“That’ll be 28 dollars,” said the bartender at The Wiltern, as I cautiously slid my debit card to him thinking he might have made a mistake. “Wait, 28 dollars for two beers. Are you sure?” He nods, annoyed. Enter the heavy bass and vocal sirens of Röyksopp to refresh a beer and make it taste like, well, a 14 dollar beer. Norwegian duo and electronic music veterans Röyksopp prove once again that they’re still relevant and should be excused for their uncharacteristic work with pop artist (and fellow Scandinavian) Robyn. The duo, composed of the unassuming yet brilliant Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, performed in front of the appreciative crowd at the historic Wiltern in Los Angeles last Tuesday March 29th. Admittedly, not very well versed in the vast catalog of music Röyksopp has produced since their inception in the late 1990s, I always understood their music via association to other aesthetically similar trip-hop artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky and Thievery Corporation. Tuesday’s performance has without a doubt solidified and distinguished the duo’s stylings as unique, impressive and worthy of (my) fan adoration.
Röyksopp are architects of an all-encompassing audiovisual experience. With the rich and full acoustics afforded by The Wiltern’s well constructed stage and chamber, Röyksopp’s music was clear, effective, and exceeding-of-expectation through their welcome and clever improvisations necessary of live performance. The show opened with the ambiguously clad group wearing hoods and robes visually referencing the prisoner images of Abu Grhaib, Guantanamo Bay or Batman Begins‘ villain the Scarecrow, Röyksopp’s image, while strange, served to highlight as well as erode people’s anxieties and stresses of the busy California lifestyle. Opening with their most noted and recognizable track, “Eple” and “So Easy” from 2001’s fantastic record Melody A.M., Röyksopp variations and sonic energy helped start the show at a great place, a height that was maintained throughout their diverse and cleverly organized setlist. A highlight as I appreciate some light social criticism even as I partake in some good ol’ fashioned escapism, Röyksopp were multidimensional in their stage performance. Still, their show was far from a display of shock-n-awe and cheap visuals as the musicians quickly displayed their craft in playing through selections from Melody A.M, The Understanding, Junior and snippets (or what seemed like) from their newest record, Senior. Secretive vocals coming from off-stage like Joni Mitchell performing “Helpless” with The Band and Neil Young, the vocalist soothed the audience with eerie yet warm, demanding, soothing feminine howls. The reach and span of the bands’ sound proved to be expansive and “different,” as masked caper vocalist Anneli Drecker walked onto stage to perform the amazing “Sparks” to wide applause and sing-along. Transitioning from an ambient and melodic tone to a more heavy and uptempo drum and bass portion of the show after the definitive “Poor Leno”, the vocal segue proved effective and well-timed. At this point already two-thirds into the show, any seemingly timid emotions left in the crowd completely disappeared. Live accompaniment dispersed and a bare stage with lots of walking space allowed the two core members, its synths, its drum set and bass to exist in a balanced sonic constellation of bliss perhaps only achieved by traveling through Bergen’s fjords on a sunny Norwegian day. Interestingly, this relaxed atmosphere made for many body-grooving, positive and hands-in-the-air moments as the metamorphosized Röyksopp became robotic DJs, with Daft Punk-esque green-lit helmets and pieces of light-up body armor to boot.
Röyksopp’s set was impressive and memorable, including an unexpected cover of Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights.” The encore which consisted of “Only This Moment” and “Tricky Tricky” left the crowd relieved to have participated in an exchange of energy in which both parties, the crowd and the musicians, were happy with what they put in and got out. A sincere display of gratitude to the Los Angeles audience, Röyksopp left the stage with the same humility which they began. For us, the experience was short yet thoroughly fulfilling; a journey fit for a warm Tuesday evening out in Los Angeles. The venue of the show demanded attention yet it complemented the group’s performance. The architecture allowed me to bask in the expansive history of the venue, as well as under the sun etched on the ceiling. Good thing I had a beer to cool myself down, and that the both Röyksopp and Norway were able to make a darn expensive beer a worthy pairing to a night of thoroughly satisfying music.
Guest Contributor: Luis Moreno
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