Röyksopp – Melody A.M.

Royksopp are a duo from Norway. They rely on beautiful soundscapes, and a couple appearances by Erlend Oye of Kings of Convenience fame on Melody A.M., to create an interesting and relaxing album that is a joy to listen to from beginning to end. In my opinion this is the type of downbeat album that rivals Boards of Canada’s Music Has the Right To Children in terms of sheer beauty. This album is perhaps even a little more accessible to wider listener base because of it’s lighter mood, and pop qualities.

Two of the standout tracks are the two that feature vocals from Erlend Oye. “Poor Leno”, a club favorite, loops the line “Poor Leno, where you’ll be I’ll go. Where you’ll be I’ll know. Where you’ll be I’ll find you.” The airy vocals juxtapose wonderfully with the driving pace of the underlying beat. The other track, “Remind Me”, puts Erlends beautiful vocals on display even more than “Poor Leno”. “Remind Me” is the highlight of the album for me. The vocals which are mirrored by a synthisized keyboard melody, make the song so strong, and the overall atmosphere created is very relaxing. Just about every track on the album maintains a very high quality.