Greg Ellis (musician)
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Greg Ellis is a California-born drummer and percussionist, who is currently a member of World/Psytrance/Tribal band Juno Reactor.
Ellis has worked with diverse artists, from Beck to Billy Idol. Along with Iranian-born Azam Ali he co-founded the world music group VAS. Along with Ali, he released four albums on on Narada Records. In 2001 he released a solo album titled Kala Rupa. He has recorded and performed with Indian tabla masters Ustad Zakir Hussain, Pandit Shankar Ghosh and Bikram Ghosh, nagara master Nathu Lal Solinkey, Japanese taiko drummers KODO, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, and percussion master Airto Moriera, as well as master musicians from Iran, Africa, and Turkey.
A session musician for film and television, his extensive work with composers Ben Watkins and Tyler Bates can be heard in the major motion pictures The Matrix: Reloaded and The Matrix: Revolutions, Fight Club, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Dawn Of The Dead (2004), City Of Ghosts, Dukes of Hazzard, The Chronicles of Narnia. Ellis' work is also expected to be heard in upcoming Anime film Brave Story and in the film adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel 300. His drum-set and percussion work will also be heard in a future release by Roseland with Azam Ali and musician Tyler Bates.
An advocate for the transformative power of organic rhythm and ‘real time’ music, Ellis has presented seminars at the National Conference for the [American Music Therapists Association] and was invited to speak at the 2002 World Conference on Music Therapy in Oxford, England. His concepts and perspectives on drumming and rhythm can be experienced through RhythmTrance, improvisational solo performances that aim to raise consciousness of the rhythmic nature of existence.
In 2005, he created RhythmPharm, a sonic pharmacy dispensing audio-pharmaceuticals. Bay Area New Edge label Cyberset digitally release these RhythmTonics.
