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Kyo
Background information
Born	February 16, 1976 (1976-02-16) (age 31)
Origin	Kyoto, Japan
Genre(s)	Rock/metal
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter, producer, poet
Instrument(s)	Vocals
Associated acts	Dir en grey

Kyo (京, Kyō^?, born on February 16, 1976 in Kyoto) is a Japanese musician and the lead vocalist and lyricist of Dir en grey. He has been with the band since its inception in 1997 and was previously the frontman of La:Sadie's.

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 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 its conformity-oriented society ("Children"). The vocabulary used ranges from vulgar to timid, with wordplay and double entendres occurring frequently, often connected to the multiple meanings of certain kanji characters.^[1]

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.^[2]

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 2007.

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