Röyksopp
The Understanding

THE REVIEW

Scandinavia is a region that - musically speaking - is rarely mentioned not only in the rankings chronicles but also in the usual and conventional critical discussion on the productions, new or old, of showbiz; Italy, in particular, intoxicated by revolting pseudo-Latin hits, doesn't even know where to place these blessed Nordics, who instead bring with them an endless sonic, experimental, and - why not - alternative repertoire.

Putting aside the eclectic Bjork, queen of Icelandic geysers, and even the evergreen Abba and Roxette, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark offer listeners a true cornucopia of delights with all associated pleasures. Amidst fjords, ice, and enchanted forests, the Baltic and friends churn out classy electronics that have nothing to envy from their English and German colleagues, boast an indie scene to make your mouth water, and can even showcase pop-mainstream material entirely devoid of the artificiality continually flowing from the West (and also the East): besides the aforementioned Bjork-Abba-Roxette trio (and forgive me if I've forgotten someone else), there is the sprightly Swedish Robyn (already known in Europe for the hit With Every Heartbeat and for some collaborations with more or less known artists - an outstanding example being the band "I Blame Coco" of Sting's daughter) and the Norwegian duo Röyksopp, with whom Robyn herself collaborates and from whom she borrows sounds and influences. Born in the late '90s, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland released their first album of originals, Melody A.M. (including Poor Leno and Eple) in 2001; the latest one, Senior, is from 2010. Eclectic, varied, inspired, and complex, Röyksopp from an early age favored the electronic genre, yet they expanded it into the most hidden and obscure realms. Ambient, lounge, chill out, chamber pop, trip hop, '80s synthpop, trance, and downtempo have been blended into works of enormous caliber and admirable flair, initially confined to mere instrumentality and then flirting with vocality and the warm voices of Scandinavian colleagues (and beyond). The Understanding, their second studio work dated 2005, sits squarely midway between the daring instrumental boldness of the rich debut of Melody A.M. and the vocal and "commercial" compromise of 2009's Junior, an album where the recurring Robyn shines in the marvelous featuring in The Girl And The Robot.

Within the substantial electro-minimal dance/ambient recipe of The Understanding are set various gems of varying worth. Among these, shining primarily, is Beautiful Day Without You, a sort of melo-nostalgic disco dance - chill out track with strong nods to the legendary Pet Shop Boys, and the equally sentimental Only This Moment, a perfect balance of minimal-house and ambient. Also enjoyable are the cryptic-dark and syncopated 49 Percent, the '80s-like ambient ballad What Else Is There?, the idyll between electronic artifice and classical naturalness of Dead To The World, the instrumental lullaby Triumphant, as well as the second eighties synth-turn along the PSBoys' line in Follow My Ruin.

Worthy successor of Melody A.M. and a cunning agreement between experimentation, avant-garde and "pop", The Understanding still sounds today, in a virtually DJ-laden sound scenario, an "underground" disc, a small underground treasure box crafted in an environment that doesn't seem much inclined to hits and various stuff, but rather to the good production of good producers. What to say, amongst the woods and the mercury resigned to the idea of rising by just a few millimeters, Scandinavia and the Baltic have everything in place to elect the successors of Bjork, Abba, Roxette & company and pass the golden scepter of quality to a worthy and deserving generation.

Röyksopp, The Understanding

Triumphant - Only This Moment - 49 Percent - Boys - Follow My Ruin - Beautiful Day Without You - What Else Is There? - Circuit Breaker - Alpha Male - Someone Like Me - Dead To The World.