4/2
Bitoi (SE/DK)
BITOI embodies Cassius’s miximalism—extracting the richest sound from the barest tools: bass, voices, polyrhythms, and prepared textures—minimalism pushed to its edge.
”The three women’s voices are unreal, gliding together in an alien harmony, trilling and tapping their throats to achieve a warbling effect. Singing in this ancient avian language, transposed for human ears, BITOI evokes a folkloric sound as timeless as it is utterly unfamiliar.”– The Wire (UK)
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.
“The vocal trio takes up an unexpectedly large space. The three sing with equal power and precision, in evocative voices—devotional, as in an ancient choir—gradually welcoming the counter-voices, the disharmony, as the bass player crafts a volcanic eruption-worthy crescendo” – Sydsvenskan (SE)
Formed in Malmö for Intonal Festival 2023, BITOI has since performed at Roskilde, Way Out West, Le Guess Who?, Rewire, Clandestino, Spot, Stanser Musiktage, Paesaggi Sonori, and Babel XP; toured Japan with Aragaki Mutsumi; and earned Newcomer of the Year at Folk och Världsmusikgalan. They released their debut EP O in 2023, followed by their first album Sirkulu in 2025 on Supertraditional Records.
The group performs in a quartet format, with Cassius Lambert (SE) on bass and three vocalists selected from a rotating lineup: Alexandra Shabo (SE), Lise Kroner (DK), Anja Tietze Lahrmann (DK), Ella Cronberg (SE), and Laura Marie Møller Madsen (DK).
BITOI embodies Cassius’s miximalism—extracting the richest sound from the barest tools: bass, voices, polyrhythms, and prepared textures—minimalism pushed to its edge.
”The three women’s voices are unreal, gliding together in an alien harmony, trilling and tapping their throats to achieve a warbling effect. Singing in this ancient avian language, transposed for human ears, BITOI evokes a folkloric sound as timeless as it is utterly unfamiliar.”– The Wire (UK)
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.
“The vocal trio takes up an unexpectedly large space. The three sing with equal power and precision, in evocative voices—devotional, as in an ancient choir—gradually welcoming the counter-voices, the disharmony, as the bass player crafts a volcanic eruption-worthy crescendo” – Sydsvenskan (SE)
Formed in Malmö for Intonal Festival 2023, BITOI has since performed at Roskilde, Way Out West, Le Guess Who?, Rewire, Clandestino, Spot, Stanser Musiktage, Paesaggi Sonori, and Babel XP; toured Japan with Aragaki Mutsumi; and earned Newcomer of the Year at Folk och Världsmusikgalan. They released their debut EP O in 2023, followed by their first album Sirkulu in 2025 on Supertraditional Records.
The group performs in a quartet format, with Cassius Lambert (SE) on bass and three vocalists selected from a rotating lineup: Alexandra Shabo (SE), Lise Kroner (DK), Anja Tietze Lahrmann (DK), Ella Cronberg (SE), and Laura Marie Møller Madsen (DK).