About Blue Foundation

Founded in Copenhagen by singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Tobias Wilner, the band has roots in both Copenhagen and Brooklyn, where Wilner lived and worked for nearly a decade.

Inspired by Mark E. Smith’s approach to The Fall, Wilner built Blue Foundation around a changing lineup of musicians. Since 2010, Wilner and producer and multi-instrumentalist Bo Rande have formed the band’s core. Singer and guitarist Nina Dahlgaard Larsen contributes to recordings and live performances.

Blue Foundation produce and record their music in their own studios. Their songs combine intimate vocals, layered guitars, electronics and beats, drawing as much from ambient and experimental music as from pop. Photography, artwork and filmmaking have been part of the project from the beginning. Clash Music dubs their style “blissful, dream-like electronic pop,”.

Their catalogue includes Sweep of Days, Life of a Ghost, In My Mind I Am Free, Blood Moon and Close To The Knife. Collaborators over the years include CTM, Jonas Bjerre (Mew), Sara Savery, Erika Spring (Au Revoir Simone), Mark Kozelek, Jonas Munk (Manual), Findlay Brown and Xie Yugang (Wang Wen).

“Eyes on Fire,” written by Tobias Wilner and Kirstine Stubbe Teglbjærg, became an international hit after appearing in the 2008 film Twilight. Years later, the song found a new audience through social media’s “hoa hoa hoa” season, which The Independent linked to autumn nostalgia. Far Out Magazine calls it “a gateway into the entire Blue Foundation universe”.

Reflecting on the song’s success in a radio interview, Wilner said: “Instead of trying to mimic what seemed like a successful choice, it gave us the freedom to be ourselves and follow our own path—to continue searching and evolving our sound.”

Their music has also been used by Lil Durk, Young Thug and Machine Gun Kelly, who incorporated the chorus from “Eyes on Fire” into a song for his film Taurus.

“Sweep” appeared in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, and other tracks have featured in television series including The Vampire Diaries, The Cleveland Show and CSI: Miami. Blue Foundation’s music has also accompanied The Measures, a contemporary ballet choreographed by Stephen Shropshire and performed by Hong Kong Ballet.

Live

Blue Foundation have toured worldwide, playing festivals and clubs in New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Berlin and Paris. They often perform without breaks between songs, using improvisation to connect the set, accompanied by visuals created by Wilner.

Close To The Knife

Released in 2025, Close To The Knife was recorded over three years in New York, Shanghai, Copenhagen and Dalian. Its songs deal with betrayal, self-destruction and complicated relationships, moving between sparse arrangements and heavier passages of guitars and electronics.

Tobias Wilner sings lead on most of the tracks. Nina Dahlgaard Larsen sings on several songs, including “Ecstasy in Space,” while Scarlet Rae appears on “Highway Reverie.” Other contributors include Helena Gao, Sonya Kitchell, Xie Yugang and drummer Federico Ughi.

Beyond Blue Foundation

Tobias Wilner’s other projects include experimental ensemble New York United with Daniel Carter, Federico Ughi and Djibril Toure, and Tachys with Jonas Bjerre. He also releases music as Bichi, plays in Ghost Society and composes for film and television.

Bo Rande’s work outside Blue Foundation includes Mames Babegenush, Choir of Young Believers and CTM.

Read more on Wikipedia.