The Project
Mana formed Moi dix Mois on March 19th, 2002, about three months after the disbanding of MALICE MIZER. While several members make up the project itself, Moi dix Mois is Mana's solo project (but for the sake of brevity, I am going to refer to it as a band). He composes the music, writes the lyrics, produces the music on his label, Midi:Nette, and does pretty much everything except speak for himself.1 The music features drums, keyboards, electric guitars and bass guitars, and is best described as a balanced mixture of classical and metal, placing it firmly in the symphonic metal genre.2 As a result of Mana's prominence as a visual kei performer, Moi dix Mois is also recognized in the visual kei scene for the elaborate, dark, aesthetic (and slightly ridiculous) costumes the members wear, which Mana also personally designs.
The original lineup featured Mana as the electric guitarist and keyboardist, Juka as the vocalist, Kazuno as the bassist, and Tohru as the support drummer until Shadows Temple, when he became an official member. With this lineup, the band produced two singles and two albums: Dialogue Symphonie (2002), Dix Infernal (2003), Shadows Temple (2004) and Nocturnal Opera (2004) consecutively. K joined the band in 2004 as a second guitarist and death vocalist (he basically yells stuff in a throaty voice in the background). In 2005, Juka decided to leave the band. Kazuno and Tohru left shortly before the release of Beyond the Gate (2006), at which time Seth was introduced as the new vocalist. The other two current members, Sugiya (bass) and Hayato (drums), were not considered official members until the release of Lamentful Miss. The new lineup has since then produced Lamentful Miss (2006) and Dixanadu (2007).
Moi dix Mois is a name that Mana created himself, its literal translation in French being "me ten months." In Japan, the amount of months leading up to birth is counted by lunar months, which actually adds up to ten months of gestation in the womb. Because Moi dix Mois is Mana's solo project, the name refers to Mana's birth as a solo artist. (Moi dix Mois is proununced muah·dis·muah; this is how the members pronounce it, rather than in proper French.)
Current Members
Mana
The leader and source of probably 99% of all the hype that Moi dix Mois has received in general, what with his prominent standing in the visual kei scene (especially because of his influence with gothic lolita fashion) and his popularity with fans when he was in MALICE MIZER. He writes and composes all of the music for Moi dix Mois (it's his "solo project" mind you) and fulfills the parts of lead guitarist and keyboardist in the band. There isn't much known about him.
Seth
Seth has been the vocalist for Moi dix Mois since 2006. He is very protective of his information; the official website doesn't even disclose his birthdate and blood type, unlike what has been done for the others. He is easily distinguishable via his ridiculous eyepatch, and if YouTube videos are any indication, he kicks ass all around in live performances. It is rumored that he is actually SEIJI from bands like Brain Hacker and After Image, but we are going to ignore those.
K
Since 2004, K has provided "death vocals" and played a mean guitar opposite Mana. Studies (*cough* DVDs *cough*) show that K is a total dork and loves messing up photos, using "the force" to open doors, and mimicking Mana, Hayato and Sugiya randomly. Looking at his face makeup, it's probably also not that surprising that he's a fan of Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson (which, I am of the opinion his makeup is the coolest of the bunch).
Sugiya
Sugiya is Moi dix Mois' bassist, playing only as support for live concerts before officially becoming a member in 2006. For some reason, it seems like Sugiya is always waving his arms about in DVDs, so either he rather enjoys flailing or he can never sit still for more than five seconds. Based on interviews, he is a very goal-oriented person.
Hayato
Hayato joined when Sugiya did, and is the band's beloved drummer. I would like to take a moment to point out his eerie resemblance to Kami from MALICE MIZER. Mana met Hayato through Seth; Hayato seems to be really concentrated on creating romantic and elegant elements of sound with the drums to fit Moi dix Mois perfectly.
Ex-Members
Juka
Kazuno
Tohru
- 1 Because Mana believes his music speaks for him, he whispers in the ear of fellow bandmates, who then speak for him. K and Juka fulfill(ed) this duty as members of Moi dix Mois, and during his days in MALICE MIZER, Gackt used to speak for Mana too.
- 2 Mana is known for his ability to mix totally opposite elements and create a harmony with them in his music.