Royksopp – The Girl And The Robot

Royksopp

For a short while there, it was looking as though Röyksopp may fall into that “band from that car/phone advert” category.

One minute you’re revelling in the success of having 30 seconds of your kooky tune played everywhere, the next, you’re playing the daytime slot at a festival, watching the audience grow weary of your set, until you play “that song…from that advert…with the balloons”. Alas, Röyksopp have staved off post-ad obscurity with a glut of good tunage.

Their latest, ‘The Girl and the Robot’, is the second single from the Norwegian duo’s upcoming album, Junior. The pair have wisely enlisted the vocal capabilities of Swedish starlet, Robyn, who brings brilliant composition and a Kylie-esque sounding tone to the table.

Without delay the track kicks off with a driving beat and euphoric choral backing. The opening synthetic choral effect hinting at what Radiohead might sound like if they dabbled with electropop house music during their OK Computer time. The timbre is pulsing, robotic and continually builds to one of the most blissful choruses. The track’s delightfully camp, leaving you with a feeling somewhere between that of harbouring a guilty pleasure, and out-and-out camp adoration.

The simply delicious, yet awkward and ominous chord changes, and the use of string synths give this track a fresh and epic quality. Dance music commonly balances on a fine line of tiresome repetition, however, this track never goes stale. Due, in part, to the vocals, which concern the plights of a woman who’s enduring a mundane relationship with an individual resembling an automaton. It’s basic love song fodder, but who cares when it’s this damn good.

‘The Girl and the Robot’ is what the monotonous dance crap they play in clubs frequented by morons should sound like. We’re suckers for a good pop tune, and to use the parlance of the valley girl, this track is hot.