Röyksopp

Electronic pop trailblazers, Röyksopp, release the second part to their expansive Profound Mysteries project, Profound Mysteries II.

The LateNightTales series is an easy gateway for those interested in finding where an artist's influences lie - with volumes that are curated by Jamiroquai, MGMT, Belle & Sebastian, and Lindstrøm, among many others - and Röyksopp's contribution showcases the Norwegian duo's love of analog synthesizer tones. The album's 19 tracks weave an icy, cinematic narrative as Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge pick choice cuts from their record collections. Most of these songs are from the '70s and '80s, and are innocent and somber songs of the new wave, yacht rock, AM pop, and ambient variety. No surprise that they would select Vangelis' synth theme "Blade Runner Blues" from the Blade Runner soundtrack, or the chilling classical-themed vocoder piece "Odi et Amo" by Jóhann Jóhannsson…

Most entries in the Back to Mine series allow the artists to investigate their wide but dabbling tastes in influences - a bit of dance, a bit of alternative, some roots in '60s pop or soul perhaps, and maybe a stray nugget from something obscure like Krautrock or dub or rockabilly. The other volumes usually come from true DJs or, rarely, those with something special to say. Regardless of whether you enjoy Röyksopp's vision of polished downbeat pop, the duo's interest in post-disco and Euro-dance pays major dividends here for those looking to hear something beyond the usual Klein + M.B.O. or Alexander Robotnick singles. The vast majority of the tracks hail from that magical time (1978-1984) when disco, new wave, and synth pop were colliding with fantastic results, especially considering the quality of these obscurities…

Just as autumn must follow summer, Senior must follow Junior. Röyksopp's poppy, peppy record from 2009, Junior included guest-star vocalists, bright effects, and catchy melodies; Röyksopp's dreamy, downtempo record from 2010, Senior includes neither vocals nor much in the way of four-four beats. For those who jumped on the Junior bandwagon - and there were a lot of jumpers, since it surpassed all of their earlier records on the charts - the music here will be seen as formless mood music, for better or worse. For those who enjoyed Röyksopp's earlier downbeat material, this might seem more like home, although it has less character and warmth than Melody A.M. or even The Understanding. Much of it is simply a sedate version of Junior; for instance, "The Alcoholic" could have easily been slotted on Junior if vocals were added and its tempo was increased slightly…

Röyksopp announce the concluding third part to their extraordinary Profound Mysteries project, out now on Dog Triumph. Profound Mysteries III brings the acclaimed series to a climax, having worked with a cast of global visual and musical collaborators to create an incredible 30 tracks, 30 artefacts, 30 visualisers and 30 films that have been revealed throughout the year…

Norwegian duo Röyksopp compensated for the cold climes of their native Tromsø by making some of the warmest, most inviting downbeat electronica of the 21st century, exemplified by early tracks like "Eple" and "Poor Leno." The pair, Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge, both grew up in Tromsø and began recording in the early '90s…

Lost Tapes is a monthly release of rare B-sides, exclusives - & even some previously unreleased tracks. Now the first 10 tracks from the series are released on 2LP and CD for the first time.
Röyksopp on the Lost Tapes series: "Upon renovating our arctic chateau here in the desolate north, we came across an old sea-chest containing an abundance of rare B-sides, exclusives - & even some previously unreleased tracks. We thought the only right thing would be to make these "hard-to-find" tracks available for those of you who prefer to stream music. So therefore we’ve created a playlist called "Lost Tapes". The Playlist will be updated as we go, make sure you subscribe. All obscure tracks will eventually see the light of day."

Listening to Röyksopp’s music is an immersive experience. It’s atmospheric and can transport listeners to a remote space. In the ballads, the inherent melancholy of the gentle synths and smooth sounds envelope listeners like silk sheets. Yet there are also high-energy moments in which we’re invited to the dance floor…