Ken Yokoyama

Ken Yokoyama launched his independent career after serving as guitarist in the hugely popular semi-punk outfit Hi-Standard, which unofficially split in 2000. He first took a development position at Pizza of Death Records, the label once tied to his former band, before re-entering the live scene through modest side projects that included BBQ Chickens and the self-titled Ken Band. Only later did he begin recording and touring strictly under his own name. Retaining the core approach that had made Hi-Standard so successful, Yokoyama sustained rapid-fire guitars and English-language vocals supported by the blistering drumming of Masatoshi Ishida on his solo dates, while shaping songs reminiscent of American acts such as NOFX. Teaming with bassist Serge Verkhovsky and guitarist Hidenori Minami, he issued two albums through Pizza of Death that performed strongly within Japan’s independent scene. The 2007 release Third Time's a Charm reached the mainstream Top Ten, preserving the brisk, frenetic, and upbeat character established on the earlier records.