Todor Kobakov
Encyclopedia
Todor Kobakov is a Canadian-Bulgarian composer, producer, arranger and pianist based in Toronto
, Ontario
. He is best known for his solo piano album Pop Music, his commercial and film scores and for his collaborations within Toronto's indie music scene.
, Bulgaria
where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He comes from a family of classical musicians all of whom are bass players. Kobakov's grandmother played in the Bulgarian opera and his mother worked at Bulgarian National Television
as a producer of music programming. Kobakov's musical training began at the piano as a toddler. At age seven, he was accepted in to the Lubomir Pipkov Music School in Sofia where he studied for ten years. Kobakov moved to Canada
at age sixteen and graduated from the University of Toronto
Music Faculty Program with a Performance Piano Degree at age twenty.
Europe. Other international campaigns followed most notably for Macy's
(U.S.), Footlocker
(UK) and Robinsons
(UK). In 2010, Todor scored Canadian Cancer Society's
short film "Fight" which won the Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
.
gave the album an 8.4 rating stating that "it might be the best orchestral pop album of the past year". Kobakov went on to score string arrangements for other prominent Canadian indie artists including Metric
, Emily Haines
, k-os
, Sarah Slean
, Lindy, Small Sins
and Dan Mangan
. Kobakov has toured as a keyboardist with Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton, Luke Doucet
and Small Sins. In 2007, Kobakov and Lindy Vopnfjord formed the indie-rock band, Major Maker
. Their song Rollercoaster was licensed to a television commercial which propelled the song to a Top 40 radio hit in Canada and a Canadian distribution deal with EMI Music Canada. That same year Kobakov was named "Toronto's Best Keyboardist" by Now Magazine
.
In July 2010, Metric enlisted Kobakov to compose a string version of their breakthrough album Fantasies
to be performed at Vivid Live , a music festival held in Sydney
, Australia
curated by Lou Reed
and Lori Anderson. Kobakov accompanied Haines to the festival where she performed the songs accompanied by a string quartet
. Kobakov also played piano as Haines and Lou Reed performed Reed's song Perfect Day. Metric also commissioned Kobakov to compose a string version of Eclipse (All Yours), the theme song from the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse which Metric co-wrote with Howard Shore
. Kobakov's arrangements can also be heard on Metric's iTunes Live Session album released on January 4, 2011. Canadian hip-hop artist k-os commissioned Kobakov to compose string arrangements for his MTV Unplugged
performance on March 31, 2011.
s to date. He is currently working on his third film score of 2011 for The Samaritan
, a neo-noir thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson
directed by David Weaver. Kobakov's film scores often combine piano, modern orchestration and electronic sounds. Kobakov's first film score was for the 2007 hipster comedy Young People Fucking
which received significant media attention at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
and further publicity when it was singled out by Stephen Harper
while the Canadian Prime Minister
was campaigning for his controversial Bill C-10
proposal. Kobakov has since gravitated to darker, grittier films such as The Samaritan, Cold Blooded, Monster Brawl, Pinkville and Sympathy.
In addition to his commercial and film work, Kobakov has scored television documentaries including Mega Heist which aired on The Discovery Channel and High Impact which aired on History Channel.
of TV on the Radio
. The songs on Pop Music were inspired by Kobakov's life experiences in both Bulgaria and Canada. The album received strong critical acclaim across Canada. Montreal's Hour Magazine proclaimed that "parts of Pop Music are so simultaneously vital and gentle we may need to invent a new word" while The Globe and Mail
called Kobakov "a piano stylist in the gorgeous whimsical form of Erik Satie." The official music video for Toronto Stories was directed by Jaron Albertin. Kobakov has also released two Electronic albums
under the moniker Cy Scobie. The releases are characterized by a mix of electronic beats and dark undertones. Kobakov has also produced dance remixes for Emily Haines (Mostly Waving Todor K remix) and Major Maker (Rollercoaster Sofia Scandalli remix).
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. He is best known for his solo piano album Pop Music, his commercial and film scores and for his collaborations within Toronto's indie music scene.
Early life
Kobakov was born in SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
where he was raised by his mother and grandmother. He comes from a family of classical musicians all of whom are bass players. Kobakov's grandmother played in the Bulgarian opera and his mother worked at Bulgarian National Television
Bulgarian National Television
The Bulgarian National Television or BNT is the public broadcaster of Bulgaria. The company was founded in 1959 and began broadcasting on December 26 of the same year. It began broadcasting in color in 1970...
as a producer of music programming. Kobakov's musical training began at the piano as a toddler. At age seven, he was accepted in to the Lubomir Pipkov Music School in Sofia where he studied for ten years. Kobakov moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
at age sixteen and graduated from the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
Music Faculty Program with a Performance Piano Degree at age twenty.
Commercials
While in university Kobakov interned at Krystal Music & Sound Design, a commercial music house based in Toronto. The owner, David Krystal, schooled Kobakov on composing music for picture, including the use of production equipment for sound design and mixing. Kobakov landed his first commercial, a Nikon spot, in 2000. He went on to a successful run as a freelance composer landing over a dozen Canadian commercials. In 2007, Kobakov landed his first major international campaign for VodafoneVodafone
Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...
Europe. Other international campaigns followed most notably for Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(U.S.), Footlocker
Footlocker
Footlocker may refer to:* a Footlocker , a type of trunk or chest* Foot Locker, an American sportswear and footwear retailer* Operation Footlocker, an activity for military children developed by Mary Edwards Wertsch, Reta Jones Nicholson, and Gene Moser. Gene is the current Operations Officer for...
(UK) and Robinsons
Robinsons
Robinsons or Robinson's may refer to:* Robinsons, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada* Robinson's, former name of Melones, California* Robinsons , a department store owned by Robinson & Co....
(UK). In 2010, Todor scored Canadian Cancer Society's
Canadian Cancer Society
The Canadian Cancer Society is a national, community-based charitable organization of volunteers whose mission is to eradicate cancer and enhance the quality of life of those living with the disease....
short film "Fight" which won the Silver Lion at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is a global event for those working in advertising and related fields. The seven-day festival, incorporating the awarding of the Lions awards, is held yearly at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes, France...
.
Indie Collaborations
In 2003, Kobakov wrote the string arrangements for indie pop band Stars critically acclaimed sophomore album "Set Yourself On Fire". Kobakov gained considerable attention when Pitchfork MediaPitchfork
A pitchfork is an agricultural tool with a long handle and long, thin, widely separated pointed tines used to lift and pitch loose material, such as hay, leaves, grapes, dung or other agricultural materials. Pitchforks typically have two or three tines...
gave the album an 8.4 rating stating that "it might be the best orchestral pop album of the past year". Kobakov went on to score string arrangements for other prominent Canadian indie artists including Metric
Metric
Metric may refer to:* the metric system of measurement** International System of Units, or Système International , the modern form of the metric system** Metric ton, a measurement of mass equal to 1,000 kg...
, Emily Haines
Emily Haines
Emily Haines is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. She is the lead singer and keyboardist of the band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she performed with her own name and under the alias Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton...
, k-os
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
, Sarah Slean
Sarah Slean
Sarah Hope Slean is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and occasional actress from Pickering, Ontario. She has released eleven albums to date .-Major recordings:...
, Lindy, Small Sins
Small Sins
Small Sins is the Toronto-based indie rock act of Thomas D'Arcy, former member of The Carnations. The Small Sins were once known as The Ladies and Gentlemen, but due to legal reasons they had to change their name...
and Dan Mangan
Dan Mangan
Daniel Mangan is a Canadian indie folk-rock singer-songwriter.-Early life:Mangan was born in Smithers, British Columbia. His family moved a fair amount, residing in both the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia - and primarily in his current home town of Vancouver...
. Kobakov has toured as a keyboardist with Emily Haines and The Soft Skeleton, Luke Doucet
Luke Doucet
Luke Doucet is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. He writes and performs both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock band Veal....
and Small Sins. In 2007, Kobakov and Lindy Vopnfjord formed the indie-rock band, Major Maker
Major Maker
Major Maker is a Canadian indie rock band, formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2006 by Bulgarian-born Todor Kobakov, and Icelandic singer-songwriter Lindy Vopnfjord. Their track "Rollercoaster" was used in a Maynards candy commercial, which led the company to be inundated with requests for the name of...
. Their song Rollercoaster was licensed to a television commercial which propelled the song to a Top 40 radio hit in Canada and a Canadian distribution deal with EMI Music Canada. That same year Kobakov was named "Toronto's Best Keyboardist" by Now Magazine
NOW (magazine)
Now is a free weekly newspaper in Toronto, Canada. It was first printed on September 10, 1981 by Michael Hollett and Alice Klein. Now is an alternative weekly mixing arts and entertainment news with political coverage....
.
In July 2010, Metric enlisted Kobakov to compose a string version of their breakthrough album Fantasies
Fantasies (album)
- Singles :* "Help, I'm Alive" * "Front Row" * "Gimme Sympathy" * "Sick Muse" * "Gold Guns Girls"...
to be performed at Vivid Live , a music festival held in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
curated by Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
and Lori Anderson. Kobakov accompanied Haines to the festival where she performed the songs accompanied by a string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
. Kobakov also played piano as Haines and Lou Reed performed Reed's song Perfect Day. Metric also commissioned Kobakov to compose a string version of Eclipse (All Yours), the theme song from the movie The Twilight Saga: Eclipse which Metric co-wrote with Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
. Kobakov's arrangements can also be heard on Metric's iTunes Live Session album released on January 4, 2011. Canadian hip-hop artist k-os commissioned Kobakov to compose string arrangements for his MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
performance on March 31, 2011.
Film Scores
Kobakov has composed seven film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
s to date. He is currently working on his third film score of 2011 for The Samaritan
The Samaritan
The Samaritan, currently under the title Lie Down With Darkness, is an upcoming neo-noir thriller written and directed by David Weaver. A trailer was released on its website.-Plot:...
, a neo-noir thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
directed by David Weaver. Kobakov's film scores often combine piano, modern orchestration and electronic sounds. Kobakov's first film score was for the 2007 hipster comedy Young People Fucking
Young People Fucking
Young People Fucking, also called Y.P.F., is a 2007 romantic comedy directed, written and produced by Martin Gero and Aaron Abrams. It debuted at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. "Our generation makes an effort to separate love and sex," says Gero. "They're all trying to do this thing,...
which received significant media attention at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
and further publicity when it was singled out by Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
while the Canadian Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
was campaigning for his controversial Bill C-10
Income Tax Amendments Act, 2006
The Tax Amendments Act, 2006 is a Bill in the Canadian Legislature numbered as Bill C-10 of the second session of the 39th Parliament of Canada and containing a controversial clause that David Cronenberg and Sarah Polley have argued represents censorship of Canadian films...
proposal. Kobakov has since gravitated to darker, grittier films such as The Samaritan, Cold Blooded, Monster Brawl, Pinkville and Sympathy.
In addition to his commercial and film work, Kobakov has scored television documentaries including Mega Heist which aired on The Discovery Channel and High Impact which aired on History Channel.
Solo Releases
Kobakov's solo piano debut, Pop Music, was released in 2009 by 88 Calibre/Cuto. The Canadian release was distributed by EMI Music Canada while outside of Canada the album was released digitally via iTunes. The album features eleven songs, nine of which are instrumental and two which feature guest vocals by Emily Haines of Metric and Tunde AdebimpeTunde Adebimpe
Babatunde Omoroga "Tunde" Adebimpe is an American musician, actor, and director best known as the lead singer of the Brooklyn-based band TV on the Radio. His vocal method often involves improvisation, the use of effects and repeating sampled loops....
of TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio
TV on the Radio is an American art rock band formed in 2001 in Brooklyn, New York, whose music spans numerous diverse genres, from post-punk to electro and free jazz to soul music....
. The songs on Pop Music were inspired by Kobakov's life experiences in both Bulgaria and Canada. The album received strong critical acclaim across Canada. Montreal's Hour Magazine proclaimed that "parts of Pop Music are so simultaneously vital and gentle we may need to invent a new word" while The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
called Kobakov "a piano stylist in the gorgeous whimsical form of Erik Satie." The official music video for Toronto Stories was directed by Jaron Albertin. Kobakov has also released two Electronic albums
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
under the moniker Cy Scobie. The releases are characterized by a mix of electronic beats and dark undertones. Kobakov has also produced dance remixes for Emily Haines (Mostly Waving Todor K remix) and Major Maker (Rollercoaster Sofia Scandalli remix).
Filmography
| Year | Title | Director | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | The Samaritan | David Weaver | Neo Noir Thriller |
| 2011 | Cold Blooded | Jason Lapeyre | Crime Thriller |
| 2011 | Monster Brawl | Jesse T. Cook | Action Horror Comedy |
| 2010 | Hit List | Minh Collins | Dark Comedy |
| 2008 | Pinkville | Steven Garbas | Psychological Drama |
| 2007 | Sympathy | Andrew Moorman | Suspense, Grindhouse |
| 2007 | Young People Fucking | Martin Gero | Romantic Comedy |
Commercialography (2008 - Present)
| Year | Client | Title | Agency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Amex | Yes | Ogilvy Canada |
| 2010 | Footlocker | Again | Sapient Nitro UK |
| 2010 | Canadian Cancer Society | Fight | DDB Canada |
| 2010 | Canadian Cancer Society | Combat | DDB Canada |
| 2010 | Toronto Rehab | Rehabilitation Saves Lives | Manifest Communications |
| 2010 | Winners | Spring Time | Ogilvy Canada |
| 2009 | Robinsons | Imagine | BBH London |
| 2009 | AIDS/HIV Awareness | Shine | Manifest Communications |
| 2009 | Chocolate Milk | Recharge | Grip Toronto |
| 2009 | Acura | Master The Road | Grip Toronto |
| 2009 | Acura | Driving Conditions | Grip Toronto |
| 2008 | Vodafone | Cartwheel | BBH London |
| 2008 | Macy's | Anthem | JWT NY |
String Arrangements
| Year | Band/Artist | Song | Release Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | k-os | Astronaut | MTV Unplugged |
| 2011 | k-os | Born to Run | MTV Unplugged |
| 2011 | k-os | Burning Bridges | MTV Unplugged |
| 2011 | k-os | Man I Used To Be | MTV Unplugged |
| 2011 | k-os | Uptown Girl | MTV Unplugged |
| 2011 | k-os | Zambony | MTV Unplugged |
| 2010 | Metric | Eclipse (All Yours) | Vivid Live (performance) |
| 2010 | Metric | Help I'm Alive | iTunes Session |
| 2010 | Metric | Gimme Sympathy | iTunes Session |
| 2010 | Metric | Blindness | Vivid Live (performance) |
| 2010 | Metric | Gold, Guns, Girls | Vivid Live (performance) |
| 2010 | Metric | Satellite Mind | Vivid Live (performance) |
| 2009 | Dan Mangan | Nice, Nice, Very Nice | Set The Sails LP |
| 2007 | Emily Haines | Doctor Blind | Knives Don't Have Your Back LP |
| 2007 | Emily Haines | Reading In Bed | Knives Don't Have Your Back LP |
| 2007 | Emily Haines | Mostly Waving | Knives Don't Have Your Back LP |
| 2006 | Small Sins | Stay | Smallsinsmusic.com |
| 2006 | Lindy | Beautifully Undone | Lindymusic.com |
| 2004 | Sarah Slean | Weight | Orphan Music LP |
| 2003 | Stars | One More Night | Set Yourself On Fire LP |
| 2003 | Stars | Set Yourself On Fire | Set Yourself On Fire LP |
| 2003 | Stars | Your Ex-Lover Is Dead | Set Yourself On Fire LP |