Starting February 25, the award-winning rock documentary “We Are X” is available on Amazon Prime to viewers in the US for the first time. This documentary follows the story of X Japan, one of Japan’s most influential rock bands, selling more than 30 million albums worldwide.
X Japan continues to headline the world’s biggest stages at home and abroad, from Coachella Music Festival and London’s Wembley Arena to Japan’s premier venue Tokyo Dome, which X Japan sold out a record-breaking 18 times.
We Are X is a surprisingly intimate portrait of a haunted virtuoso, and the music that has enthralled legions of the world’s most devoted fans. The film culminates in preparation for X Japan’s historic, exclusive reunion concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2014.
We Are X was screened at film festivals worldwide, but this is the first time it has been made available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S. JROCK NEWS had the honor of interviewing YOSHIKI in Stockholm, Sweden around the time of We Are X‘s initial release.
Theatrical poster for the award-winning documentary “We Are X”.
Hailed as a “fascinating and assured documentary” by The New York Times and “the most dramatic rock story you’ve never heard” by MTV UK, WE ARE X chronicles the exhilarating, tumultuous, and unimaginable history of X Japan over the past three decades. It captivates a wide range of admirers including Sir George Martin, KISS, and Stan Lee. Released theatrically in over 30 countries and featuring a worldwide chart-topping soundtrack, the film has won awards at the Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals and was an official selection at over 30 international film festivals.
X Japan—led by drummer, composer, and pianist YOSHIKI, vocalist TOSHI, guitarist PATA, bassist HEATH, and guitarist and violinist SUGIZO—is the most successful rock group in Japanese history. Their 1989 album Blue Blood was named “One of the 100 Greatest Japanese Rock Albums of All Time” by Rolling Stone Japan. In the band’s early days, their look and sound sparked a global interest in the Japanese cultural rock phenomenon “visual kei”, a wild fashion and music movement X Japan pioneered that spread worldwide.
Trained as a classical pianist, YOSHIKI is named one of the most influential composers in Japanese history. He has sold over 50 million albums and singles worldwide. YOSHIKI provided music for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, and even has his own Hello Kitty character, Yoshikitty.