Kiyonobu Inoue, more commonly known as Inoran, is a very busy man. Aside from his day job, in which he plays to sold out arenas as a guitarist for rock band Luna Sea, he juggles being a producer, playing in a handful of other projects and managing a solo career. He admits life wasn't always this hectic, though.

"Before Luna Sea went on hiatus in 2000, we were so into it that we didn't think of doing anything else," Inoran tells The Japan Times during an interview at his management's office in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. "I wouldn't have been able to keep up with the four other members if I hadn't been like that, and we probably would have been defeated by the outside world. We believed in the band so much."

Inoran has just released "Beautiful Now," his 10th solo album in 18 years. While perhaps better known for his guitar work, these solo outings have let him take center stage, composing and singing all the material. His debut solo album, "Sou," came out while Luna Sea was on a yearlong hiatus after rocketing to super-stardom in the mid-1990s.