joined.[3] In 2009 they officially started activities; in May 2010 Takanari joined on drums and they released their first mini-album on January 13, 2010.[3]

In 2007, Taiji returned to Cloud Nine.[3] In 2009 he announced that he would once again be playing bass in a supergroup, The Killing Red Addiction with guitarist Tatsu (Gastunk), drummer Kenzi (Anti Feminism, The Dead Pop Stars, ex:Kamaitachi) and vocalist Dynamite Tommy (ex: Color).[6] They had their debut performance on June 22 at the Whiskey A Go Go, in Los Angeles, California, United States.[6] Their second performance was in Osaka, Japan at the Shinjuku Loft on December 29, and they released a cover of Gastunk's "Devil" on iTunes on January 13, 2010.

In December 2008, Taiji's staff announced on his blog that since September his epilepsy and chronic strokes had worsened,[7] that he was suffering from necrosis after a hip joint replacement of the femoral component on his left hip,[7] and that on December 2 he was hospitalized again after falling and hurting his chest and throat.[7]

2010–11: TSP, Reunited with X

In 2010, he formed TSP (Taiji & Shu Project), with Taiji on bass, guitarist Shu (Cloud Nine, Crazy Quarter Mile), vocalist Dai (Taiji with Heaven's) and drummer Hina (Crazy Quarter Mile).[2] Taiji with Heaven's also performed a show in Korea that year and later announced plans for further activities in the country the following year.[8][9] However, these were cancelled due to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

On August 12, 2010, Taiji joined X (now known as X Japan) founders Yoshiki and Toshi at a press conference, to announce that he would be performing as a guest with X Japan at their August 14 and 15 shows at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.

On October 9, it was announced that Dai was leaving TSP and would be replaced by Hiroshi "Tazz" Maruki, which resulted in their debut album being delayed.[10]

On January 23, 2011, it was announced that Ryutaro was withdrawing from Taiji with Heaven's due to bad health and personal reasons. On February 17, Tokiya joined as guitarist and it was announced that Taiji with Heavens would now be written without the apostrophe.

2011: Arrest and death

On July 11, 2011, Taiji was arrested for interference with a flight attendant due to an incident on Delta Airlines Flight 298 en route from Japan to Saipan.[11][12] During the flight, Taiji was subdued by other passengers and a flight attendant after a violent outburst, and was arrested upon landing in Saipan.[13] He faced federal charges in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for this.[11] On July 14, Taiji was rushed to an intensive care unit at Saipan's Commonwealth Health Center after allegedly attempting suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet in his detention cell,[12][14] which left him brain dead and on life support.[14][15][16] Taiji died on July 17 at 11 a.m., after his mother and fiancée made the decision to turn off his life support system.[16][17]

Discography

Came with Taiji's autobiography titled Uchuu o Kakeru Tomo e: Densetsu no Bando X no Sei to Shi.
Came with a photobook titled Photograph.
With Trash
With Dementia
With X
Main article: X Japan discography
With Loudness
With D.T.R
With Kings
With Cloud Nine
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 3 of We Rock magazine.
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 15 of We Rock magazine.
With Otokaze
With The Killing Red Addiction
With Taiji with Heaven's
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 15 of We Rock magazine.
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 27 of We Rock magazine.
With TSP
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 21 of We Rock magazine.
Various artists compilation album in Vol. 27 of We Rock magazine.

Other work

Various artists compilation DVD, features an interview with Taiji, rehearsal and other footage.
Various artists compilation DVD, features an interview, studio rehearsal and live footage of D.T.R.
Various artists compilation DVD, features an interview with Taiji and Dai from Taiji with Heaven's, and live performances of "Black Vampire" and "Freeze" by TSP from April 24, 2010.
Tribute DVD to Taiji in Vol. 26 of We Rock magazine, composed of various footage of his bands from 2000 to 2011, mostly those included within issues of Rockin 'f and We Rock.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Sawada, Taiji (2000). Uchuu o Kakeru Tomo e: Densetsu no Bando X no Sei to Shi. Tokuma Shoten. ISBN 978-4-19-861174-3.
  2. 1 2 3 "Biography". taiji-tsglaston.com. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "TAIJI With HEAVEN’S – In The Blood". carlbegai.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  4. 1 2 "D.T.R". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  5. ↑ "Otokaze". jame-world.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  6. 1 2 "THE KILLING RED ADDICTION - Japanese "All Star" Band Featuring Ex-LOUDNESS / Ex-X JAPAN Bassist And DIR EN GREY Executive Producer Announce Live Date For West Hollywood". bravewords.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  7. 1 2 3 "Ex-X JAPAN / Ex-LOUDNESS Bassist TAIJI SAWADA Hospitalized". bravewords.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  8. ↑ "Former X JAPAN member, TAIJI, to promote in Korea". tokyohive.com. Retrieved 2013-04-21.
  9. ↑ "元Xメンバー・TAIJI、韓国で本格始動宣言". Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved 2013-04-20.
  10. ↑ "Dai leaves TSP". jackup.co.jp/tsp/index.html. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
  11. 1 2 "Unruly plane passenger arrested". mvariety.com. Retrieved 2011-07-14.
  12. 1 2 "Former "X" member, TAIJI arrested in Saipan + attempted suicide". tokyohive.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  13. ↑ Agence France-Presse/Jiji Press, "Former X rocker dies in Saipan", Japan Times, 19 July 2011, p. 2.
  14. 1 2 "Sawada tries to kill self in jail". saipantribune.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  15. ↑ "Unruly plane passenger brought to ICU". mvariety.com. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  16. 1 2 "Musician Sawada dies". saipantribune.com. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
  17. ↑ "Former X member Taiji dies in Saipan". natalie.mu (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-07-17.
  18. 1 2 LOUDNESSのシングル売り上げランキング oricon.co.jp Retrieved 2011-01-02
  19. 1 2 LOUDNESSのアルバム売り上げランキング oricon.co.jp Retrieved 2011-01-02
  20. 1 2 DIRTY TRASHROADのシングル売り上げランキング oricon.co.jp Retrieved 2011-01-02
  21. ↑ D.T.R.のアルバム売り上げランキング oricon.co.jp Retrieved 2011-01-02
  22. ↑ KINGSのアルバム売り上げランキング oricon.co.jp Retrieved 2011-01-02

Further reading

External links

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