Hideto Matsumoto, known by his stage name Hide, was a widely influential Japanese musician. He was born on December 13, 1964, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. He began his professional music career by forming the band Saber Tiger in 1981, later renamed Saver Tiger. They released their self-titled EP in 1985, which included tracks like "Double Cross" and "Gold Digger." In 1987, Hide joined the pioneering visual kei band X Japan as the lead guitarist. X Japan made their debut with the album Vanishing Vision in 1988 and achieved mainstream success with their major label debut, Blue Blood, in 1989. This album catapulted them to fame, earning them the "Grand Prix New Artist of the Year" award at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1990. Hide launched his solo career in 1993 while still with X Japan. He released his debut solo album Hide Your Face in 1994, which displayed a different brand of alternative rock from X Japan’s heavy metal stylings. This was followed by Psyence in 1996, which also topped the charts. In 1996, hide formed the US-based supergroup Zilch, aiming for international reach. X Japan disbanded in 1997 after a farewell performance, allowing Hide to focus on his solo projects, including his record label LEMONed. Unfortunately, Hide's career was cut short by his untimely death on May 2, 1998, at the age of 33. Since his death, numerous successful posthumous releases have been issued, including the Ja, Zoo album in 1998 and the special box set retrospective REPSYCLE〜hide 60th Anniversary Special Box〜 in 2024.
