Born on 29 December 1964 in Itakacho, Kenichi Asai is a renowned Japanese rock singer-songwriter and guitarist who first gained prominence in the 1990s as a co-founder of leading garage rock unit Blankey Jet City. He subsequently joined several other groups, including the Sherbets, Ajico (with soul singer UA), and Jude (pronounced "yuh-dah"), before briefly returning to Blankey Jet City at the offset of their demise around 2000. He launched his solo career in the mid-2000s with debut solo single "危険すぎる," ("Too Dangerous"), which was released in 2006 and went to number 14 in Japan. His first album Johnny Hell also arrived in 2006 and he continued to put out albums consistently throughout the 2000s and 2010s, culminating in 2019's Top 40 offering Blood Shift. In addition to his solo career, he has collaborated with various artists across various genres, further solidifying his place at the top table of Japanese alternative music. In 2021, he claimed the number 15 spot on Japan's Oricon chart with Caramel Guerrilla and three years later unleashed the high-octane rock 'n' roll trip Over Head Pop.
