Yoshiki — composer, drummer, pianist, and leader of rock bands X JAPAN and THE LAST ROCKSTARS — collaborated with German hard rock legends SCORPIONS on a special performance of “Wind Of Change”. The clip, which can be seen below, is featured in the music documentary film “Yoshiki: Under The Sky”, which had its international premiere this past September at the AMC Empire 25 in New York City’s Times Square, featuring Yoshiki leading a global concert featuring today’s top musical artists.
Directed by Yoshiki, the project is the artist’s first feature film as director and was conceived during the recent period when musicians could not connect with their fans.
Yoshiki has gathered an extraordinary collection of artists for a deeply emotional journey, including a heartbreaking interaction with the husband of a terminally ill fan and a celebration of voices joined from across international borders. The film features powerful live performances by THE CHAINSMOKERS (USA),St. Vincent (USA),Sarah Brightman (England),SCORPIONS (Germany),Hyde (Japan),Sugizo (Japan),SIXTONES (Japan),Jane Zhang (China),Lindsey Stirling (USA),Nicole Scherzinger (USA),and more.
Interspersed throughout the film are interviews with Yoshiki about his passion for music and the pain of having lost loved ones. The film celebrates the healing power of music and Yoshiki’s resolve to never give up.
The film’s debut came just one month before Yoshiki performed his Yoshiki Classical 10th Anniversary World Tour With Orchestra 2023 “Requiem”, headlining shows at Tokyo Garden Theater (Tokyo),Royal Albert Hall (London),Dolby Theater (L.A.),and Carnegie Hall (New York). This tour was the first time a Japanese artist has headlined all these historic venues.
Yoshiki said: “When I first began working on this project, I didn’t know when we would all be able to gather in the same place and share the joy of music. Coming together with these great artists from around the world, we were able to create a theatrical experience that I’m very proud of. I’m so grateful for everyone who joined us on this journey.”
The critically acclaimed documentary film about Yoshiki‘s band X JAPAN — “We Are X” — was released in 2016 in 30 countries, winning awards at the SXSW and Sundance film festivals.
Photo courtesy of Prime PR Group, Inc.