-PROFILE-
- Pronunciation: hide
- Status: major - deceased
- Begin: 1993
- End: 1998
-HIS LIFE-
Hideto Matsumoto was Born on December 13th, 1964, in Yokosuka, Japan. He discovered rock music in his teenage years and soon received his first guitar (a second-hand Gibson Les Paul Deluxe) from his grandmother. In 11th grade, hide started his first band, called "Saber Tiger". In 1986, changed their name to Saver Tiger. Saver Tiger had many different members coming and leaving the band. hide disliked the constant member change as it made the band unstable and, on January 28th 1987, Saver Tiger disbanded. Their last performance was in Meguro Rokumeikan.
He joined "X" a little after "Saver Tiger"'s disband. Along with Toshi, Yoshiki, Pata and Taiji, "X" (later known as "X Japan") started their career together.,hide’s musical talent began to shine. He wrote many songs for them, and his stage antics and overall insanity made him an instant favourite of the fans.
On 5th August 1993, hide started his solo career with his first singles "Eyes Love You" and "50% & 50%" and his album "Hide Your Face". The singles reached 3 and 6 respectively in the Oricon charts and the album reached the number 1. It was the beginning of the last few years of hide's life - and the best few years of his career.
After that, hide released many solo singles and another two albums: "Psyence" and "Tune-Up" (a remix) as well as many compilation albums. He created his record label and general company, called "LEMONed", and he opened a ahop in Harajuku, Tokyo.
In 1996, hide also started "Zilch" (a project he had formed during the time he spent in Los Angeles, with musicians he had met in the city), with industrial sound and all English lyrics.
Sadly, in the night of May 1st 1998, he would not be alive the next morning. In 1997, "X Japan" disbanded, greatly affecting hide, who said that "X Japan was his life". As reported by some, he became very depressed, seemingly "overcome with a feeling of futility" and his drinking habits got worse.
After the disband, he announced that he would bring together his backing musicians, into a band that would be known as ‘hide with "Spread Beaver". These musicians (with the exception of Kiyoshi, RAN and Kaz) had played with him from the beginning of his solo career and, together, they started their career as "Spread Beaver", releasing the "Rocket Dive" single in January 1998. This was their first and last single as a band. Just days before their famous second single, "Pink Spider", was to be released, Hideto "hide" Matsumoto passed away.
Having been drinking heavily on the night of May 1st, hide returned to his apartment with his brother and a female friend (reports vary from her being his girlfriend to being just a friend). hide was promptly helped into bed by this female and, upon her return to check him, she found him in the bathroom, a towel tied into a noose around his neck. He was unconscious and was immediately rushed to hospital, but was dead upon arrival. 8:52am, Saturday May 2nd, 1998 – one of Japan’s greatest musicians was lost.
Police investigation showed no signs of a break-in and the case was closed as being "suicide", though family members later forced them to change it to "accident". There are many theories regarding his death. hide's friends and relatives claimed they are entirely sure it was an accident. Many consider the single "Pink Spider" (released a few days after hide’s death) to be a suicide note, as the lyrics tell the story of a "Spider" wanting "wings" so he can be free.
hide's funeral was at Tsukiji Hongan-ji on May 7th, and brought fans from far and wide, many skipping work to stand among the giant crowds outside the temple. The same year as his death, "Spread Beaver" released the album entitled "Ja-Zoo" with songs that hide had been part-way through producing, and, that same year, embarked upon the "Tribal Ja,Zoo tour" without their vocalist and leader. Every concert on the tour was a complete sell-out.
In 2000, hide’s younger brother, Hiroshi Matsumoto, announced plans to open a "hide Museum" in Yokosuka, Japan (the birthplace of hide). This idea was met with enthusiasm by the fans, though the museum was often criticised by many who visited it, for being far too commercial. In September 2005, the hide Museum closed, with tears by some and bitter feelings by others.
hide is still remembered by fans all around the world. His spirit, his memory and his music will live forever.
-DISCOGRAPHY-
>>> ALBUM & MINI-ALBUM <<<
2004-04-28 -> KING OF PSYBORG ROCK STAR (CD - album)
2002-07-24 -> hide SINGLES - Junk Story (miscellaneous - album)
2002-05-22 -> Psy Clone - Hide Electronic Remixes (miscellaneous - album)
2002-05-16 -> hide LEMONed Compilation - Cafe Le PSYENCE (miscellaneous - album)
2000-05-01 -> Spirits - hide tributes- (miscellaneous - album)
1998-11-21 -> Ja, Zoo (CD - album)
1996-09-02 -> PSYENCE (CD - album)
1994-02-23 -> hide your face (CD - album)
>>> SINGLE & MAXI-SINGLE <<<
2005-09-21 -> PERFECT SINGLE BOX (CD - maxi-single)
2002-07-24 -> IN MOTION (CD - maxi-single)
2000-01-19 -> TELL ME (CD - maxi-single)
1998-08-21 -> HURRY GO ROUND (CD - single)
1998-05-27 -> EVER FREE (CD - single)
1998-05-13 -> Pink Spider (CD - single)
1998-01-28 -> Rocket Dive (CD - single)
1996-12-18 -> Hi-Ho / GOOD BYE (CD - maxi-single)
1996-06-24 -> MISERY (CD - single)
1994-03-24 -> TELL ME (CD - single)
1994-01-21 -> DICE (CD - single)
1993-08-05 -> EYES LOVE YOU (CD - single)
1993-08-05 -> 50% & 50% (CD - single)
>>> DVD <<<
2005-09-21 -> hide with Spread Beaver appear!! "1998 TRIBAL Ja,Zoo" (DVD - concert)
2001-05-03 -> seventeen clips ~perfect clips~ (DVD - pvs)
2001-04-04 -> A Souvenir + TELL ME (DVD - pvs)
2001-04-04 -> FILM THE PSYCHOMMUNITY REEL.1 (DVD - concert)
2001-04-04 -> FILM THE PSYCHOMMUNITY REEL.2 (DVD - concert)
2000-12-13 -> ALIVEST perfect stage <1,000,000 cuts hide! hide! hide!> (DVD - concert)
2000-10-18 -> UGLY PINK MACHINE file 1 (DVD - concert)
2000-10-18 -> UGLY PINK MACHINE file 2 (DVD - concert)
2000-10-18 -> seven clips + HURRY GO ROUND (DVD - pvs)
2000-07-20 -> hIS iNVICIBLE dELUGE eVIDENCE (DVD - miscellaneous)
1999-12-08 -> A STORY 1998 hide LAST WORKS (DVD - making of)
>>> VHS <<<
2001-05-03 -> seventeen clips -perfect clips- (VHS - pvs)
2000-12-13 -> ALIVEST perfect stage <1,000,000 cuts hide! hide! hide!> (VHS - concert)
1999-12-08 -> A STORY 1998 hide LAST WORKS (VHS - making of)
1998-07-17 -> hIS iNVICIBLE dELUGE eVIDENCE (VHS - miscellaneous)
1997-06-21 -> seven clips (VHS - pvs)
1997-03-26 -> UGLY PINK MACHINE file 2 (VHS - miscellaneous)
1997-02-26 ->UGLY PINK MACHINE file 1 (VHS - concert)
1994-11-23 -> FILM THE PSYCHOMMUNITY REEL.2 (VHS - concert)
1994-10-23 -> FILM THE PSYCHOMMUNITY REEL.1 (VHS - concert)
1994-03-24 -> A Souvenir (VHS - pvs)
>>> BOOK <<<
2000 -> hide (by Hideo Canno) (book - art-book)
1997 -> 1128 ~ solo tour 1996 Psyence a go go (book - art-book)
1994 -> Visualbum (book - art-book)
1993 -> Mugongeki (book - art-book)
>>> BOX & MISC. <<<
2002-07-24 -> hide SINGLES - Junk Story (miscellaneous - album)
2002-05-22 -> Psy Clone - Hide Electronic Remixes(miscellaneous - album)
2002-05-16 -> hide LEMONed Compilation - Cafe Le PSYENCE (miscellaneous - album)
2000-05-01 -> Spirits - hide tributes- (miscellaneous - album)
>>> OMNIBUS <<<
1999-05-01 -> hide TRIBUTE SPIRITS (CD - album)
-GALLERY-
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-RELATED LINKS-
hide-city [hide official fanclub site]
Paranoid citroid [Has a good resource about hide's boigraphy]
Hommage ŕ Hide [French site with good information]
hide on JaME [hide's corner on JaME]
-back-