Tag: Röyksopp

Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Never Ever

“Where have I heard that backing synth sample before?”

Tim: ‘Poor Leno’ hitmakers Röyksopp have teamed up with the also-Norwegian Susanne for the lead single of their upcoming album; it’s not half bad.

Adam: This seems like a bit of a departure for Röyksopp which, judging by the YouTube comments, is not appreciated by all their fans.

Tim: Yeah – it’s quite a lot more mainstream dance-pop than previous outings. In fact, it’s a perfectly decent track to launch a dance-pop album off.

Adam: Röyksopp have stated in a recent press release that they no longer wish to work within the confines of the traditional album format. So probably no dance-pop album coming for you. Maybe you’ll get some singles of a similar nature though?

Tim: Maybe. But Adam. Adam, Adam, Adam. I need your help, because where have I heard that backing synth sample before?

Adam: I’m getting a very distinct disco and funk vibe from the whole track…

Tim: It’s not completely recognisable until that first beat at 0:12 kicks in, and then AAAARGH. It was a dance track, and I’m fairly sure it was successful in Britain, so please tell me you can place it.

Adam: It reminds me a lot of Get Lucky by Daft Punk. Is that what you’re thinking of?

Tim: No, it’s no a stylistic one, just that single two-bard loop. But really, Get Lucky?

Adam: Perhaps similarities between that track and this one is what is turning some fans off. This whole ditching the album for a purely single based approach is something I’ve seen many bands discuss in the past but never fully follow through with. The beauty of it is that nowadays you such quick feedback from fans on what works and what doesn’t.

Tim: I guess so. Though you could also take that as not having the confidence to set out exactly what you want to do in advance.

Adam: I guess we’ll have to see if new musical and creative approaches for Röyksopp pays off.

Röyksopp & Robyn – Do It Again

“It takes ages to get there.”

Tom: Wait, really?

Tim: Yep, and yep. Two Scandinivian GIANTS of dance music combine, to bring us this, the first single from a new duet EP.

Tom: Well, that’s exciting.

Tom: That… huh. That is exactly what I expected it to sound like. It sounds like Röyksopp, and it sounds like Robyn. I don’t why I’m underwhelmed by that, because it’s a really good track.

Tim: It is, but to be honest, it took me a while to get it – specifically, three minutes and forty four seconds. At which point it all WENT OFF and became WONDERFUL.

Tom: Right! And I know that’s Röyksopp’s shtick, the whole slow-build thing, but it takes ages to get there.

Tim: And then Annie Mac starts talking all over it, but still it’s very good.

Tom: I KNOW. GOOD GRIEF.

Tim: At the end, though, I had another listen and realised it actually got to a decent level after a couple of minutes, which is better but still sort of a problem – we all know Robyn has a lovely voice, so it’s a shame it takes so long for the production underneath to catch up and be big enough to complement it well. When it does, mind, it’s fantastic, and I can’t wait to hear the whole EP.

Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør – Running To The Sea

“Not what I expected from a Röyksopp single.”

Tim: I’m not going to introduce this, save to say there’s a studio version here if you’d prefer.

Tim: Doesn’t really need an introduction, you see, because it’s incredible.

Tom: It’s not what I expected from a Röyksopp single, that’s for sure. Or at least, the first part wasn’t.

Tim: No, nor what I expected, but that’s no bad thing. It starts like a quiet piano ballad and holds it for a while, another layer comes in, and then– actually, I could go through it like that but it wouldn’t explain what’s great about it because it’s just not that sort of song. It’s the way it feels that really gets you, the way it surrounds you and gets underneath you, with the vocal that’s both soaring but slightly haunting as well.

Tom: I’m not sure it quite got into me in the same way – it’s a builder, certainly, but it didn’t send shivers up my spine like it seems to have yours. Good track, though.

Tim: Really? Because I think it’s just…well, incredible.