Kai Chareunsy is a Lao-British drummer, composer, and music facilitator who works across a variety of genres, including jazz, free improvisation, electronic, and folk music. He graduated with a first-class degree from the Jazz Course at The Royal Birmingham Conservatoire in 2020.

Kai is involved in several projects as a drummer, including Olivia Murphy’s large jazz ensemble OMJO, Lucy-Anne Daniels’ experimental trio LAOD, and Nishla Smith’s new project The Beast. As a composer, Kai has been commissioned by numerous organisations, including B:Music (THSH), Brighter Sound, and Lancaster Jazz Festival, to create new pieces incorporating field recordings and sensory percussion.

arcai is Kai’s solo project, under which he explores his Lao heritage by creating his own archive of Lao culture. He composes with field recordings, traditional folk instruments, and sensory percussion. On 20th November, 2025, Kai released his debut EP Naak Dam Naak Don, which combines field recordings collected during a month-long R&D trip to Laos, funded by Arts Council England, with family testimony. The EP tells the story of the journeys and sacrifices made by refugees who have arrive in the UK.

As a music facilitator, Kai is passionate about providing opportunities for socially and culturally marginalised young people for whom access to music isn’t straightforward. He works in alternative provision schools and after-school clubs. While co-running Jazz at The Spotted Dog, Kai led two outreach programs in Birmingham youth clubs, centred on beat making, lyric writing, and live performance.

About