Jannis Anastasakis is one of Greece’s most distinctive guitar players, known for his innovative approach to guitar effects and his ability to transform the instrument into a generator of ambient soundscapes. His deeply personal, boundary-pushing sound spans genres, exploring sonic realms from ambient to psychedelic and beyond.
He is also the visionary behind JAM pedals, a company crafting handmade guitar pedals used by legendary musicians such as Bill Frisell, John Scofield, Daniel Lanois, John Medeski, Nile Rodgers, and Lee Ranaldo, among others.
Jannis has collaborated with a wide range of renowned artists, including Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, Christian Fennesz, Giuseppe Doronzo, Savina Yannatou, Haig Yazdjian, Thodoris Rellos, Michalis Sigianidis, Floros Floridis, Lena Platonos, Spyros Polychronopoulos, Dionysis Savvopoulos, Harris Lambrakis. His contributions also extend to theatrical and dance productions.
Projects & Collaborations :
2003-2013: Guitarist for the progressive rock band Intravenus, who released their debut album,“Oiseau”, in 2011.
2012-2016: Audio-visual experimental project Elektronik Meditation, which blends sound and vision, featuring Deniz Angelaki performing live painting during the concerts. Together, they have released three independent albums: Live CD/DVD, Purgatory, and Vigeland.
2012 : He performs alongside one of Greece’s most renowned songwriters, Dionysis Savopoulos, in a tribute to the music of Manos Hatzidakis.
2012-2017: He is invited to perform alongside oud virtuoso Haig Yazdjian.
2013-today: He forms a duet with Thodoris Rellos (of Mode Plagal), one of Greece’s leading saxophonists, and together they released their debut album HORSELOVERFAT in 2018.
2014-today: He began collaborating with Arve Henriksen in 2014, and since then, they have performed live together three times. In 2024, they started recording their debut album, set to be released in 2025.
2015-today: Since 2015, he has been performing monthly at the TV Control Center (KET) in Athens as part of the unique event Sound of Color. This event brings together a diverse group of musicians and visual artists to create an improvised, immersive audio-visual experience.
2015: In 2015, he organized and performed at the Avant-Garde Guitar Festival in Athens. During the event, he also collaborated on stage with Norwegian guitarist Eivind Aarset.
2016-today: In 2016 the TV BOON trio was formed, featuring Floros Floridis (reeds, electronics), Yorgos Dimitriadis (drums, electronics), and Jannis Anastasakis. The trio toured Greece and released a CD.
2016: He contributed to Stella N. Christou’s project NI-KO, which was released in May 2016.
2016: he took part in one of the largest musical projects in Greece, 634 Minutes in a Volcano, where 15 musicians improvised for 10 hours and 34 minutes inside Nisyros’ volcano.
2017: he collaborated on stage with the renowned artist Christian Fennesz.
2017: He contributed to the recording and live performances of Lena Platonos’ latest album, "Hope Is The Thing With Feathers".
2017-today: He began collaborating with the renowned singer and ECM artist Savina Yannatou, and to date, they have performed over 20 times together across various projects.
2017: He contributed to the creation of the album"Drums to heal society" by Billy Pod.
2018-2023: He joined Michalis Siganidis’ new band, and in 2018, they performed at the Onassis Center for the project WHO[‘S] IS WHO[ON], alongside many renowned performers, including Evan Parker. In 2020, he participated in the recordings for the album ETIKAIETIKAITHKAITH, which was released in a book-USB format.
2019: He collaborated with the National Theatre of Greece on the musical theatrical composition The Man Who Laughs by Theodore Abazis.
2020: He was invited to perform with Michalis Kalkanis’ group and Haig Yazdjian for a special two-night concert at the Ancient Epidaurus Little Theatre.
2022: He was invited by Thodoris Abazis to compose the music for SOLARIS, a reinterpretation of Tarkovsky’s masterpiece. The music for the play will be released as an album in 2025.
2023: He began collaborating with Giuseppe Doronzo, performing together across Europe with the project IMPROMPTU. This improv series connects musicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, exploring the richness of improvisation through dynamic performances. Previous editions have taken place in Athens, Amsterdam, and Krakow.
2024: He collaborated with Spyros Polychronopoulos on the recording of the NYFIDA album and the creation of the NYFIDA sound box, which was released by Lawrence English’s ROOM40 label.
2024: He collaborated with Michalis Siganidis on the Dead Slow album, released by Defkaz in a limited vinyl edition.
2024: The SMOOP 4tet was formed in February 2024 in Portugal by Jannis Anastasakis, Nicky Kokkoli, Simos Riniotis, and José Lencastre. The quartet completed their first European tour, performing in Lisbon, Porto, and Parede. Their debut album was recorded in Athens to be released in 2025