Oh dear. [a]Röyksopp[/a] want to be taken seriously. Best described as a Nordic electronic [a]We Are Scientists[/a] – funny, eccentric interviewees; purveyors of bright, balloon-light music of little consequence (but large sales) – Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland suddenly feel compelled to get all introspective and existential. The wholly instrumental ‘Senior’ is the purportedly “dark”, psychologically “distorted” flipside to their last pop album, ‘Junior’. In truth, it’s nothing of the sort. It toggles stylishly between ambient moods: equal parts [a]Air[/a], [a]Kraftwerk[/a], Scandinavian cosmic disco and [a]Röyksopp[/a]’s own ‘Melody AM’, but it carries zero threat. It is pleasant, and largely forgettable.
Tony Naylor