The Kebabs

** Vocals: 佐々木亮介 (Ryosuke Sasaki; a flood of circle)

** Guitar, Backing Vocals: 新井弘毅 (Hiroki Arai; ex serial TV drama)

** Bass, Backing Vocals, Vocals: 田淵智也 (Tomoya Tabuchi; UNISON SQUARE GARDEN)

** Drums, Backing Vocals: 鈴木浩之 (Hiroyuki Suzuki; ex ART-SCHOOL)

Biography:

The band consists of Ryosuke Sasaki (Vocals & Guitar, a flood of circle), Hiroki Arai (Guitar, formerly of serial TV drama), Tomoya Tabuchi (Bass, UNISON SQUARE GARDEN), and Hiroyuki Suzuki (Drums, formerly of ART-SCHOOL).

The band’s formation was suddenly announced in November 2018, and since then they have appeared unpredictably, playing live shows whenever and wherever they please.

The genesis of the band can be traced back to the production of 王様になれ (2019) — the film commemorating the 30th anniversary of the pillows. During this project, when Sawao Yamanaka approached Ryosuke Sasaki (from a flood of circle) and Tomoya Tabuchi (from UNISON SQUARE GARDEN) to request their participation, he suggested they form a fictional band specifically for the movie. The actual formation of the group came about shortly thereafter, when the two of them decided to turn that concept into reality and began performing together under the name THE KEBABS.

A second contributing factor to the band's formation is recounted in an official interview included with their major-label debut album. According to this account, member Arai posted his impressions on Twitter after attending a live concert by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN—the band in which Tabuchi serves as a member. Upon seeing this post, Tabuchi and Arai immediately hit it off; subsequently, they reached out to vocalist Sasaki and drummer Suzuki to invite them to join the group.

In 2019, the band held their first solo show titled “THE KEBABS SAKURETSU” at Shimokitazawa GARDEN on January 7. On the same day and again on January 15, they released their first venue-limited demo CD, THE KEBABS #1. An additional performance of “THE KEBABS SAKURETSU” took place on January 15 at Shibuya WWW X.

On May 1, they hosted a two-man live event titled “THE KEBABS GEKISHIN: The Battle of Udagawacho” at Shibuya CLUB QUATTRO, featuring guest band domico. On the same day, they released their second venue-limited demo CD, THE KEBABS #2.

On August 8, they held a solo show in Aichi titled “THE KEBABS SHINGEKI: First Landing Operation in Aichi” at CLUB UPSET. On August 17, they appeared as a guest act at the outdoor music festival RISING SUN ROCK FESTIVAL 2019 in EZO in Ishikari, Hokkaido.

On September 18, they performed another two-man show, “THE KEBABS GEKISHIN: Blood Battle of Dogenzaka”, at TSUTAYA O-EAST with guest band Akaiko-en. On the same day, they released their first digital single, “Makura o kaetara nemurenai.” The song was also featured in the film “Become the King” (Ōsama ni nare), which premiered on September 13, in which all members appeared as themselves.

In 2020, on February 26, they released their major debut work, a live album titled THE KEBABS (Imperial records) which was a live album.

On March 12, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, most dates of their planned tour “THE KEBABS Ryokō 2020” were postponed, except for the January 6 show. The following day, they announced a surprise release of a third demo CD, “THE KEBABS wa Hima Datta”, a song composed during rehearsal.

In October 2021 they released their second album called "セカンド" (Second).

In 2025, their third full-length album, THE KEBABS 新譜 (THE KEBABS: New Album) was released exclusively at venues of their solo tour "THE KEBABS Shinpu," which started on April 18, 2025.

They were signed to Teichiku Entertainment from 2018 to 2019 (Indie). They're signed to Imperial Records (Major) since 2020.

About the members:

Ryosuke Sasaki

Ryosuke Sasaki is the main vocalist and guitarist of the band, also known as a member of a flood of circle since 2006. His role in THE KEBABS centers on vocals and guitar performance, shaping much of the band’s front-facing identity.

His activities are wide-ranging; he actively pursues solo projects that incorporate global trends, as well as numerous collaborative units. Beyond music, his endeavors extend to hosting a podcast channel, writing reviews for music magazines, and designing artwork and merchandise for his own releases—a breadth of talent and communicative influence that establishes him as a truly rare presence within the Japanese music scene.

He uses Gretsch guitars, including the Gretsch G7593 Black Falcon and Gretsch G6139T-CBDC Falcon, which reflect his preference for bold, resonant electric tones.

Hiroki Arai

Hiroki Arai, born August 5, 1984 in Saitama, Japan, is the guitarist, backing vocalist, programmer, and synthesizer player of the band. He was previously a member of serial TV drama from 2004 to 2012.

Following the band's dissolution, he has continued to work as a guitarist—providing support for recordings and live performances—while simultaneously pursuing an active career as a producer, lyricist, composer, and arranger. In December 2020, "Neko" (performed by DISH//)—a track he produced—was awarded the Excellent Work Award at the Japan Record Awards. He also produced BYEE the ROUND and was a support guitarist for many artists including Creepy Nuts.

Since 2018, he has also been actively involved in THE KEBABS’ production work, contributing not only as a performer but also in shaping the band’s overall sound and structure. His role extends beyond guitar into arrangement, programming, and sonic design.

Tomoya Tabuchi

Tomoya Tabuchi, born April 26, 1985 in Tokyo, Japan, is the bassist, vocalist, and primary songwriter of the band. He graduated from Waseda University and has been active since 2004 as a member of UNISON SQUARE GARDEN.

Beyond his work with the band, he is active in a wide range of fields—including composing music for other artists, performing as a guest musician, and serving as a member of the music production team Q-MHz since 2015 in which he works alongside Aki Hata, Tomokazu Tashiro, and Katsuhiko Kurosu.

Within THE KEBABS, he occasionally shares vocal duties with Sasaki but is primarily responsible for songwriting.

His main instrument is a Fender Mexico Precision Bass Custom, along with a Sago Classic Style J4 Custom used heavily in UNISON SQUARE GARDEN. His setup also includes Ampeg SVT-VR and Fender Dual Showman amplifiers, plus a wide range of effects such as EBS Micro Bass II, MULTICOMP, SHIGEMORI PRETONE, and HAYHUGE Swollen Pickle. His rainbow-colored LIVE LINE strap is one of his visual trademarks.

Hiroyuki Suzuki

Hiroyuki Suzuki is the drummer and backing vocalist of the band, also performing percussion instruments such as bongos, shakers, triangle, cowbell, and tambourine. He was previously active in ART-SCHOOL from 2009 to 2011.

He moved to Tokyo following his indie debut with the band STAY wander around. After the group disbanded, he formed U&DESIGN (departing in 2019).

He has also worked as a support drummer for multiple artists including LiSA, Mikako Komatsu, Schroeder-Headz, DIALOGUE+, and others. Beyond THE KEBABS, he has been active in projects such as GOLIATH, QUADRANGLE and U&DESIGN.

He is noted as the only smoker among the members, a detail referenced in the lyrics of “THE KEBABS Theme.”

Discography:

2019.09.18 - Makura wo kaetara nemurenai (Single)

2020.02.26 - THE KEBABS (Live Album)

2020.03.03 - THE KEBABS (Studio Album)

2021.10.20 - Second

2021.10.20 - Second (Instrumentals)

2023.03.15 - Shiawaseni shitekure EP