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Röyksopp (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈrœ̂ʏksɔp]) are a Norwegian electronic music duo from Tromsø formed in 1998. The duo consists of childhood friends Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, who formed Röyksopp during the Bergen Wave. After experimenting with different genres of electronic music, the band solidified their place in the electronica scene with their 2001 debut album, Melody A.M., released on the Wall of Sound record label.

Röyksopp has consistently experimented with various electronic music genres, including ambient, house music, and synth-pop. The band is also known for its elaborate concert performances, which feature eccentric outfits.

Röyksopp has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, won seven Spellemannprisen awards, performed worldwide tours, and produced albums that have topped the charts in several countries.

Band name

Røyksopp literally means "smoke mushroom". It is the Norwegian word for the class of mushrooms known as puffball. The band's name replaces the second letter (ø) with ö, which is non-existent in the Norwegian alphabet but corresponds to the same sound in the Swedish alphabet.

History

1990–1997: Origins

Berge and Brundtland were introduced to each other through a mutual friend in Tromsø, Norway, when Berge was 12 years old and Brundtland was 13. They enjoyed the same films and music, and shared an interest in electronics. The two began playing music together due to a shared interest in electronica, and experimented with various forms of electronic music. They bought a drum machine together, part of the Tromsø techno scene of the early 1990s. Their childhood in Tromsø and the natural scenery of Northern Norway have been mentioned as some of their most important inspirations. The pair separated before obtaining any popular success with their music, but reunited with each other in 1998 in Bergen, Norway.

In the 1990s, Bergen had overtaken Tromsø's position as the most vital scene for underground electronic music in Norway, and Röyksopp worked with other Norwegian musicians like Frost, Those Norwegians, Drum Island, and Kings of Convenience's guitarist and singer Erlend Øye in what was called the Bergen Wave. During this time, the duo befriended Geir Jenssen. Under the tutelage of Jenssen, the duo started a band called Aedena Cycle with Gaute Barlindhaug and Kolbjørn Lyslo. In 1994. Aedena Cycle recorded an EP called Traveler's Dreams, which was released under the R&S Records sublabel Apollo. Jenssen almost convinced the band to sign a full record deal with Apollo Records after its release.

1998–2000: Early years

After recording as part of Aedena Cycle, Berge and Brundtland left the group to form Röyksopp. The word röyksopp is a stylized version of the Norwegian word for the puffball mushroom, "røyksopp". The band has stated that the word could also evoke the mushroom cloud resulting from an atomic blast.

Röyksopp's debut single was released by local Bergen Wave-era independent label Tellé. Röyksopp's first single "So Easy" was the second record released by Tellé. It became popular in the UK market after it was used in a UK T-Mobile advertisement. It was later re-released with "Remind Me".

2001–2004: Melody A.M. and early success

After leaving Tellé, the band signed with British label Wall of Sound and released Melody A.M., which became certified platinum in the band's native Norway and sold over a million copies worldwide. The album peaked at number one in Norway, and produced the UK Top 40 singles "Eple", "Poor Leno", and "Remind Me". A final single, "Sparks", was also released.

"Eple" (Norwegian for apple) was used as part of the "Welcome" intro video played on the first-time start-up of Apple's Mac OS X Panther operating system in 2003.

The band's popularity was boosted by several graphically experimental music videos, many of which were put into heavy rotation by MTV. The music video for "Remind Me", featuring an infographic-style video by French company H5, won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award for best music video. The duo was also nominated in three more categories: "Best Nordic Act", "Best New Artist", and "Best Dance Act". The duo performed the song "Poor Leno" at the event. One year later they received a nomination for "Best Group" at the Brit Awards.

During this period, Röyksopp slowly gained popularity in the United States. "Remind Me", a collaboration with Erlend Øye, was featured in a Geico car insurance commercial, the fourth of the "It's so easy a caveman could do it" ads.

Röyksopp were approached to compose the soundtrack for The Matrix Reloaded but declined the offer.

Their song "Poor Leno" was featured in the EA Sports BIG snowboarding game SSX 3.

2005–2008: The Understanding

Röyksopp's second studio album, The Understanding, was released on 12 July 2005. It was preceded with the album's single "Only This Moment" on 27 June 2005. The single peaked at number 33 in the United Kingdom. The video for "Only This Moment" is based on the events of the Paris 1968 riots with elements of propaganda found throughout it. The album's second single, "49 Percent", featuring Chelonis R. Jones, was released on 26 September 2005. A third single, "What Else Is There?", featuring vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer of The Knife, became the album's biggest single, peaking at number 32 in the United Kingdom, and at number four in Norway. "Beautiful Day Without You" was the album's fourth single, and a non-album track, "Curves", was also released.

The album peaked at number one in Norway, and at number 13 in the UK. During this time, Röyksopp's popularity continued to increase in the United States. The album charted on many Billboard charts, and peaked at number two on the Top Electronic Albums chart, number 22 on the Top Heatseekers chart, and number 32 on the Top Independent Albums.

After the release of The Understanding, some of Röyksopp's singles were licensed for use in movies. "What Else Is There?" was featured in the 2007 American film Meet Bill and during the end credits of the 2006 British film Cashback, and "Circuit Breaker" was used in the 2007 snowboard film Picture This.

On 19 June 2006, Röyksopp released a nine-track live album called Röyksopp's Night Out. The album contains a reinterpretation of the song "Go with the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age.

On 5 March 2007, Röyksopp compiled their favourite tracks by other artists for the Back to Mine series. Called Back to Mine: Röyksopp, the album was released in the US on 5 March 2007, and in the UK on 27 April 2007. The album also includes their own track "Meatball", released under the pseudonym "Emmanuel Splice". Svein Berge also contributed as a board member for the celebration of the Grieg year, as Norway celebrated their famous composer Edvard Grieg.

On the tenth anniversary of Röyksopp's formation—15 December 2008—the band released a new track, "Happy Birthday", free of charge to celebrate the event. The song was released via free streaming on the band's website.

2009–2012: Junior and Senior

Röyksopp's third studio album, Junior, was released on 23 March 2009, featuring the single "Happy Up Here". The song debuted on BBC Radio 1's Pete Tong show on 9 January 2009. It was officially released on 16 March 2009. The music video for "Happy Up Here", made by Reuben Sutherland, features elements from the arcade game Space Invaders. The single and music video were met with positive reactions from the press and fans.

"The Girl and the Robot", the second single from the album Junior, featuring vocals from Swedish singer Robyn, was released on 15 June 2009. The vinyl and digital versions of the single included remixes of the song by Kris Menace, Chateau Marmont, and Spencer & Hill. The Jean Elan remix of "The Girl and the Robot" was nominated for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for the 52nd Grammy Awards. "This Must Be It" is the third single from the album, including vocals from Swedish singer Karin Dreijer of The Knife and…