User:Infoalfred/sandbox

Robert Skarsbakk

Robert Skarsbakk is a Norwegian singer - songwriter and designer, currently based in Sandefjord, Norway. He is a multi-talented artist, with a long career as a sign language interpreter for deaf and deaf-blind, musician and an industrial designer.

Robert`s music combines indie and folk. He is widely known for his critically acclaimed debut album “Like Everything Is OK”, from 2016. One of the songs from the album, Overload, was by Norwegain newspaper Dagbladet, nominated as one of the best international songs of 2016.

Robert`s has as an designer founded and co-founded several startups like fire warning systems Flexilarm and Sophia Brand Jewellery. He is married to jewellery designer Inger Lise Sophia Brand, founder of Sophia Brand Jewellery.

Early life

Robert was born in Trondheim 18 of November 1977. He grew up in the suburbs of Trondheim, raised by his deaf parents Solfrid and Sverre Skarsbakk. He`s first language was sign-language. Despite the environment he grew up in with deaf parents, he had a big interest for music.. At the age of 12 Robert started learning the guitar, and writing lyrics.

Robert did not plan to sing he`s own music. He`s first band Woodland, tried out several vocalist. At the age of 17 Robert decided to start singing he`s own songs, and the band recorded their EP “Where do we go?”, released in 1999. The band consisted of vocalist and guitarist Robert Skarsbakk, bass player Anders Asphaug and drummer Roy Tronstad.

The band changed name to Timothy in early 2000, and recorded their debut album Seven in 2001. Roberts songwriting was strongly influenced by the Seattle grunge scene in the 90`s. Artist like Eddie Vedder, Chris Cornell and Lane Staley had a major impact on his songwriting.

Career

Robert has a BA in sign language interpreting for deaf and for deaf-blind from the University of Trondheim, 1996 – 1998. After Timothy was dissolved, Robert moved to Oslo to study Industrial Design at the university. He graduated in 2004 with a BA degree.

In 2008 he founded Flexilarm, a company to provide deaf people about fire alarm warnings in public spaces. Today Flexilarm is APP used by hundreds of public buildings, to warn deaf people about fire alarms on their cellphones.

Beside these startups, Robert has developed several products like the guitar stand BUG and communication tool for families with small children, A GOOD DAY.

The artist never stopped writing music, and in 2015 he gathered a top team of musicians in Athletic Sound Studios in Halden, Norway. The album was produced by the artist him selves, together with Kai Andersen. The album was mixed by legendary Jim Scott in Plyrtz Studios and mastered in Abbey Road Studios.

The album was critically acclaimed by Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. The newspaper mentioned the album as one of the most interesting album releases in a long time in its genre, and placed one of the songs “Overload” as one of the top international releases for 2016.