BITOI

BITOI stands out with its original line-up of a composer-bassist and three singers. Transcribed as Bass Is The Original Instrument, the project's uplifting and chamber sound is rooted in extended techniques of bass playing and powerful choir singing based on bird phonetics. The band tours with the distinct light and stage-design.
The Swedish-Danish ensemble features award-winning composer, electric bass player, and producer Cassius Lambert, alongside a choir:
The group performs in a quartet format with Cassius Lambert (SE) on bass and three vocalists, chosen from a rotating lineup: Alexandra Shabo (SE), Lise Kroner (DK), Anja Tietze Lahrmann (DK), Ella Cronberg (SE), and Lydia Cronberg (SE). Their name—Bass Is The Original Instrument—nods to Joan La Barbara’s 1976 record Voice Is The Original Instrument, mirroring Cassius’s exploration of the bass as the “first” instrument, in dialogue with the original: the voice.

However small, BITOI crafts a lush timbre: full-bodied yet agile. With piercing clarity, the female trio interlock bite and softness in a firm grip. They “sing with equal power and precision, in evocative voices—devotional, as in an ancient choir” (Sydsvenskan), delivering a “genuinely soul-cleansing performance” (Crack Magazine). For lyrics, they use phonetically transcribed bird songs, evoking “a folkloric sound as timeless as it is utterly unfamiliar” (The Wire).