Junior, the third album by Norwegian electro-pop duo Royksopp, comes four years after the release of their last studio album, The Understanding, which produced such hit songs as “Only This Moment” and “What Else Is There.” Since releasing their debut Melody A.M. in 2001, Royksopp’s singles have been included on several chill out compilations, and they have remixed artists such as Beck and Annie.
Produced to perfection, the 11 tracks on Junior are superbly polished. Plenty of influences can be spotted here – from Booka Shade to Datarock, and Bat For Lashes. The album offers sufficient variety in mood. Alternating between the downbeat electronica of the instrumental “Royksopp Forever,” the hurried “Tricky Tricky”, and the soaring repetitive melody of “This Must Be It,” it stretches out along the palate of a rising and falling disco beat. Collaborating with several female vocalists, the album features contributions from Robyn and Lykke Li, as well as The Knife’s Karen Dreijer, whose icy vocals infuse “What Else Is There” with haunting intrigue.
Displaying a sense of humour and lightheartedness throughout the album, Royksopp produce music that, although at times spacey and mellow, is neither heavy nor brooding. Opening “Tricky Tricky” with a line from the timeless children’s riddle, long-time collaborator Karen Dreijer asserts playfully, yet boldly: “Six is afraid of seven, cuz seven ate nine.” The humour is subtle and can get lost amid the seeming steadiness of their work. Robyn’s sonorous vocals grace “The Girl and The Robot,” as she croons about the frustrations of love and loneliness. Waiting up late for your loved one and calling them on the phone can seem exorbitantly torturous under the spell of love; yet as the lyrics to a mature work, they do not escape the air of familiarity and cliché. “Royksopp Forever” begins with what could have been a taste of Syd Barrett’s psychedelic uber-reality, and steadily crescendos to a climax backed by an orchestra of strings, angelic choruses, and samples of laughter.
As catchy as the melodies are, the songs are rich and haunting, with layer after layer of textures and well-placed samples. Within the confines of focused structure, Royksopp produce a polished and luscious soundscape. Songs such as “Happy Up Here” and “This Must Be It” resound with influences from Booka Shade, maintaining a lounge disco feel. The album swerves and swivels between chill out trance, disco, and electro-pop, and is masterfully produced. For the most part, Junior offers down tempo electro-pop that is at times reflective and at times catchy. While the tracks may not blow your mind, they may fly along to the outer realms of your imagination.
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