Melody AM - Royksopp

...was the year of Royksopp. Melody AM was a massive hit for these two unassuming Norweigans. The album even reached the top ten in the UK. Worldwide it has shifted over 750,000 copies and that keeps increasing as people realise just how good these guys are.

Svein and Torbjorn, the two guys that make up Royksopp, grew up together as best friends in the large town of Tromso in Norway. Their childhood was a normal, they weren't musical ...
...countless advertising campaigns the bleeping melody is infectious and really catchy. It's bouncy beats and vibe are so fresh sounding. Electronic sound effects dominate the breakdown of the song some sound like spaceship computer games other sound like birds on helium chirping; the high pitch of track is what makes it stand out so much. It's a fabulous track from start to finish and it really shows the production skills of Royksopp as it's completely ... more

2002 was the year of Royksopp. Melody AM was a massive hit for these two unassuming Norweigans. The album even reached the top ten in the UK. Worldwide it has shifted over 750,000 copies and that keeps increasing as people realise just how good these guys are.

Svein and Torbjorn, the two guys that make up Royksopp, grew up together as best friends in the large town of Tromso in Norway. Their childhood was a normal, they weren't musical geniuses nor did they have a definite life changing moment where they knew wanted to make music. However what they did enjoy was playing cover versions of Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk and other 80s electro inpsired music when they were teenagers. The inseperable pair moved to Bergen on the south west coast of Norway in 1997. While going out to the clubs in Bergen they became friendly with a lot of DJs and musicians.

These group of DJs and musicians set up the record label Telle. In 1997 they made their first track "So Easy" and then for the next four years they started to make the album "Melody AM". However it wasn't all plain sailing. Royksopp had their real hard times, at one point they had barely any money. They didn't want to leave Bergen and go back home so they struggled along. At one stage things were so bad they ate mashed potato with dried oregano every nite for dinner for two months. However when the album was finally finished, the release of "So Easy" on a limited edition 7inch on Telle Recordings made people sit up and take notice. They were bombarded with offers from various major record companies. Finally they made their choice and settled with Wall Of Sound.

So down to the nitty gritty and just what makes this album so special....

"So Easy" gets the album under way; no wonder record company executives took notice of this, it's an absolute gem. "So Easy" samples the vocals from "Blue On Blue" by Bobby Vinton which was written by Burt Bacharach. The tune kicks off with the swirling, vintage sounding "blue on blue, heartache on heartache..." slightly distorted they fade in and out of the track. The beat is surprisingly quite bassy and has a funky edge to it but chilled nonetheless. Halfway through a darker element appears when a spinback effect puts stop to the singing and there is just a beat and other electronice effects. But then the light of the song comes back with another spinback and the singing is back. This song swirls along in a dreamlike state never really pausing for a break.This track shows Royksopp themselves as at the time life was easy for them as they had minor possessions and no inhibitions about making music. (This tune will be familiar to a lot of people as back in 2002 it appreared in a television advert for a phone company, remember the advert where the baby's face keeps appearing all over the city?)

The next track is "Eple" the underground summer hit of 2001. Used in countless advertising campaigns the bleeping melody is infectious and really catchy. It's bouncy beats and vibe are so fresh sounding. Electronic sound effects dominate the breakdown of the song some sound like spaceship computer games other sound like birds on helium chirping; the high pitch of track is what makes it stand out so much. It's a fabulous track from start to finish and it really shows the production skills of Royksopp as it's completely flawless. "Sparks" is just a total chill out track. The laid back beat is slow and almost comforting at times it reminds me of a heartbeat. The vocals on the track are provided by Anneli Drecker; here lyrics are poetic and sensitive. Royksopp have doctored her voice to make it sound like she is singing on a radio or an old record in the background; she has a fantastically touching and haunting voice. The addition of a laid back guitar and strings playing softly are just perfect.

The introduction of "In Space" is dominated by the only what I can describe as beautiful string orchestra. But soon a quick disjointed beat joins in and now it's beginning to sound more like a Royksopp track. If I can describe this tune in word it would be sparkly. The chimes and harp make me think of brightness, sparkling gold. All these rather abstract sounds all mould together in this fantastic piece of music, it's what I would describe as the classical music of the future.

"Poor Leno" is one of my favourite tracks on here. The beats are really quite pumping, a full on dance track. The pace is rather quick for a Royksopp track. The house 4x4 is mingled with elements of tribal drums. What makes this track fantastic is the dinstinctive vocals by Erlend Oye. The lyrics are quite touching "Poor Leno where you'll be you'll go, where you'll be I know, where you'll be I'll find you." His vocals can hit the high notes but they aren't too overpowering, his vocals are almost emotionless but they fit perfect with the bounciness of the music itself. "A Higher Place" is more tough but still quite experimental. The drumbeat is slow but quite heavy, this is complimented with electronic effects that are perfect and almost make the melody itself. This track is a real mix of all different sounds. They have pieced little fragments of vocals together to make this track quite haunting. Guitars, basses, pianos, strings...everything is in the mix in this track. What I really like about this track is the fact Royksopp have been really quite free and experimental without letting the production sound shabby. Every sound, instrument and vocal has been moulded together and crafted.

"Royksopp's Big Night Out" is an epic at over seven minutes long. It starts off really quite frantic with an array of effects and almost heart like beat and it builds and builds. Big strings like something out of a movie, make it even more frantic and chaotic. There are funky elements in places with a great guitar rift and chimes. Trumpets and little snippets of vocals keep the track evolving constantly. Towards the end of the track the beat becomes dubbed and quiet, you think it's going to end but then it jumps back out and hits you. This is a fantastic track, at over seven minutes some may be inclined to skip it, but believe me it evloves constantly and there is always something happening.

"Remind Me" is another big hit for Royksopp. It's a really beautiful dance track. The beats are kind of breakbeat if any tag can be assigned to them; the high pitched melody is light and floaty but the synth has a slighly tougher gritty electro sound. The music behind the vocals are great; they let the lyrics become the main focus. As for the vocals Erlend Oye appears again with his emotionless and crystal clear words. The lyrics are fantastic and quite catchy. "and everywhere I go/ there's always something there to remind me/ of another place and time/ of a love that travelled far and found me."

The next track up is "She's So" which has a sample from "Love In Space" by Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra. In this track the beat is slow and chilled. The orchestral sound has been manipulated, stretched about making it sound almost electronic. However halfway through this stops and the gentle tinkle of a piano seeps through. This song sounds space age is parts but then in another parts it's quite lusty and beautiful hence the name "She's So". It soars, peaks and dips but all in it's very interesting to see what they have done to their sample. If there is a weak track on the album this would be it but it's still a good song. And so to the final song "40 Years Back/Come". At the start it sounds a bit odd with the distorted drumbeat, odd snippets of laughing and wierd sounds effects. But suddenly that all stops and all we are left with is a bare, high pitched noise of violins. This fades away to reveal another very chilled but experimental affair with glimpses of guitars that fade in and out. Soon it fades to silence.

This album really is fantastic, it's one that can't really be classed into any genre. There elements of house, breakbeat, electro, synth pop to ambient. The whole album is rather chilled but don't let that put you off. What Royksopp do is fantastic and they are so individual that it cannot really be compared to anyone else. Royksopp are extremely talented and this album displays it. Throughout the album the production is seemless, every single beat, effect, vocal even down to the hi-hat has been programmed and meticulously crafted by the pair. In parts the album is dark and searching asking a lot of questions in others it is simple, elegant and beautiful but with a funky, dance edge to it. The cover and inlay have been co-designed by Svein and Torbjorn; a picture of clouds at dawn suits the title melody am. The inlay is simple and modern with the colour scheme of chocolate brown and mustard working well together.

So basically to sum up, go and buy this album because it is quite truely a modern classic!

Royksopp's videos are fantastic, always well thought out and pushing the boundaries, make sure you keep an eye out for one. They even won "Best Video" at the 2002 MTV Europe Music Awards for the video for "Remind Me" after beating off the likes of the White Stripes, Eminem and Basement Jaxx. Their live shows are also another thing to be marvelled at packed full of energy and a lot more dance orientated than the album. Their remixes are in high demand as well, artists such as Felix Da Housecat, Peter Gabriel, Coldplay and The Streets have all recieved the Royksopp treatment.

useful websites:
www.royksopp.com
www.wallofsound.net
www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/urban/videos/royksopp_remindme.shtml ~ check out this link to watch the video for Remind Me.

Prices
£6.97 amazon.co.uk
£12.99 hmv.co.uk

Thanks for reading! h.xo 

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