For the Japanese-born Renaissance man Yoshiki, risk is an essential aspect of his creativity. The piano player, kimono designer (highlighted at Paris Fashion Week), Golden Globes theme composer — and more — knows that to achieve anything, to make any kind of unique mark, one needs to find new ground. Explore new territory, both inwardly and outwardly. That’s the recipe, if there is one, to success. And Yoshiki is continuing to test that important maxim. This fall, he made his directorial debut with the music documentary, Yoshiki: Under The Sky, which also features the likes of St. Vincent and the Chainsmokers. He then held performances in honor of the doc in New York, L.A., London and Tokyo in a matter of days. There will be no resting on laurels.
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“You just have to take risks,” Yoshiki tells American Songwriter, amidst his jet-setting schedule. “You have to go beyond your comfort zone. Otherwise, I don’t know — I’m not saying you can’t create art within your comfort zone, but art is all about disruption.”
That last word is key for the artist. In a way, the idea marks a moment of tragedy that shaped Yoshiki. Like a superhero and his painful origin story, Yoshiki’s father died by suicide when the boy was just 10 years old. Of course, it was very painful. But the loss of his parent sparked other emotions, too. Namely, sadness and anger. For Yoshiki, who fell in love with music even before hitting double-digits, diving into classical piano when he was 4 years old and then punk a little later, music provided the necessary medicine, the outlet he needed.
“I had to play rock,” the soft-spoken Yoshiki says. “The first time for punk rock [was] 10 years old, when my father died.”
Music fans in Japan know the artist well. He has 1.1 million followers on Instagram thanks to his elaborate live performances, which include see-through pianos, and his history in the country with standout projects of multiple styles. Yoshiki co-founded the prominent rock band X Japan, which spanned 1982 to 1997, releasing five studio albums. In 1999, a 34-year-old Yoshiki composed a piano concerto for the Emperor of Japan’s 10th anniversary of enthronement. He says he was “shocked in a good way” that he was asked to compose the number. But his classical music background paid off. So did his love of his country. A place he always returns to no matter how far his responsibilities take him.
“Sometimes,” says Yoshiki, who has also released three solo LPs, “traveling around the world, you kind of get lost and ask, ‘Where am I from? What am I doing?’ But when I go back to Japan, I’m like, Ahhh, you know? This is where I grew up. I love Japan.”
As for his new documentary, another love letter of sorts, the artist says the work sprung from his adoration of myriad creative outlets. “I produce music, I produce fashion, I produce beverages,” he says.
In other words, he wasn’t worried about any sort of permission for his next act. Really, it comes down to his need to work, both with and for others in the industry. “The process I’m doing just made me a director. I don’t have a specific genre of what I should be doing. In general, I am a musician, but, you know, I make fashion, I do philanthropy. It’s all kind of the same thing. I try to support people.”
When it comes to the future for his life and career, Yoshiki recoils a bit at the concept. In one sense, there is no such thing, right? There is just a series of presents strung together. So, that’s how he chooses to look at it now. He saw his father’s future ripped away. So, why think in terms of that now? “I don’t want to start [differentiating] between the future and the past,” Yoshiki says. “I just have to live this moment as much as I can. If you think about the future, you can be worried about everything. It’s best to just seize the moment.”
Indeed, truer words were never spoken. But that’s what Yoshiki does best. He distills whatever is in his sights to the most essential and then, like a flower, he takes the seed and blossoms from it. No tomorrow is promised. It’s a lesson he learned early on. So, today, he takes what he can and makes the most of it — tangibly, internally. But it all starts with his love of music. Something he seemingly was born connected to. It’s how the multi-talented multi-instrumentalist has been able to work with the likes of George Martin, Bono, Jennifer Hudson, will.i.am, Gene Simmons and others throughout his career. It’s what keeps him going. A platform from which to leap.
“It’s not love,” Yoshiki says, nuanced. “I need music to survive. Basically, it’s like air to breathe. It’s like blood. Music to me is everything.”
Photo courtesy Yoshiki
