Someone I love (okay, my mother) told me last night that it feels like there’s a void ever since I (all but) stopped writing for myself. A close friend of mine agreed, and said it feels like a part of me is “missing.” They’re not wrong.
That’s when a phrase popped into my head: “I had this thing to call my own.”
Ah, yes. Röyksopp.
My Norwegian kings. All-time greats. Purveyors of some of the most incredible electronic productions of the past 25 years. One of the most formative discoveries in my early days of developing my music taste years before I launched MuuMuse. And just the right act to get my ass back into gear and remind me why I started doing this in the first place.
Two weeks ago, the duo dropped their new album True Electric while I was away in my happy place, Miami, where I coincidentally was on vacation when I spoke to them for a Billboard interview in 2022. (A bucket list item. Check.)
I didn’t have the mental capacity to post more than just a quick Instagram Story in praise of the project at the time, but let it be known here and now: the record is a triumph.
Part live concert simulation, part greatest hits collection, the album is a continuous mix of 19 studio recordings inspired by their 2023 True Electric Tour, featuring reworks of originals and remixes from their back catalog.
Kicking off with the expansive “The Ladder” from their ambitious three-album Profound Mysteries run, the album is designed to “capture the essence and energy of our live shows bearing the same name,” per the duo.
To have a bulk of their most colossal collaborations – with Alison Goldfrapp (“Impossible”), Karen Harding (“Unity”), Susanne Sundfør (“Running to the Sea,” “Never Ever,” “Oh, Lover”), Fever Ray (“What Else Is There?”), Anneli Drecker (“You Don’t Have a Clue”) and the Queen of Sweden herself Robyn, (“The Girl & The Robot,” “Monument,” “Do It Again”) – all in one place, seamlessly mixed for a nearly two-hour run, is just aural overload.
The set is a solid reminder of how consistently brilliant the band’s been for years, both in terms of production and picking their musical partners, and a demonstration of how they’re able to add new flourishes to fan favorites and keep the discography sounding fresh without straying far from the source material.
If you’ve never done a deep dive into the Röyksopp discography, consider this a perfect place to start. (And then check out my 10 essential picks from the band.). And if you’re already a fan, consider your Friday night pregame playlist sorted.
Either way, it’s a must listen.
If you’re in North America, you’ll want to catch the guys live on their DJ run this spring/summer kicking off in a few weeks as well, as the shows always go off. For tickets, click here or try Stubhub and Vividseats for resale tickets.
Thanks for the needed reminder of why I do this to begin with, boys.
True Electric track listing
1. The Ladder
2. Impossible (ft. Alison Goldfrapp)
3. This Time, This Place (ft. Beki Mari)
4. The Girl And The Robot (ft. Robyn)
5. Here She Comes Again (ft. Jamie Irrepressible)
6. Monument (ft. Robyn)
7. Oh, Lover (ft. Susanne Sundfør)
8. Unity (ft. Karen Harding)
9. You Don’t Have A Clue (ft. Anneli Drecker)
10. The “R” (True Electric)
11. Breathe (ft. Astrid S)
12. Running To The Sea (ft. Susanne Sundfør)
13. What Else Is There? (ft. Fever Ray)
14. Never Ever (ft. Susanne Sundfør)
15. Sordid Affair (ft. Man Without Country)
16. I Had This Thing (ft. Jamie Irrepressible)
17. Feel It (ft. Maurissa Rose)
18. Do It Again (ft. Robyn)
19. Like An Old Dog (ft. Pixx)
True Electric North American DJ Dates
May 15 – CODA, Toronto, ON
May 16 – Metro, Chicago, IL
May 17 – Elsewhere: Rooftop, Brooklyn, NY
May 17 – Elsewhere Hall, Brooklyn, NY
May 23 – The Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
May 24 – ReelWorks Denver, CO
May 25 – ZeyZey, Miami, FL
May 30 – The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
May 31 – The Concourse Project, Austin, TX
June 01 – It’ll Do, Dallas, TX
Photo credit: Stian Andersen
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