ROYKSOPP Schallplatten & CDs

Review: Norwegian electronic duo Royksopp drop the first reissue of their fifth studio album, The Inevitable End (2014), which was the final project to predate their mammoth AI-driven masterwork and triptych Profound Mysteries, in 2022. Immediately following the 'Do It Again' EP with a prominent feature from mega-singer Robyn, the latter artist went on to describe this expanded logical-conclusive LP as channelling an intrinsic 'dark energy', owing to its brooding vibe and toothy, mechanistic downtempo palette. While some dancier cuts steal the show, the album's saving grace is its slower and stranger moments, such as the dubsteppy 'Here She Comes Again', on which Jamie Irrepressible's vocals are perfectly mixed.

Review: Royksopp declared their 2014 album The Inevitable End to be the last time they would release a traditional album, and after eight years they lived up to that promise this year with a new audio-visual approach titled Profound Mysteries. The first instalment appeared in April, while the second volume landed in late summer, and now they're underlining the project with this appropriately epic conclusion. Drawing on collaborators such as Alison Goldfrapp, Susanne Sundfor and Jamie Irrepressible, we get another 10 slices of glittering, melodious synth pop magic from one of the finest duos to do it.

Review: "As human beings, what we don't know vastly overshadows what we do know. As teenagers, we would discuss our own fascination and preoccupation with the infinite and the impossible - the most profound mysteries of life." Svein Berge & Torbjorn Brundtland
Royksopp unveil Profound Mysteries, an expanded creative universe and a prodigious conceptual project, on numbered gatefold vinyl for the first time. Profound Mysteries is as mystifying as the title suggests, much like Danny L Harle's 'Harlecore' the house cuts and hardcore dance tracks of 'This Time, This Place...' and 'Breathe' are broken up with echoing ambience sprinkled with the heavenly vocals of Susanne Sundfor on 'The Mourning Sun' or the sinister 'Press R', reminiscent of Anamanaguchi's 'USA' with its text-to-speech warning messages.

Review: Royksopp declared their 2014 album The Inevitable End to be the last time they would release a traditional album, and after eight years they lived up to that promise this year with a new audio-visual approach titled Profound Mysteries. The first instalment appeared in April, while the second volume landed in late summer, and now coinciding with the appropriately epic conclusion to the series, the true believers can cop the entire collection as a six-LP box set which comes embellished with a 32-page booklet designed by Jonathan Zawada, featuring every part of the series and encased in a die-cut rigid slipcase. If you're a Royksopp devotee, this is the definitive edition you need in your life.

Review: Electronic pop trailblazers, Royksopp, announce the second part to their expansive Profound Mysteries project, Profound Mysteries II. They declared their 2014 album The Inevitable End to be the last time they would release a traditional album, and after eight years they lived up to that promise this year with a new audio-visual approach titled Profound Mysteries. This second instalment of three is the andante-minuet of said electro-symphony, in which the band unveil a gargantuan selection of self-generated tunes, in contrast to the totally collaborative third part).

Review: Having last delivered an album way back in 2014, Royksopp's return earlier this year with Profound Mysteries was naturally greeted with glee by fans of the esoteric, melody-loving Norwegian duo. This partner album has been framed by the pair as their loving tribute to the music that made them - the formative aural passions that framed their sonic outlook during the 1990s. So, amongst nods to icy, Eno-esque ambient and the moody brilliance of Depeche Mode, there are tons of riffs on early '90s UK dance music, including a handful of tracks featuring elements clearly inspired by such gems as Meat Beat Manifesto's 'Radio Babylon' and Adamski and Seal's 'Killer'. It's all impeccably executed of course, and while it's a bit more boisterous in places than some of their output, it still sounds like a peak Royksopp record.