ZOLA JESUS - ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Nika Roza Danilova is an American performer and producer whose compositions within progressive pop music is delightfully dominated by her voice.

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On her latest album, Arkhon (2022), Zola Jesus takes inspiration from abandon, of giving up, of leaving, of deserting. In Greek, ‘archon’ may mean ‘chief’ or ‘leader’, and perhaps the archon, Zola Jesus is abandoning, is consciousness, this constant questioning of ‘am I doing this right, am I worthy?’ Or perhaps she bites farewell to the desire to control, this limiting institution within? Zola Jesus lets self-control dissolve into thick, heavy, and intimate beats and pure bodily motion.

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Throughout her career, Zola Jesus has herself been moving from lo-fi avant-garde, hi-fi pop and dark electronic pulses, finding her own musical ways by means of her generous, powerful, and porous vocal expression.

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Zola Jesus is our Artist in Residence for our 2025 edition and will perform two very different and exclusive sets during the Festival on May 9th + 10th.