Dragon Ash started out from humble punk beginnings to become one of the brightest groups in the growing New Japanese Rock movement in the late '90s, blending pop sensibilities with a hard-edged sound, producing albums and singles that play like a tour of Western rock of the '90s. Their third album, 1999's Viva la Revolution, was one of the first volleys in the New Japanese Rock movement. Lead singer and guitarist Kenji Furuya has also written and produced for acts such as Sugar Soul, under the name Steady & Co. (with DJ Bots), and the other two members, Ikuzo Baba and Makoto Sakurai, have sidelined as a remixing unit called Motor Headphone. ~ Ted Mills