Inuit Pagoda
Inuit Pagoda is the silhouette of a dreadful tree: defined by duration, seen in the moment. Through its compositions, this band unveils an intense, versatile picture that flirts with genres but doesn't adopt any. It develops an intuitive music that draws us into a universe that is sometimes delectable, sometimes impetuous.
Rooted in jazz and progressive music and formed in 2019 by guitarist and composer Emilio Vidal, saxophonist Nikola Gross and drummer Jonas Albrecht, the trio flourishes a visceral soundscape that ties the listener into a mindset that is both touchable and beyond reach. Through these collaborations, Inuit Pagoda's artistic world is constantly evolving. In an interdisciplinary approach, it seeks to honor emerging art forms, bringing an innovative dimension to its activities.
For their first project released in 2019, Analog Flood, the trio teamed up with the U-Zehn collective, a Neuchâtel-based graphic design studio specializing in screen printing. This collaboration initially gave rise to an album accompanying a large-format booklet produced entirely by the collective. In 2020, Inuit Pagoda had returned with a new single entitled Le Vol des Rêves accompanied by a video clip directed by La Chaux-de-Fonds based artist Nathan Jucker. The same year, the band presented a new live performance combining music and graphic productions - notably through the use and experimentation of technologies such as mapping.
The trio has been able to integrate various styles of programming, such as the cross-border jazz festival JazzContreBand, Oslo's Kulturhuset, as well as Swiss clubs closer to so-called alternative music, such as Südpol or the Bikini Test. Inuit Pagoda also invests in modular venues, attempting to erase the boundary between audience and stage.
In 2022, Inuit Pagoda signed with Creaked for two EPs. The band is joined, in 2023, by Biel-based keyboardist Armelle Scholl and Neuchâtel drummer Marius Rivier. Backflows, their next EP, will be released in autumn 2023, along with various video clips.
