George Klountzos-ChrysidisMusician - Drummer

George Klountzos-Chrysidis is a drummer and composer from Thessaloniki, Greece, whose work explores the meeting points between jazz and electronic sound. He began playing drums at a young age and quickly developed a deep fascination with rhythm and texture. Over the years, his sound has been shaped by a wide range of influences — from traditional jazz to the raw energy of house and broken beat, as well as the improvisational freedom of contemporary experimental music.

After moving to France, George became an active part of the local jazz scene, performing at major festivals such as the Nice Jazz Festival, Nuits du Sud, and Jazz à Vienne. His collaborations have taken him across Europe and the U.S., including performances in Detroit and New York, where he worked with saxophonist Diego Rivera and pianist Xavier Davis. He has shared the stage and studio with artists such as Ricky Ford, Helen Sung, Nicolas Masson, Craig Bailey, Baptiste Herbin, Robert Lucaciu, Marc Abrams, David Lynch, Ziad Rajab, Ivo Papasov, Nedyalko Nedyalkov and Pantelis Stoikos, among others. He is also a founding member of Yako Trio, a group known for blending Mediterranean influences with modern jazz aesthetics.

In his latest project and album, Semazen, George dives deeper into rhythm as a meditative and transformative experience, fusing grooves and textures that dissolve the lines between acoustic and electronic sound. Inspired by the Sufi practice of spinning meditation, Semazen embodies a spiritual pursuit through listening, movement, and repetition, a sonic ritual where the boundaries between genres fade. Each live performance of the Semazen Ensemble has been described by Resident Advisor as a liberating experience, “where music serves as a common ground for connection and authentic expression.” Born out of the needs of the community it serves, the ensemble creates a vibrant space for communication, participation, and coexistence, bringing audiences together through shared sonic exploration.

He also collaborated with the internationally known producers Byron The Aquarius and Stefan Ringer who created remixes to original tracks from the Semazen album.