Ken Sarmiento, known by his stage name phuzaxeman, is a Chicago-born, Ohio-raised multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter based in Houston, Texas. His musical journey began in childhood, learning piano by watching a teacher instruct his mother and brother. He later expanded to drums, guitar, and songwriting in his teenage years.

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Ken co-founded the Houston soul-fusion band Phuz, which gained national attention after touring with Sade and India.Arie on the Lover’s Rock tour. Phuz went on to perform with artists including Alicia Keys, Tony Bennett, and Groove Collective, releasing two critically praised albums: Water and Forgiveness.

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Following Phuz, Ken focused on production, collaborating with artists such as Julin and launching his band Channel K, before turning his creative energy toward his current project, Zenjii.

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Zenjii is an evolving sonic landscape blending R&B, lo-fi, soul, and ambient textures. The award-winning instrumental single Phlow received recognition at the 2022 TI:ME Composition Festival.

 

In 2024, he released Teardrops Fall featuring Clara Mailen, showcasing Zenjii’s dreamy, introspective sound.

In 2025, Ken brought Zenjii to the live music scene, joined by Andrew Alvarez on bass and Donnie Vendivel on drums, and released the single Seasons with singer-songwriter Meg Allen.

 

Ken is currently working with Meg Allen on the upcoming single Ashes, set for release this summer. Zenjii continues to perform live in Houston.

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