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Kyo
Kyo at Rock im Park in 2006
Background information
Born	February 16, 1976 (1976-02-16) (age 34) Kyoto, Honshū, Japan
Genres	Metal, rock
Occupations	Singer, songwriter, producer, poet
Instruments	Vocals
Associated acts	Dir en grey, La:Sadie's

Kyo (京, Kyō^?) (born February 16, 1976^[1]) is a Japanese musician known as the vocalist of Dir en grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997. His birth name is a topic of controversy amongst both fans and critics alike. He signs his poetry volumes "西村 亨" (Tooru Nishimura)^{[citation needed]}, though other sources instead claim his family name to be Niimura.^{[citation needed]}

While he has only composed a handful of Dir en grey's songs (for example, "The Domestic Fucker Family" and "Hades"), Kyo is responsible for all the lyrics, which usually have negative implications and touch on a variety of dark, sometimes taboo, subjects, such as sexual obsessions ("Zomboid"), abuse ("Berry"), and mass media ("Mr. Newsman"). Several songs deal with specifically Japanese issues, such as the country's casual attitude towards abortion ("Mazohyst of Decadence" and "Obscure") and its conformity-oriented society ("Children").

The vocabulary used ranges from vulgar to exalted, with wordplay and double entendres occurring frequently. For example, the title of the song "Mitsu to Tsuba," which is about rape, means "Honey and Saliva," but is written with the kanji for honey and saliva inverted, suggesting reading them with an inverted pronunciation - "Tsumi to Batsu" - which would translate to "Crime and Punishment," a more appropriate title. ^[2]

His stage presence has reached a level of infamy, as it is not only very energetic and emotional, but also littered with shock elements such as full-body makeup resembling heavy burns, fake vomit of varying color and consistency, and various acts of self-mutilation. However, the authenticity of the latter is not always clear, given how frequent certain practices occur, sometimes firmly in place within a tour's usual setlist. For example, Kyo would regularly engage in fish-hooking during the performance of "Kodoku ni Shisu, Yueni Kodoku." throughout the It Withers and Withers and Inward Scream tours.^[3] Throughout his career, Kyo has been hospitalized multiple times: once in 2000, due to hearing problems (remaining partially deaf in his left ear^{[citation needed]}) and again in 2006 and 2009 with edema of larynx (inflamed vocal cords).^[4]

Bibliography

Kyo has released two volumes of poetry, published through Media Factory. Both books are accompanied by short bonus CDs, containing the only solo music he has released as of 2009.

References