About

An exploration into the world of music

Imagine a voice that sounds like a cross between Scott Walker and Nick Cave with a touch of Richard Hawley thrown in, performing music with the poetic sensibility of all three. Add a touch of unmistakable Nordic melancholy – and what you’d get is Tobi. or Not. In his own words: “Like an actor, I immerse myself in each character of my songs, always bringing out the part of me they embody. In other words, my songs reflect me, and they do not. Sometimes I don’t know where I stop and they begin.” Hence his Hamlet-inspired artist name.

With a background in a cappella groups, Tobi. started his musical career as a professional opera singer, performing other people’s compositions for 20 years. Meanwhile he explored different singing techniques, including bel canto – in particular chiaroscuro, a part of bel canto that blends the lightness and darkness in the voice. This vocal technique is something he still experiments with in the music he creates himself to this day.

Hailing from Sweden, Tobi.’s first step into a recording career was the studio album Nordic Songs with the pianist Kalle Stenbäcken; a collection of romance songs in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and Finnish.

He had barely released his debut album when, in 2020, the Covid pandemic hit. It was as if the whole world stopped – and for performers it truly did. With all opera houses and other venues closed, and all large audience gatherings forbidden, this became a catalyst for Tobi. to explore new creative avenues. Classical singing often uses subglottal air pressure in order for the voice to project to an audience of thousands without any amplification. In contrast, the pandemic had led Tobi. to have to record at home with a microphone, where the smallest nuance in the voice could be picked up. It was a revelation. This softer approach gave him a whole new palette of tools to play with.

Finding inspiration in a poem his friend Heather Levenstein had posted on Facebook, he decided to set it to music, creating a melody and engaging an arranger to bring his vision alive. This expanded to a more long-term collaboration between him and Levenstein. Tobi. or Not has since created more than a dozen songs set for release – and the music, like his creativity, keeps coming, now with a wider spectrum of collaborators.

“I deeply believe in the old adage that no man is an island. That’s why I love collaborating with other singers and musicians,” he concludes.

The music of Tobi. or Not explores the complexities of being human – of life, love, longing and forgiveness. Just like chiaroscuro, it combines the light and the dark, it’s moody yet uplifting like a soundtrack to a Scandi Noir rom-com. Tobi. or Not – it’s the question AND the answer.