Röyksopp

Röyksopp is a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø, formed in 1998 and active since then. The group consists of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland. Their name comes from the Norwegian word for a puffball mushroom, with the spelling using “ö” as a stylistic variation.

Origins and early work

Berge and Brundtland meet in Tromsø in their youth and begin making music together in the early 1990s, sharing an interest in electronic music. They work in the local techno scene, separate for a period, and reunite in Bergen in 1998. They emerge during the Bergen Wave, a period linked to the development of electronic music in Bergen, and are associated with artists including Frost, Those Norwegians, Drum Island and Erlend Øye. They also collaborate with Geir Jenssen and are involved in Aedena Cycle, which releases the EP Traveler's Dreams in 1994.

Their early single So Easy appears on the independent label Tellé. It later gains wider exposure after use in a television advertisement in the United Kingdom, and is reissued with Remind Me.

Breakthrough and albums

Röyksopp signs to Wall of Sound and releases its debut album Melody A.M. in 2001. The album reaches number one in Norway, is certified platinum there, and produces the singles Eple, Poor Leno, Remind Me and Sparks. Eple is used as startup music for Mac OS X Panther, while Remind Me also gains attention in advertising in the United States. The music video for Remind Me receives an MTV Europe Music Award. The duo is invited to contribute to The Matrix Reloaded soundtrack but declines.

The second album, The Understanding, is released in 2005 and reaches number one in Norway, while also charting in the United Kingdom and the United States. Its singles include Only This Moment, 49 Percent, What Else Is There? and Beautiful Day Without You. Tracks from the album later appear in films such as Meet Bill and Cashback.

In 2006 the duo releases the live album Röyksopp's Night Out, which includes a version of Queens of the Stone Age’s Go with the Flow. In 2007 they curate Back to Mine: Röyksopp, which includes their track Meatball.

Junior, Senior and later collaborations

Junior follows in 2009 and includes Happy Up Here. The album features collaborations with Robyn and Karin Dreijer and charts in Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Senior appears in 2010 as an instrumental album and also reaches number one in Norway.

In 2013 Röyksopp releases Running to the Sea with Susanne Sundfør. In 2014 it works with Robyn on the EP Do It Again, then issues the fifth studio album The Inevitable End, which the duo describes as its final album-length release. The album includes Skulls, Sordid Affair and Monument.

Recent projects and live work

In 2016 Röyksopp contributes Bounty Hunters to Star Wars Headspace and releases the single Never Ever. Between 2019 and 2021 it issues Lost Tapes, a series of tracks made up of unreleased material, B-sides and rarities, later collected in a physical release.

In 2022 the duo releases the three-part Profound Mysteries project, made up of Profound Mysteries, Profound Mysteries II and Profound Mysteries III. The project combines music with short films and digital artwork and includes collaborations with Alison Goldfrapp, Susanne Sundfør and Astrid S. It is supported by live performances and multimedia presentations, followed by international touring including the True Electric tour, which begins in 2023 and covers Europe and North America.

Röyksopp releases Nebulous Nights (An Ambient Excursion into Profound Mysteries) in 2024 as an ambient reinterpretation of material from the Profound Mysteries series, and True Electric in 2025 as a compilation of studio recordings based on remixes performed during the tour.

Style and recognition

Röyksopp’s music spans ambient, house and synth-pop, and the group is also associated with ambient house, club, dance, dance-pop and downtempo. It is known for live performances with strong visual elements and stage presentation. Over its career it receives multiple awards, including Spellemannprisen awards, and it is nominated for Grammy Awards. Its releases achieve commercial success in several countries.