Kazuki Arai

About

Bass player most distinguished for being a co-founding member of the new jazz contemporary, alternative technopop, and R&B band King Gnu. He has been signed to major labels such as Perimetron and Ariola and has performed with artists such as Answer to Remember, EPISTROPH, and the Kimijima Ozora Ensemble Form. He is also the host of the weeknight J-WAVE FM radio program entitled "SPARK."

Before Fame

He learned how to play the bass when he was 14 years old and continued to play throughout his attendance at Metropolitan Ome Sogo High School. He later went on to graduate from Tokyo Keizai University and take supplementary music classes at the Kunitachi College of Music. He co-founded King Gnu in 2017 and the band made its major label debut only 2 years later.

Trivia

He received the Grand First Prize from Yamano Musical Instruments' illustrious Big Band Jazz Contest for his performance with the National College of Music's prestigious student band titled "Newtide Jazz Orchestra."

Family Life

His mother initially introduced him to hip-hop music when he was a child, which sparked his musical aspirations. On March 26, 2022, he announced on Twitter that he had gotten married to his long-time girlfriend; however, he did not reveal his wife's name.

Associated With

He and Daiki Tsuneta are both founding members of the band King Gnu. He collaborated with pop singer Ayaka on her song "Kinmokusei" in 2021.