Röyksopp
Encyclopedia
Röyksopp (ˈɾøʏksɔp) is a Norwegian electronic music
duo from Tromsø
, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge
and Torbjørn Brundtland
.
Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They both enjoyed the same films, music and both shared an interest in electronics. The two experimented with various forms of electronic music, and bought a drum machine together during the Tromsø techno scene
before going their separate ways. Several years later, the two met up again and formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave
. After experimenting with different genres of electronic music, the band solidified their place in the electronica scene with their 2001 debut album, Melody A.M.
, released on the Wall of Sound
record label.
Röyksopp has consistently experimented with various genres pertaining to electronica
. Stylistically, the band makes use of various genres, including ambient
, house music
, synthpop
and African-American sounds. The band is also known for its elaborate concert performances, which often feature eccentric outfits.
Since their 1998 debut, the duo has gained critical acclaim and popular success around the world. To date, Röyksopp has been nominated for one Grammy Award
, won seven Spellemannprisen
awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums which have topped the charts in several countries, including four consecutive number-one albums in their native Norway.
, Norway, and began experimenting with electronic instruments in the early 1990s as a part of the Tromsø techno scene
. The two met when Berge was 12 years old and Brundtland was 13, and the two began playing music together due to a shared interest in electronica. Their childhood in Tromsø and the natural scenery of Northern Norway have often been mentioned as some of their most important inspirations. The pair separated before obtaining any popular success with their music, but reunited with each other in 1998 in Bergen, Norway
.
Bergen, a city of 212,944 people in 1990, had overtaken Tromsø's position as the most vital scene for underground electronic music in Norway, and Röyksopp worked with other Norwegian musicians like Frost
, Those Norwegians, Drum Island
, and Kings of Convenience
's guitarist and singer Erlend Øye
in what was called the Bergen Wave
. During this time, the duo befriended Geir Jenssen
. Under the tutelage of Jenssen, the duo started a band called Aedena Cycle with Gaute Barlindhaug and Kolbjørn Lyslo. In 1994 Aedena Cycle recorded a vinyl
EP
called Traveler's Dreams. The EP was released under the R&S Records
sublabel Apollo
. Following the release of the EP, Jenssen almost convinced the band to sign a full record deal with Apollo Records.
mushroom, "røyksopp". The band has stated that the word could also evoke the mushroom cloud
resulting from an atomic blast.
Röyksopp's debut single was released by local Bergen Wave-era independent label Tellé. Röyksopp's first single "So Easy
", which was later re-released on their first album, was the second record released by Tellé. After being used in a UK T-Mobile
advertisement, "So Easy" became popular in the UK market and was later re-released, combined with their later hit single "Remind Me".
and released Melody A.M.
, which became certified platinum in the band's native Norway and sold over a million copies worldwide. The album peaked at number one in Norway
, and produced the UK
Top 40 singles "Eple
", "Poor Leno
", and "Remind Me". A final single, "Sparks
", was also released. Eple (ˈɛplə) – meaning "apple" in Norwegian
– was licensed by Apple Inc. for use as the welcome music to the company's Mac OS X
Panther operating system, playing the first time a user booted a new Apple-brand computer.
The band's popularity was boosted by several graphically experimental music video
s, many of which were put into heavy rotation by MTV
. The music video for "Remind Me", featuring an infographic
-style video by French company H5, won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award
for best music video. In this same event the duo was nominated in three more categories: "Best Nordic Act", "Best New Artist" and "Best Dance Act". The duo performed the song "Poor Leno" at the event. One year later they received a nomination for "Best Group" at the Brit Awards
.
During this period Röyksopp slowly gained popularity in the United States. "Remind Me", one of the two Röyksopp and Erlend Øye collaborations found on Melody A.M.
, was featured in a Geico
car insurance commercial. The commercial was the fourth of the "It's so easy a caveman could do it
" ads, and featured said caveman
riding a moving sidewalk in an airport terminal when he comes across a poster displaying the advertisement campaign.
, was released on 12 July 2005, preceded by the single "Only This Moment
" on 27 June 2005. The single managed to peak at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The video for "Only This Moment" is closely based on the events of the Paris 1968 riots, and elements of propaganda
are found throughout the video clip. The album's second single, "49 Percent
", with the vocals of Chelonis R. Jones was released on 26 September 2005. A third single, "What Else Is There?
", including vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson
of The Knife and Fever Ray, became the album's biggest hit, peaking at number 32 in the United Kingdom, and at number four in Norway. "Beautiful Day Without You" was the album's fourth single, and a non-album track, "Curves", was also released.
Building upon the success of Melody A.M., The Understanding was very successful in Europe. The album peaked at number 1 in Norway
, and at number 21 in the UK
. During this time, Röyksopp's popularity continued to increase in the United States. The album charted on many Billboard
charts, and peaked at number two on the Top Electronic Albums
chart, number 22 on the Top Heatseekers
chart, and number 32 on the Top Independent Albums.
After the release of The Understanding, some of Röyksopp's singles were licensed for movie appearances. "What Else Is There?
" was featured during a scene in the 2007 American film Meet Bill and during the end credits of the 2006 British film Cashback
, and "Circuit Breaker" was used in the 2007 snowboard film Picture This.
On 19 June 2006, Röyksopp released a nine-track live album called Röyksopp's Night Out
. Notably, the album contains a reinterpretation of the song "Go with the Flow
", originally by Queens of the Stone Age
.
On 5 March 2007, Röyksopp compiled their favourite tracks by other artists for the Back to Mine
series. Called Back to Mine: Röyksopp
, the album was released in the US on 5 March 2007, and in the UK on 27 April 2007. The album also includes their own track "Meatball", released under the pseudonym
"Emmanuel Splice". Svein Berge also contributed as a board member for the celebration of the Grieg year, as Norway celebrated their famous composer Edvard Grieg
.
On the tenth anniversary of Röyksopp's formation—15 December 2008—the band released a new track, "Happy Birthday", for free to celebrate the event. The song was released for free streaming
on the band's website.
". The song debuted on BBC Radio 1
's Pete Tong
show on 9 January 2009. It was officially released digitally on 16 March 2009. The music video for "Happy Up Here", made by Reuben Sutherland
, features elements from the arcade game Space Invaders
. Both the single and the video were met with positive reactions from the press and fans.
"The Girl and the Robot
", the second single from the album Junior, featuring vocals from Swedish singer Robyn
, was released on 15 June 2009. The vinyl and digital versions of the single included remixes of the song by Kris Menace
, Chateau Marmont and Spencer & Hill. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
, the Jean Elan remix of "The Girl and the Robot" was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
. "This Must Be It
" is the third single from the album, including vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson
of The Knife
and Fever Ray. The single also featuring remixes by Thin White Duke
, LehtMoJoe
, Rex the Dog and Apparat
, among others. The band later released the stems
for the song "Tricky Tricky" as part of a remix competition and the winning entries were released on 27 October 2009.
Junior was a success around the world. The album peaked at number one in Norway, the band's third consecutive release to do so. Junior also peaked at number 21 on the UK Albums Chart
and charted on many Billboard
charts, including the Billboard 200
–the first Röyksopp release to do so–where it peaked at number 126. The album also peaked at number four on the Top Electronic Albums
chart and number two on the Top Heatseekers
chart.
Junior was followed by Senior, which is more quiet, "withdrawn and introspective" and "create[s] an atmosphere and an ambiance". The album includes only instrumental songs. The first single from the album, "The Drug", was released on 9 August 2010. The album itself was released on 13 September 2010, and was successful in the band's native Norway, peaking at number one, the band's fourth consecutive release to do so.
A notable component of Röyksopp's song repertoire relies on the use of multiple lead vocalists. For instance, Melody A.M. features the vocal talents of Anneli Drecker
and Erlend Øye
, The Understanding features Kate Havnevik
, Chelonis R Jones
, and Karin Dreijer Andersson
, and Junior features Robyn
, Anneli Drecker, Karin Dreijer Andersson, and Lykke Li
.
Röyksopp enjoys using classic synthesizers, including the monophonic
Korg MS-20
, the polyphonic
Roland Juno-106
, and multiple members of the Akai Sampler Series. The band has stated that they prefer using analogue synthesizers over digital ones. Svein Berge said, "It's fairly limited the fun you can have with the use of a mouse. We like to mix."
In addition to writing their own music, the duo enjoy remixing songs. Berge said, "It's obviously fun remixing people like Coldplay
, artists of such a big calibre. Whenever people approach us for a remix it's very nice; being approached by Roots Manuva
, The Streets
, and even Peter Gabriel
is quite fun." The band was also asked by Britney Spears
for a remix, but had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts.
like Bel Canto
and Biosphere
. The band has also expressed their interest in the music of Kraftwerk
, Brian Eno
, Giorgio Moroder
, Art of Noise, Vangelis
, Erik Satie
, and Francis Lai
. Svein Berge has also stated that he is very fond of the production and programming skills of Datasette, who produced a remix of the Röyksopp single "Happy Up Here".
Röyksopp often include references and homages to their musical influences. For instance, "Röyksopp Forever" pays homage to famous electronic pioneers of the 70s, including, "the likes of Vangelis
and these people, and Krautrock
, like Tangerine Dream
and even Pink Floyd
and King Crimson
."
When performing live, the duo often appear in eccentric outfits. Ari Stein, of Electronic Beats
, said, that during one particular live set, "Röyksopp returned with two separate encores, one which included Berge playing "Eple" with a space suit capsule on his head".
s and a Grammy
.
The tracks "What Else Is There?
" and "Eple
" were chosen among the top 500 tracks of the decade by Pitchfork Media
and placed in 375th and 336th place respectively. Another track written by Röyksopp, Annie's "Heartbeat
", was placed 17th on the same list. On 24 November 2009, Melody A.M.
was named the best Norwegian album of the decade by Norway's largest newspaper, Verdens Gang
. The Understanding came 5th on the same list. In a ranking of the top 10 Norwegian tracks of the decade by VG, "Eple
" and "What Else Is There?
" were placed 3rd and 6th respectively.
However, some criticism has been aimed at the repetitive nature of the band and the trip hop genre in general. Robert Christgau
said that, "chill-out tends toward waiting-room music for plastic surgeons who really want you to order that butt implant. Where once [Röyksopp] were extolled for their subtle melodicism, here their schlock candidly attacks the jugular. If they're Air, Goldie
was Tricky
." Pitchfork Media
, in their review of Senior, said that "the kind of downtempo stuff that makes up the majority of Röyksopp's vocal-less compositions just doesn't hold up to concentrated, repeated listens like many other forms of instrumental electronic music."
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...
duo from Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, formed in 1998. Since their inception, the band's line-up has included Svein Berge
Svein Berge
Svein Berge makes up half of the duo Röyksopp. Berge was born in Tromsø, Norway.-Musical career:* In 1999 debut as Röyksopp on Tellé with "So Easy" 7" and "Your Hands" on the Beatservice compilation "Arctic Circles 2"....
and Torbjørn Brundtland
Torbjørn Brundtland
Torbjørn Brundtland makes up half of the duo Röyksopp. He was born in Tromsø, Norway.-Musical career:* Between 1994-1995 Brundtland was a member of Aedena Cycle with Gaute Barlindhaug and Kolbjørn Lyslo . Release: Traveller's Dream 12" released on R&S* In 1995 Brundtland was producer for Volcano...
.
Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway. They both enjoyed the same films, music and both shared an interest in electronics. The two experimented with various forms of electronic music, and bought a drum machine together during the Tromsø techno scene
Tromsø techno scene
The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists within electronic music. The internationally best-known names are Röyksopp, Biosphere and Bel Canto....
before going their separate ways. Several years later, the two met up again and formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave
Bergen Wave
The Bergen Wave was a term used by the Norwegian press for the emergence of successful bands from Bergen in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Several of these artists gained international breakthroughs, which was uncommon for Norwegian music at that time...
. After experimenting with different genres of electronic music, the band solidified their place in the electronica scene with their 2001 debut album, Melody A.M.
Melody A.M.
Melody A.M. is the debut album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, released on 8 October 2001 by Wall of Sound. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games; "Remind Me" was formally featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman...
, released on the Wall of Sound
Wall of Sound (record label)
Wall of Sound is an independent record label based in London, England. It is part of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent music company....
record label.
Röyksopp has consistently experimented with various genres pertaining to electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
. Stylistically, the band makes use of various genres, including ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
, house music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
, synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
and African-American sounds. The band is also known for its elaborate concert performances, which often feature eccentric outfits.
Since their 1998 debut, the duo has gained critical acclaim and popular success around the world. To date, Röyksopp has been nominated for one Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, won seven Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums which have topped the charts in several countries, including four consecutive number-one albums in their native Norway.
Origins (1990–1997)
Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland were introduced at a friends house in TromsøTromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, Norway, and began experimenting with electronic instruments in the early 1990s as a part of the Tromsø techno scene
Tromsø techno scene
The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists within electronic music. The internationally best-known names are Röyksopp, Biosphere and Bel Canto....
. The two met when Berge was 12 years old and Brundtland was 13, and the two began playing music together due to a shared interest in electronica. Their childhood in Tromsø and the natural scenery of Northern Norway have often been mentioned as some of their most important inspirations. The pair separated before obtaining any popular success with their music, but reunited with each other in 1998 in Bergen, Norway
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
.
Bergen, a city of 212,944 people in 1990, had overtaken Tromsø's position as the most vital scene for underground electronic music in Norway, and Röyksopp worked with other Norwegian musicians like Frost
Frost (Norwegian band)
Frost is a Norwegian electronic duo consisting of Aggie Peterson and Per Martinsen. The group formed in 1997 in Tromsø, Norway with original line-up composed of Aggie Peterson and DJ Rune Lindbæk. They released their debut album "Bedsit Theories" in 1998....
, Those Norwegians, Drum Island
Drum Island
Drum Island is a former Norwegian electronic music group from Tromsø, composed of Torbjørn Brundtland , Rune Lindbæk and Ole Johan Mjøs. Svein Berge and Gaute Barlindhaug are contributors. Their only release is a self-titled album released in 1997, along with two singles. The album was released on...
, and Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience
Kings of Convenience are an indie folk-pop duo from Bergen, Norway. Consisting of Erlend Øye and Eirik Glambek Bøe, the musical group is known for their delicate tunes, calming voices, and intricate and subtle guitar melodies...
's guitarist and singer Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe. He has released one solo album, Unrest, in 2003 and a mix-CD in the DJ-Kicks series in 2004....
in what was called the Bergen Wave
Bergen Wave
The Bergen Wave was a term used by the Norwegian press for the emergence of successful bands from Bergen in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. Several of these artists gained international breakthroughs, which was uncommon for Norwegian music at that time...
. During this time, the duo befriended Geir Jenssen
Biosphere (musician)
Biosphere is the main recording name of Geir Jenssen , a Norwegian musician who has released a notable catalogue of ambient electronic music. He is well known for his "ambient techno" and "arctic ambient" styles, his use of music loops, and peculiar samples from sci-fi sources. His track "Novelty...
. Under the tutelage of Jenssen, the duo started a band called Aedena Cycle with Gaute Barlindhaug and Kolbjørn Lyslo. In 1994 Aedena Cycle recorded a vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
called Traveler's Dreams. The EP was released under the R&S Records
R&S Records
R&S Records is an independent record label. Founded in 1984 in Ghent, Belgium, it is now based in London and managed by Andy Whittaker and Dan Foat.R&S represents the initials of Renaat Vandepapeliere and Sabine Maes, the couple that created the label...
sublabel Apollo
Apollo Records (Belgium)
A fourth Apollo Records to exist is an Ambient subdivision of R&S Records of Belgium.-Albums:* Apollo Compilation - Volume 1 - "File Under Ambient"* Biosphere - Microgravity* Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92* In-Existence - Moonwater...
. Following the release of the EP, Jenssen almost convinced the band to sign a full record deal with Apollo Records.
Early years (1998–2000)
After recording as part of Aedena Cycle, Berge and Brundtland left the group to form their own band, Röyksopp. The word röyksopp is a stylized version of the Norwegian word for the puffballPuffball
A puffball is a member of any of several groups of fungus in the division Basidiomycota. The puffballs were previously treated as a taxonomic group called the Gasteromycetes or Gasteromycetidae, but they are now known to be a polyphyletic assemblage. The distinguishing feature of all puffballs is...
mushroom, "røyksopp". The band has stated that the word could also evoke the mushroom cloud
Mushroom cloud
A mushroom cloud is a distinctive pyrocumulus mushroom-shaped cloud of condensed water vapor or debris resulting from a very large explosion. They are most commonly associated with nuclear explosions, but any sufficiently large blast will produce the same sort of effect. They can be caused by...
resulting from an atomic blast.
Röyksopp's debut single was released by local Bergen Wave-era independent label Tellé. Röyksopp's first single "So Easy
So Easy
"So Easy" is a song by Norwegian duo Röyksopp, released as their first single. Originally it was released in 1999, with only 500 copies made and distributed. Later it was re-released on Röyksopp's debut album Melody A.M....
", which was later re-released on their first album, was the second record released by Tellé. After being used in a UK T-Mobile
T-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
advertisement, "So Easy" became popular in the UK market and was later re-released, combined with their later hit single "Remind Me".
Melody A.M. and early success (2001–2004)
After leaving Tellé, the band signed with British label Wall of SoundWall of Sound (record label)
Wall of Sound is an independent record label based in London, England. It is part of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent music company....
and released Melody A.M.
Melody A.M.
Melody A.M. is the debut album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, released on 8 October 2001 by Wall of Sound. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games; "Remind Me" was formally featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman...
, which became certified platinum in the band's native Norway and sold over a million copies worldwide. The album peaked at number one in Norway
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
, and produced the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
Top 40 singles "Eple
Eple
"Eple" is a song by Norwegian duo Röyksopp, released as their second single. In 2003, it was re-released as the duo's third single from their first album Melody A.M..- Commercial Use :...
", "Poor Leno
Poor Leno
"Poor Leno" is the third single released by the Norwegian duo Röyksopp. It was released in December 2001 as the second single from Röyksopp's debut album Melody A.M.. The vocals are sung by Erlend Øye...
", and "Remind Me". A final single, "Sparks
Sparks (song)
"Sparks" is the fifth single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp.-Response:The single was released in 2003 in the UK and late 2003 worldwide. The single managed to reach #41 on the UK Singles Chart...
", was also released. Eple (ˈɛplə) – meaning "apple" in Norwegian
Norwegian language
Norwegian is a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Norway, where it is the official language. Together with Swedish and Danish, Norwegian forms a continuum of more or less mutually intelligible local and regional variants .These Scandinavian languages together with the Faroese language...
– was licensed by Apple Inc. for use as the welcome music to the company's Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
Panther operating system, playing the first time a user booted a new Apple-brand computer.
The band's popularity was boosted by several graphically experimental music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s, many of which were put into heavy rotation by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The music video for "Remind Me", featuring an infographic
Information graphics
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education...
-style video by French company H5, won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award
MTV Europe Music Awards 2002
Puff Daddy was the host for the 2002 Europe Music Awards. Held at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona. Puff Daddy confirmed his diva status by demanding backstage necessities such as a bath of milk and a double bed with Egyptian silk sheets.The live audience was the biggest to date with 15,000 music fans...
for best music video. In this same event the duo was nominated in three more categories: "Best Nordic Act", "Best New Artist" and "Best Dance Act". The duo performed the song "Poor Leno" at the event. One year later they received a nomination for "Best Group" at the Brit Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
.
During this period Röyksopp slowly gained popularity in the United States. "Remind Me", one of the two Röyksopp and Erlend Øye collaborations found on Melody A.M.
Melody A.M.
Melody A.M. is the debut album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, released on 8 October 2001 by Wall of Sound. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games; "Remind Me" was formally featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman...
, was featured in a Geico
GEICO
The Government Employees Insurance Company is an auto insurance company. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway that as of 2007 provided coverage for more than 10 million motor vehicles owned by more than 9 million policy holders. GEICO writes private passenger automobile insurance...
car insurance commercial. The commercial was the fourth of the "It's so easy a caveman could do it
GEICO Cavemen
The GEICO Cavemen are trademarked characters of GEICO in a series of television advertisements for the auto insurance company GEICO, that have aired from 2004 to present. The campaign was created by Joe Lawson of The Martin Agency. In 2004, GEICO began an advertising campaign featuring...
" ads, and featured said caveman
Caveman
A caveman or troglodyte is a stock character based upon widespread concepts of the way in which early prehistoric humans may have looked and behaved...
riding a moving sidewalk in an airport terminal when he comes across a poster displaying the advertisement campaign.
The Understanding (2005–2008)
Röyksopp's second studio album, The UnderstandingThe Understanding
The Understanding is the second studio album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2005 by Wall of Sound and in the United States on 12 July 2005 by Astralwerks. The deluxe edition, including a bonus CD, is sold in a Digipak...
, was released on 12 July 2005, preceded by the single "Only This Moment
Only This Moment
"Only This Moment" is the first single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. The track features Kate Havnevik on guest vocals and co-writing.-Track listing:#"Only This Moment " – 3:41...
" on 27 June 2005. The single managed to peak at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The video for "Only This Moment" is closely based on the events of the Paris 1968 riots, and elements of propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
are found throughout the video clip. The album's second single, "49 Percent
49 Percent
"49 Percent" is the second single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals and lyrics of Chelonis R Jones...
", with the vocals of Chelonis R. Jones was released on 26 September 2005. A third single, "What Else Is There?
What Else Is There?
"What Else Is There?" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson from the electronica duo The Knife. The album was released in the UK with the help of Astralwerks....
", including vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson , commonly known by her stage name Fever Ray, is the lead vocalist of the electronic duo The Knife, formed with her brother Olof Dreijer. Andersson was previously the vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Honey Is Cool...
of The Knife and Fever Ray, became the album's biggest hit, peaking at number 32 in the United Kingdom, and at number four in Norway. "Beautiful Day Without You" was the album's fourth single, and a non-album track, "Curves", was also released.
Building upon the success of Melody A.M., The Understanding was very successful in Europe. The album peaked at number 1 in Norway
VG-lista
VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...
, and at number 21 in the UK
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. During this time, Röyksopp's popularity continued to increase in the United States. The album charted on many Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts, and peaked at number two on the Top Electronic Albums
Top Electronic Albums
Dance/Electronic Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top-selling electronic music albums in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated June 30, 2001. It originally began as a fifteen-position chart and has since expanded to twenty-five...
chart, number 22 on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart, and number 32 on the Top Independent Albums.
After the release of The Understanding, some of Röyksopp's singles were licensed for movie appearances. "What Else Is There?
What Else Is There?
"What Else Is There?" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson from the electronica duo The Knife. The album was released in the UK with the help of Astralwerks....
" was featured during a scene in the 2007 American film Meet Bill and during the end credits of the 2006 British film Cashback
Cashback (film)
Cashback is the name of two films directed by Sean Ellis: a 2004 short film and a 2006 feature film. Both were produced by Lene Bausager, starring Sean Biggerstaff and Emilia Fox. The feature was released by Magnolia Pictures in late 2006 and also starred Michelle Ryan...
, and "Circuit Breaker" was used in the 2007 snowboard film Picture This.
Röyksopp's Night Out
Röyksopp's Night Out is an EP by Norwegian electronica group Röyksopp. It contains live recordings from a concert in Norway, Rockefeller in November 2005.This album has been released with the Copy Control protection system in some regions....
. Notably, the album contains a reinterpretation of the song "Go with the Flow
Go with the Flow
"Go with the Flow" is a song by Queens of the Stone Age from the album Songs for the Deaf, released as a single in 2003. At the 46th Grammy Awards, the song was nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance.-Music video:...
", originally by Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
.
On 5 March 2007, Röyksopp compiled their favourite tracks by other artists for the Back to Mine
Back to Mine
Back to Mine is a series of mix albums, usually mixed by renowned DJs or composers of electronic music. The compilations usually feature artists other than the artist compiling the album, and are based on what the artist would play at home after a night out, rather than as part of a nightclub...
series. Called Back to Mine: Röyksopp
Back to Mine: Röyksopp
Back To Mine: Röyksopp is a compilation album from the Back To Mine series from DMC Publishing. It was compiled and mixed by the electronica band, Röyksopp.-Track listing:# "Born Under Punches " – Talking Heads...
, the album was released in the US on 5 March 2007, and in the UK on 27 April 2007. The album also includes their own track "Meatball", released under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
"Emmanuel Splice". Svein Berge also contributed as a board member for the celebration of the Grieg year, as Norway celebrated their famous composer Edvard Grieg
Edvard Grieg
Edvard Hagerup Grieg was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is best known for his Piano Concerto in A minor, for his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt , and for his collection of piano miniatures Lyric Pieces.-Biography:Edvard Hagerup Grieg was born in...
.
On the tenth anniversary of Röyksopp's formation—15 December 2008—the band released a new track, "Happy Birthday", for free to celebrate the event. The song was released for free streaming
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
on the band's website.
Junior and Senior (2009–2010)
Röyksopp's third studio album, Junior, was released on 23 March 2009, featuring the single "Happy Up HereHappy Up Here
"Happy Up Here" is a song by Röyksopp, released as free download from their album Junior. The one-track digital single was also released in selected stores on January 19, 2009, while the physical single and digital EP with remixes were released on March 16, 2009.The song samples Parliament's 1976...
". The song debuted on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Pete Tong
Pete Tong
Peter "Pete" Tong is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is known worldwide by fans of electronic music for hosting programmes such as Essential Mix and Essential Selection on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for his record label FFRR Records, and for...
show on 9 January 2009. It was officially released digitally on 16 March 2009. The music video for "Happy Up Here", made by Reuben Sutherland
Reuben Sutherland
Reuben Sutherland is a British VJ, director and visual artist, specialising in mixing up live action and animation.Sutherland has made music videos for The Doves, Phoenix Foundation and Röyksopp . He also created videos for the New Zealand based independent record label Flying Nun Records...
, features elements from the arcade game Space Invaders
Space Invaders
is an arcade video game designed by Tomohiro Nishikado, and released in 1978. It was originally manufactured and sold by Taito in Japan, and was later licensed for production in the United States by the Midway division of Bally. Space Invaders is one of the earliest shooting games and the aim is to...
. Both the single and the video were met with positive reactions from the press and fans.
"The Girl and the Robot
The Girl and the Robot
"The Girl and the Robot" is a song by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp from their third studio album, Junior . The song features vocals from Swedish singer Robyn, and was released on 15 June 2009 as the album's second single, with remixes from Kris Menace, Chateau Marmont and Spencer & Hill.The...
", the second single from the album Junior, featuring vocals from Swedish singer Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
, was released on 15 June 2009. The vinyl and digital versions of the single included remixes of the song by Kris Menace
Kris Menace
Kris Menace is an electronic musician.-History:Christophe Hoeffel began to work as a producer and writer in the mid 1990s for different projects and started using the pseudonym "Kris Menace" in 2005....
, Chateau Marmont and Spencer & Hill. At the 52nd Grammy Awards
52nd Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares Person of the Year on January 29, two days prior to the Grammy telecast. Only ten of the 109 awards were received during the broadcast...
, the Jean Elan remix of "The Girl and the Robot" was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
The Grammy Award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical is an honor presented to producers for quality remixed recordings at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards...
. "This Must Be It
This Must Be It
"This Must Be It" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's third album Junior. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson...
" is the third single from the album, including vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson , commonly known by her stage name Fever Ray, is the lead vocalist of the electronic duo The Knife, formed with her brother Olof Dreijer. Andersson was previously the vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Honey Is Cool...
of The Knife
The Knife
The Knife are a Swedish electronic music duo from Gothenburg, formed in 1999. The group consists of siblings Karin Dreijer Andersson and Olof Dreijer, who together also run their own record company, Rabid Records. They first received international attention after their song "Heartbeats", covered by...
and Fever Ray. The single also featuring remixes by Thin White Duke
Stuart Price
Stuart Price is a three time Grammy-winning British electronic musician, songwriter, and record producer whose remixing and production skills are in demand by artists including New Order, Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Take That, Missy Elliott, Scissor Sisters, The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Brandon...
, LehtMoJoe
LehtMoJoe
-Career:LehtMoJoe's stage name combines the names of his favorite Dallas Stars hockey players during the late nineties, Jere Lehtinen, Mike Modano, and Joe Nieuwendyk....
, Rex the Dog and Apparat
Apparat (musician)
Apparat is a German electronic musician living in Berlin and was previously a co-owner of Shitkatapult records. Starting out with dance floor-oriented techno, he later started to create ambient music and more recently became "more interested in designing sounds than beats".In 2004, he appeared at...
, among others. The band later released the stems
Stem (music)
Stems can refer to two things in music, relating to music notation and production.-Notation:Stems are the lines which extend from the notehead. Stems may point up or down. Different-facing stems indicate the voice for polyphonic music written on the same staff...
for the song "Tricky Tricky" as part of a remix competition and the winning entries were released on 27 October 2009.
Junior was a success around the world. The album peaked at number one in Norway, the band's third consecutive release to do so. Junior also peaked at number 21 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and charted on many Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts, including the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
–the first Röyksopp release to do so–where it peaked at number 126. The album also peaked at number four on the Top Electronic Albums
Top Electronic Albums
Dance/Electronic Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top-selling electronic music albums in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated June 30, 2001. It originally began as a fifteen-position chart and has since expanded to twenty-five...
chart and number two on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart.
Junior was followed by Senior, which is more quiet, "withdrawn and introspective" and "create[s] an atmosphere and an ambiance". The album includes only instrumental songs. The first single from the album, "The Drug", was released on 9 August 2010. The album itself was released on 13 September 2010, and was successful in the band's native Norway, peaking at number one, the band's fourth consecutive release to do so.
Musical style
Röyksopp's music is often referred to as "warm", a reference to the band's downbeat electronica that combines elements of house music, drum and bass, and Afro-American sounds.A notable component of Röyksopp's song repertoire relies on the use of multiple lead vocalists. For instance, Melody A.M. features the vocal talents of Anneli Drecker
Anneli Drecker
Anneli Marian Drecker is a German-Norwegian singer and actress from the city of Tromsø. She is the vocalist for the seminal dream pop band Bel Canto. In the fall of 2006 Bel Canto celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the first album with several concerts...
and Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye
Erlend Øye is a Norwegian musician from Bergen, best known for being part of the indie folk duo Kings of Convenience together with Eirik Glambek Bøe. He has released one solo album, Unrest, in 2003 and a mix-CD in the DJ-Kicks series in 2004....
, The Understanding features Kate Havnevik
Kate Havnevik
Kate Havnevik is a singer and songwriter from Oslo, Norway. Her debut album, the critically acclaimed electronica infused Melankton, was released in March 2006 on iTunes and April 2006 in Norway only, before being licensed internationally later...
, Chelonis R Jones
Chelonis R Jones
Chelonis R. Jones is an electropop Musician Painter, Poet, Singer, Songwriter and Producer. Born and raised in California & New York but currently living in Europe...
, and Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Dreijer Andersson
Karin Elisabeth Dreijer Andersson , commonly known by her stage name Fever Ray, is the lead vocalist of the electronic duo The Knife, formed with her brother Olof Dreijer. Andersson was previously the vocalist and guitarist of the alternative rock band Honey Is Cool...
, and Junior features Robyn
Robyn
Robin Miriam Carlsson , better known by her stage name Robyn, is a Swedish recording artist, singer, and songwriter. Robyn became known in the late nineties for her worldwide dance-pop hit "Do You Know " from her debut album Robyn Is Here . She co-wrote the song "Du gör mig hel igen" for...
, Anneli Drecker, Karin Dreijer Andersson, and Lykke Li
Lykke Li
Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson , better known by her stage name Lykke Li , is a Swedish singer-songwriter. Her music often blends elements of pop, indie rock and electronic; various instruments can also be found in her songs, including violins, synthesizers, tambourines, trumpets, saxophones and cellos...
.
Röyksopp enjoys using classic synthesizers, including the monophonic
Monophony
In music, monophony is the simplest of textures, consisting of melody without accompanying harmony. This may be realized as just one note at a time, or with the same note duplicated at the octave . If the entire melody is sung by two voices or a choir with an interval between the notes or in...
Korg MS-20
Korg MS-20
The Korg MS-20 is a patchable semi-modular monophonic synthesizer which Korg released in 1978 and which was in production until 1983. It was part of Korg's MS series of instruments, which also included the single oscillator MS-10, the keyboardless MS-50 module, and the SQ-10 sequencer...
, the polyphonic
Polyphony
In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords ....
Roland Juno-106
Roland Juno-106
The Roland Juno-106 was a hybrid digital/analogue polyphonic synth manufactured by Roland Corporation in 1984. It featured Digitally controlled oscillators for tuning stability and digital envelope generation along with analog filters and signal path....
, and multiple members of the Akai Sampler Series. The band has stated that they prefer using analogue synthesizers over digital ones. Svein Berge said, "It's fairly limited the fun you can have with the use of a mouse. We like to mix."
In addition to writing their own music, the duo enjoy remixing songs. Berge said, "It's obviously fun remixing people like Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, artists of such a big calibre. Whenever people approach us for a remix it's very nice; being approached by Roots Manuva
Roots Manuva
Rodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
, The Streets
The Streets
The Streets were a British rap/garage project from Birmingham, United Kingdom, led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner and has included a myriad of other contributors most notably drummer Johnny Drum Machine, vocalist Kevin Mark Trail and the Italian-American beatmaker Leroy.The...
, and even Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
is quite fun." The band was also asked by Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
for a remix, but had to turn down the offer due to scheduling conflicts.
Influences
As they grew up in northern Norway, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland listened to local artistsTromsø techno scene
The Tromsø techno scene is the origin of many of Norway's most important artists within electronic music. The internationally best-known names are Röyksopp, Biosphere and Bel Canto....
like Bel Canto
Bel Canto (band)
Bel Canto is a Norwegian music duo, originally a trio, fronted by Anneli Drecker, and signed originally to Crammed Discs.-Biography:Their first two records were licensed to Nettwerk Records in Canada and its second album was licensed to IRS/MCA Records...
and Biosphere
Biosphere (musician)
Biosphere is the main recording name of Geir Jenssen , a Norwegian musician who has released a notable catalogue of ambient electronic music. He is well known for his "ambient techno" and "arctic ambient" styles, his use of music loops, and peculiar samples from sci-fi sources. His track "Novelty...
. The band has also expressed their interest in the music of Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk is an influential electronic music band from Düsseldorf, Germany. The group was formed by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider in 1970, and was fronted by them until Schneider's departure in 2008...
, Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
, Art of Noise, Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
, Erik Satie
Erik Satie
Éric Alfred Leslie Satie was a French composer and pianist. Satie was a colourful figure in the early 20th century Parisian avant-garde...
, and Francis Lai
Francis Lai
Francis Lai is a French accordionist, and composer noted for his film scores.While in his twenties, Francis Lai left home and went to Paris where he became part of the lively Montmartre music scene...
. Svein Berge has also stated that he is very fond of the production and programming skills of Datasette, who produced a remix of the Röyksopp single "Happy Up Here".
Röyksopp often include references and homages to their musical influences. For instance, "Röyksopp Forever" pays homage to famous electronic pioneers of the 70s, including, "the likes of Vangelis
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou is a Greek composer of electronic, progressive, ambient, jazz, pop rock and orchestral music, under the artist name Vangelis...
and these people, and Krautrock
Krautrock
Krautrock is a generic name for the experimental music scenes that appeared in Germany in the late 1960s and gained popularity throughout the 1970s, especially in Britain. The term is a result of the English-speaking world's reception of the music at the time and not a reference to any one...
, like Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream
Tangerine Dream is a German electronic music group founded in 1967 by Edgar Froese. The band has undergone many personnel changes over the years, with Froese being the only continuous member...
and even Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
and King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
."
Live performances
Röyksopp is known for its elaborate concert performances. Marc Hogan of Pitchfork Media said that "Those who have heard Röyksopp's two albums ... won't be surprised to learn the Norwegian duo's live set is much better and more raucuous than hunching next to the speakers at yer local Crate & Barrel".When performing live, the duo often appear in eccentric outfits. Ari Stein, of Electronic Beats
Electronic Beats
Electronic Beats is a T-Mobile funded lifestyle concept which is composed of four projects:*Magazine: Electronic Beats Magazine is a quarterly publication, revolving around music, culture, fashion, travel and lifestyle issues...
, said, that during one particular live set, "Röyksopp returned with two separate encores, one which included Berge playing "Eple" with a space suit capsule on his head".
Discography
- Melody A.M.Melody A.M.Melody A.M. is the debut album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, released on 8 October 2001 by Wall of Sound. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games; "Remind Me" was formally featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman...
(2001) - The UnderstandingThe UnderstandingThe Understanding is the second studio album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp. It was released in the United Kingdom on 4 July 2005 by Wall of Sound and in the United States on 12 July 2005 by Astralwerks. The deluxe edition, including a bonus CD, is sold in a Digipak...
(2005) - Junior (2009)
- Senior (2010)
Reception and Awards
Critical reception
In addition to sales success, Röyksopp has garnered generally positive critical reception from many music critics. The band has also been nominated for many prestigious awards, including multiple SpellemannprisenSpellemannprisen
Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide...
s and a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
The tracks "What Else Is There?
What Else Is There?
"What Else Is There?" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson from the electronica duo The Knife. The album was released in the UK with the help of Astralwerks....
" and "Eple
Eple
"Eple" is a song by Norwegian duo Röyksopp, released as their second single. In 2003, it was re-released as the duo's third single from their first album Melody A.M..- Commercial Use :...
" were chosen among the top 500 tracks of the decade by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
and placed in 375th and 336th place respectively. Another track written by Röyksopp, Annie's "Heartbeat
Heartbeat (Annie song)
"Heartbeat" is a pop song written by Röyksopp and Norwegian singer Annie for Annie's 2004 debut album Anniemal. It was released with the title "My Heart Beat" as the album's second single in November 2004 . The lyrics of "Heartbeat" describe finding new love at a nightclub, surrounded by close...
", was placed 17th on the same list. On 24 November 2009, Melody A.M.
Melody A.M.
Melody A.M. is the debut album by Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp, released on 8 October 2001 by Wall of Sound. Songs from this album have been used in television adverts and computer games; "Remind Me" was formally featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman...
was named the best Norwegian album of the decade by Norway's largest newspaper, Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang
Verdens Gang , generally known under the abbreviation VG, is a Norwegian tabloid newspaper...
. The Understanding came 5th on the same list. In a ranking of the top 10 Norwegian tracks of the decade by VG, "Eple
Eple
"Eple" is a song by Norwegian duo Röyksopp, released as their second single. In 2003, it was re-released as the duo's third single from their first album Melody A.M..- Commercial Use :...
" and "What Else Is There?
What Else Is There?
"What Else Is There?" is the third single from the Norwegian duo Röyksopp's second album The Understanding. It features the vocals of Karin Dreijer Andersson from the electronica duo The Knife. The album was released in the UK with the help of Astralwerks....
" were placed 3rd and 6th respectively.
However, some criticism has been aimed at the repetitive nature of the band and the trip hop genre in general. Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
said that, "chill-out tends toward waiting-room music for plastic surgeons who really want you to order that butt implant. Where once [Röyksopp] were extolled for their subtle melodicism, here their schlock candidly attacks the jugular. If they're Air, Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
was Tricky
Tricky
Tricky is an English musician and actor. As a producer and a musician, he is noted for a dark, rich and layered sound and a whispering sprechgesang lyrical style. Culturally, Tricky encourages an intertwining of societies, particularly in his musical fusion of rock and hip hop, high art and pop...
." Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, in their review of Senior, said that "the kind of downtempo stuff that makes up the majority of Röyksopp's vocal-less compositions just doesn't hold up to concentrated, repeated listens like many other forms of instrumental electronic music."
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen Spellemannprisen is an award presented to Norwegian musicians for their contributions.-Operation:The award was established on the initiative of International Federation of the Phonographic Industry , an organization that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide... |
|
| 2002 | Spellemannprisen |
|
| MTV Europe Music Awards MTV Europe Music Awards 2002 Puff Daddy was the host for the 2002 Europe Music Awards. Held at Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona. Puff Daddy confirmed his diva status by demanding backstage necessities such as a bath of milk and a double bed with Egyptian silk sheets.The live audience was the biggest to date with 15,000 music fans... |
|
|
| Alarmprisen |
|
|
| 2003 | Brit Awards Brit Awards The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust... |
|
| 2005 | Spellemannprisen |
|
| 2006 | Alarmprisen |
|
| 2009 | Grammy Award Grammy Award A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry... s |
|
| 2010 | Spellemannprisen |
|
External links
- Röyksopp at AstralwerksAstralwerksAstralwerks is a New York-based record label that releases primarily electronic music. It is owned by Virgin Records/EMI and distributed by Caroline Distribution in the United States....