Ken Jay

Contrary to popular belief, Ken was not hatched, nor was he born a poor

black child in Southern Missouri.  He was born in Central Illinois in the late Sixties to Kenneth and Kay Jay, and brother to the Famous Jay sisters, Karen and Kristine. The family was very musical (all five of them played a variety of instruments), but it was his mother's past training as a drummer that got him in interested in beating the heck out of inanimate objects for a living.  Ken was given his first pair of drumsticks and snare drum at the age of two by one of his uncles, and has never looked back.

Although he was in band in school, it wasn't until the age of sixteen he realized that, by being a musician in a rock band, he stood a much better chance with the ladies, as his natural tendency towards "geekdom" was seldom received in a popular manner.

All joking aside, Ken says “I realized the power of music as a release and decided to throw myself into the local music scene.  I started playing in many cover bands but I saw that writing original music as a uniquely creative way to make a living.  It was definitely the best experience in learning what to do and what not to do and I still keep in close contact with my former bandmates.”

After deciding to move to Chicago in the spring of 1989, Ken was introduced to Wayne Static (vocals, guitar) by a mutual friend. Ken auditioned for Wayne's band at the time, and a friendship soon evolved.  The pair didn't exactly share the same musical tastes, but saw the potential of utilizing each other’s influences in creating new and unique music.  The Chicago music scene was greatly stifled by a lack of industry presence, so the duo relocated to Los Angeles in the winter of 1994. It was all they needed to realize their dreams.

The relocation brought some wariness, as they were starting out from scratch. Ken met (bassist) Tony Campos through work, and the core of Static-X was born.  Los Angeles created an ironic opportunity for the band to get back to its Chicago roots though, as the band started experimenting with the industrial instrumentation that evolved the "Wax Trax" sound (Ministry, Skinny Puppy, etc.).  The band then added a fourth member (guitarist, keyboards) Kochi Fukuda in the summer of 1997, which progressed the band into an even more techno feel that they also applied to their live shows.

In the subsequent months, the shows (playing along with Coal Chamber, System Of A Down, SpineShank, Snot, and others) started building, along with a very strong regional fan base. This led record labels to start signing the local bands, which included Static-X.  Their debut album, "Wisconsin Death Trip"' was recorded in May and June of 1998, and was released in March of 1999. They went on to tour with bands such as Fear Factory, Powerman 5000, System Of A Down, Slayer, and Megadeth, and have appeared on the last two editions of the highly profiled Ozzfest tours.  "Wisconsin Death Trip" was certified gold by the RIAA in January of

2000, and several of its songs have been used on soundtracks.  Ken explains his drumset for the first release, “I played an Export kit throughout the recording of "Death Trip", and used the same kit for the full twenty-two months that we were on tour.” 

The band has not let its success slow it down though, the follow up album Machine was heralded by critics and the band toured heavily in support of its release.  They

returned to an even heavier sound and Ken's drumming was approached with an even more mechanical feel to capture the essence of their original influences.  After Static X, Ken became the driving force behind gODHEAD and immediately hit the road in support of their Evolve release.