Röyksopp: 'Junior'

After their 2001 debut Melody AM shifted a million copies, its songs gracing all manner of TV ads, it must have been tempting for Röyksopp to stick with the light, ambient electronica that made their name. Thankfully, Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge opted to expand and develop the Röyksopp sound on their follow-up, 2005's The Understanding, and they've continued to push forward on album number three. Junior, on which the Norwegian duo unites with several members of the Scando-pop aristocracy, is a collection of quality electropop tunes that will have Little Boots, La Roux and Lady GaGa shuddering in unison.

With the exception of lead single 'Happy Up Here', a mediocre effort that repeats a tried and tired formula, this is an exhilarating listen from start to finish. Robyn collaboration 'The Girl And The Robot', arguably the start of the album proper, combines grinding bass with edgy electro to create something akin to 'With Every Heartbeat' Mark II. Two pairings with The Knife singer Karin Dreijer are no less impressive. 'This Must Be It' transfixes the listener with its dream-like chorus and hypnotic beats, while 'Tricky Tricky' juxtaposes dark, ominous synths with almost whimsical lyrics: "Six afraid of seven, 'cause seven ate nine, I'm about to lose it the second time."

However, Junior isn't just an orgy of electropop debauchery - wisely, Röyksopp have balanced their fondness for all things synthy with some light and airy interludes. The violin-laced 'Röyksopp Forever' is a suitably epic instrumental, while 'Miss It So Much', featuring vocals from Lykke Li, is a soft and sombre affair which essentially invents a whole new musical sub-genre: "emo-robotica". It even brings to mind WALL-E as Li sings: "Miss it so much, a button to touch, a dial to turn, a key to hold… my mechanical heart it tears me apart." Meanwhile, Anneli Drecker's airy, lovelorn vocals on 'You Don't Have A Clue' are sure to kick-start many an after-party.

Röyksopp have avoided the trap of relying on too much of too little here, a lesson they perhaps learned from their debut album. Credit is certainly due to their collaborators, who help to give this album its raison d'etre, but Brundtland and Berge should be applauded for straying out of their comfort zone without sacrificing their songwriting savvy. With a second new album, Senior, expected by the end of the year, here's hoping that they can maintain the momentum.


> Click here to read our Röyksopp interview