Rentrer en Soi are a prominent indie band of the visual kei movement -- a Japanese musical/subcultural phenomenon centered around bands that play a nu metal/goth crossover and place huge importance on visual appearance, designing elaborate costumes and hairstyles. Rentrer en Soi were formed in 2001, their name meaning something like "return to self" in mangled French. Their beginnings were slow -- they toiled for a couple of years as a quartet without a stable drummer, releasing some demo tapes that went largely unheeded by the public. Their luck changed soon after they completed the band lineup, picking Mika to play drums. They then met Yukari, ex-vocalist of the popular band Baiser, who was trying his hand at producing new groups; his influence made Rentrer en Soi sound a lot like Baiser, but this helped the band gain success. The Free-Will label soon added Rentrer en Soi to its roster, and the mini-album Yurikago was released in 2004. The band started increasing in popularity, but the change brought strain, and in 2004 guitarist Ao, one of its founding members, left Rentrer en Soi, to be replaced by Shun.nnRentrer en Soi completed 2004 by releasing a DVD with promo videos shot in France, and then issued their debut LP, Sphire-Croid, in early 2005. It was successful, but after two more mini-albums, Astre No Ito and Kein No Hitsugi (both released in 2005), Rentrer en Soi switched their producer, which again influenced them significantly -- they went for a heavier sound, adding a lot of guitars and growls and screams. The new style was exhibited on their eponymous sophomore album in 2006, which also marked the beginning of their flirtation with the Western scene; they were signed to European and American labels, and then had their first overseas appearance, playing the Oni-Con in Texas in 2007. They failed to appear the Clash Against Commercialism event in New York in 2008 due to visa problems, but managed to play the Anime Next convention in New Jersey the same year. ~ Alexey Eremenko