Quintet ILJA

Spiritual Cycle is the sophomore album from Swiss band ILJA. Led by Dimitri Howald, the music is rougher, crazier and yet more intimate than ever. With closed eyes and an open heart Dimitri Howald has - in a few short years - established himself as one of Switzerland’s most prolific young musicians. The guitarist, along with his 5-piece band Ilja makes music that flickers between ethereal and churchlike, to something you’d hear in the backroom of your local pub. Dimitri Howald’s multi-faceted career to date has seen him explore the outer realms of jazz. Whether performing solo, leading his trio or in this Ilja project, his musical vision stays clear, touching on drones, ambient sounds and multi-faceted layers of sound. This is music for the curious and open-minded. Wild, expressive solos, beautiful harmonies and energetic vamps, pulled together underneath 6 well-crafted melodies.

Dimitri Howald (g, comp)
Michael Gilsenan (ts)
Tom Millar (p)
Jérémie Krüttli (b)
Tobias Schmid (dr)
vocals on the album: Leoni Altherr (voc)