Norwegian electronic duo Royksopp and Swedish pop icon Robyn have joined forces on the five-track Do It Again. The title track sits at its centre and it’s up there with the best of latter-day Robyn. Backed by a propulsive trance beat, Do It Again’s lyrics and vocals are life-affirming and insistent; it could be about life and love, but it could also just be about dancing.
There’s little surprise that Royksopp and Robyn work so well together; it’s a collaboration that was already successfully realised on The Girl And The Robot (from Royksopp’s 2009 album, Junior). The real surprise of Do It Again is its variety. As well as the aforementioned single/title track, Monument is a slow-building, atmospheric epic that drifts off into a haze of freeform brass; Sayit is a throbbing techno number with robotic call-and-response vocals; Every Little Thing is an emotive ballad where Robyn’s vocals really get the chance to shine; and Inside The Idle Hour Club is a moody, downbeat instrumental that shifts the spotlight to Royksopp’s skills as music-makers.
For a 30-minute mini-album, Do It Again is a very immersive experience. Two of these five tracks will feature on Royksopp’s upcoming full-length album and the quality here bodes well for their next release.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: Do It Again
If You Like These, You’ll Love This: Junior ROYKSOPP, Body Talk ROBYN, La Roux LA ROUX
In A Word: Scandilicious
