BITOI

BITOI (an acronym for Bass Is The Original Instrument) is an experimental music group formed in Sweden and Denmark in 2022. The ensemble combines electric bass with vocal music, drawing inspiration from birdsong and phonetic vocal techniques. BITOI was founded by Swedish–Ethiopian electric bassist and composer Cassius Lambert, who composes the group's music and performs with a rotating trio of vocalists.The original vocal lineup consisted of Alexandra Shabo, Lise Kroner, and Anja Tietze Lahrmann. The group is based in Malmö and Copenhagen, and its music blends elements of experimental music, folk traditions, and electronic soundscapes. The group made its live debut at the Intonal Festival in 2023, and has since performed at festivals including Le Guess Who?, Roskilde Festival, Clandestino Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and Passaggi Sonori in Italy. In 2024, BITOI toured Japan and collaborated with Okinawan musician Aragaki Mutsumi. BITOI released its first EP, -O-, as a digital self-release in 2024. The debut album, Sirkulu, was issued in March 2025 on the Swedish label Supertraditional and received positive critical reception. BITOI's music explores the interplay between the human voice and the electric bass. The group's vocal material is partly based on phonetic interpretations of birdsong, inspired by written transcriptions of bird vocalisations in Bertel Bruun’s book Alla Europas fåglar i färg.