SKNAIL is a jazz project based in French-speaking Switzerland, a pioneer in its field: the spearhead of a musical movement combining contemporary jazz and minimal electronica music called "glitch".
This combo of five virtuoso musicians, all hailing from jazz, is about to release its fourth album entitled "Ouija" spring 2021. This new opus evolves through nine tracks mixing acoustic purity and post-electronica vibrations.
Ouija is a classic means of entering into communication with the spirit world, a communication modus according to parapsychology without particular danger. SKNAIL however here presents another way of communicating with spirits, with Swiss precision and finesse, associated with a lot of energy and emotions, in a clockwise direction.
Blaise Caillet alias SKNAIL : production, electronics
Amine Mraihi (Amine & Hamza): acoustic and electric oud
Yannick Barman (KiKu PianoQuattro): trumpet, electronics
Cyril Regamey (YilanCañizares MarcPerrenoud KiKu PianoSeven): drums
Guy-François Leuenberger (Opéra de Lausanne Rudra Béjart): piano
Mix + Mastering : Lad Agabekov
Photos : Mehdi Benkler
Jazz guitarist. Study in professional category at the EJMA (Ecole de Jazz et Musiques Actuelles) of Lausanne with Jean- Pierre Pasquier.
Collaboration and guitarist of the singer Valérie Lou with the double bassist Popol Lavanchy: 2 albums, several tours in Switzerland and abroad (Canada, Spain, France), participation in several TV and Radio shows.
Accompaniment of the jazz saxophonist Juliane Rickenmann in various formations, notably with the bassist Ruggiero Campas Nunès or the drummer Gil Reber. Also accompanies the jazz singer Salvador Escalona.
Collaboration as a guitarist with Alain Chanel for the creation of music for advertisements, reports and trailers for the Swatch brand and creation of the group Stare Case. Collaboration as a guitarist with Mathieu Delieutraz, Geneva, for the creation of the flamenco-jazz group Polux, numerous concerts and festivals in French-speaking Switzerland and France.
Collaboration as guitarist and arranger for 2 albums of the French rock band Ultra Dieez, many concerts in Switzerland and France, participation in various festivals.
Laid down his guitar and created the "SKNAIL" project in 2011. The aim is to compose and produce an original musical project based on the fusion of jazz and minimal electro "glitch" music. A first "glitch jazz" album was released in 2013, a 2nd "Snail Charmers" in 2015, a 3rd "Mutation" in 2018, all three signed to Unit Records. Various concerts in Switzerland and abroad. Release of the new album "Ouija" in November 2023.
Musical production of Rodolphe Burger's new album, in collaboration with Christophe Calpini. To be released in early 2024.
Amine Mraihi, is a musician of Tunisian origin born in 1986, living in Switzerland since 2010. He is the youngest winner in the history of Tunisia of the national oud competition at only 12 years old. Initiated at the age of 3 to Arabic classical music, he quickly developed an extensive mastery of his instrument allowing him to quickly transcend the borders with his oud towards a quest for expressivity beyond the origins. Their latest opus "fertile paradaxoes" was among the 20 best albums according to the World Music Chart and Songlines.
His project with his brother Hamza, a Kanoun player, is internationally acclaimed. The duo travels the world presenting their original music at the crossroads of genres. They have 8 albums to their credit. Amine is regularly invited as a soloist in various ethno-jazz projects. He has collaborated with François Lindemann, Moncef Genoud, Léo Tardin…
Laureate of a trumpet diploma and 1st prize for trumpet virtuosity from the Conservatoire de musique de Lausanne (1996), 1st prize for trumpet (1997) and prize of Excellence (1998) from the Conservatoire de Rueil-Malmaison (F). Travels to New York and forms a quintet with whom he records a CD, Sarah, released in 2001. Back in Switzerland, develops electro-acoustic experiments and forms the group KiKu.
Participations in the field of classical music:
Swiss Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Lausanne Sinfonietta Orchestra, the Tibor Varga Festival Orchestra, the Curtis Institute Orchestra of Philadelphia under the direction of Kurt Mazur, performs as a soloist with the Riga Symphony Orchestra (Latvia).
Collaborations with many renowned jazz musicians including, among others, Léon Francioli, Josh Roseman, Steve Swallow, Andrea Parkins, Daniel Humaire, Ohad Talmor .... Creation of various shows including "Herz aus Glas" in 2011 and "Baikal" in 2019.
Alone with his trumpet and his computer, he performs several concert tours on contemporary music stages in Europe, Asia and Australia, offering shows including music and visuals.
Collaborations with other artists from different worlds: dancer Kaori Ito, director Gian Manuel Rau, and actor Roland Vouilloz, he regularly joins the group Kala Jula composed of Vincent Zanetti and Samba Diabaté since 2006, for concerts in Switzerland, as well as two tours in Africa in 2006 and 2007.
A musician with multiple facets, he is undeniably recognized as an excellent trumpeter of classical music, and a creative artist with an inexhaustible imagination. The Council of Culture of the State of Valais awarded him an encouragement prize in 2009. He also receives three "musiquePro" grants, in 2010, 2014 and 2016. He was in residence in the Berlin workshop of the Canton of Valais until July 2016.
He was in residence in China in the summer of 2018 for three months, supported by Pro Helvetia, to compose two new shows which premiered in September and October 2018.
In 1999, he obtained a teaching diploma from the Conservatoire de Lausanne and in 2002, at the same conservatory, he was awarded a first prize for Virtuosity.
Leader and co-leader of numerous projects (Kiku, Triolisme), Cyril is a member of the Geneva International Percussion Centre and collaborates closely with IRCAM (Paris) in various creations. He won the "Leenards" prize in 2003 and the improvisation competition "de Redding" in 2005. He plays in concert halls all over the world and participates in numerous festivals including : Montreux jazz, Agora Festival (Paris), Ducs des Lombards (Paris), Palais de l'Unesco, Beirut (Lebanon) Hamburg Festival, Malmö, (Sweden), Copenhagen, Cargo (London) Québec, Singapore, Thailand, Beijing Concert hall (China), Hong Kong, etc.
Cultural center, Blue Note Taipeh (Taiwan), Festival Sao Paolo (Brazil) etc...
Performed alongside : Ohad Talmor, Bob Minzter, Ivan Lins, Ben Monder, Moncef Genoud, Robin Kenyata, Dan Weiss, Malcolm Braff, Yannick Barman, Sylvie Courvoisier, Marc Perrenoud, François Lindemann, Patrice Moret, Marco Muller, Yilian Canizares, etc...
Cyril Regamey has participated in more than twenty recordings.
Teaches at the HEMU, Lausanne.
Musical training with Christian Favre at the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (HEMU), obtaining the teaching diploma (2004) with congratulations and the Paderewski Prize and the Piano Concert Diploma (2007).
Training with Gary Magby and Anthony di Giantomasso as trainee voice conductor at the Atelier lyrique of the same institution. Master's degree in composition in the Jazz section of the Haute Ecole de Musique de Lausanne (2011) and distinction with Prix Moser. Winner of the Leenaards Scholarship 2011.
Arrangement and compositions for various lyric and theatrical productions in Switzerland and France, active in the field of improvisation, notably at the Festival de Musique Improvisée de Lausanne, accompanist and vocal director for several productions of the Opera de Lausanne and as pianist and composer for the Ecole-Atelier Rudra Béjart.
First performances: "Prometheus", Lied for baritone and six instrumentalists, "David et Goliath", ballet for Rudra Béjart, "T'es pas tout seul", musical show about Jacques Brel, "Le procès de Don Juan", opera-theatre on a libretto adapted from "La nuit de Valognes" by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, the triptych "Je confesse ... avoir vécu" with the dancer by Mr Graham Tancredo Tavares. Teaching the piano.
Currently Director of the Music School of Cossonay.