Japan’s Karn loses battle with cancer

Karn died yesterday at his Chelsea house and is survived by his wife Kyoko and his son Metis.

Born Andonis Michaelides into a Greek Cypriot family in 1958, Karn was a founder member of the mid seventies band Japan along with David Sylvian, Steve Jansen and Richard Barbieri.

Jansen pays tribute to his close friend and says, “Mick remained a creative energy to his final days, and his strength and dignity was to be truly admired. He will be greatly missed”.

Although, the band’s first few albums on Ariola Hansa were largely ignored they found the charts after a switch to Virgin with the 1980 release Gentleman Take Polaroids and the 1981 follow up Tin Drum.

After the band split in 1982 Mick went on to record several solo albums as well as forming Dali’s Car with former Bauhaus frontman Pete Murphy.

Source: Music Week