Robyn and Royksopp are floating in space

Monument is the 10-minute opening track on Robyn & Royksopp's mini-album Do It Again; an eerie, atmospheric (if somewhat ponderous) groove that slowly gives way to a muted saxophone solo.

It now comes with an equally spooky video, where the dance gurus wake up suspended on a floating disc in outer space. Some awful fate seems to have befallen them all (not least in the haircut department) as Robyn mutters to herself silently between the lyrics - an apparent sign of a disturbed mind.

Or maybe she's just a big fan of Michael Wilson in the Police Academy films. You decide.

Robyn & Royksopp - Monument


Michael Wilson - Police Academy 2

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Robyn and Royksopp do it again

I haven't been the biggest cheerleader for Robyn and Royksopp's joint EP / Tour thingy, as it all feels undercooked - like the two artists are retreating to safe ground after careers built on breaking the rules.

Still, you can't deny that the video for Do It Again (a number 75 hit back in May) is a complete corker. A story of forbidden love under a repressive regime (you can tell it's repressive, because everything's black and white) it's a stunning, cinematic interpretation of the song.

"I'm pleased that, for me, the video stirs up a feeling of chaos which is what we talked about quite a bit when we wrote the song," says Robyn. "Life takes you to a critical point and even though it might not make you happy, when it's over, you want to go back."

Robyn and Royksopp - Do It Again

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Again and again and again

Royksopp and Robyn have commissioned a lyric video for their not-at-all-bad and definitely-forthcoming new single Do It Again.

Spurred into action, a man with the improbable name of Kacper came round and took some photos of them. Kacper sent the photos to a different man with the equally improbably name Graham Smith, who typed out the song's lyrics on his laptop and animated them by navigating the buttons and menus on Adobe After Effects. Once the video was finished, he delivered it via a download link to the label, who held a meeting about it in a big glass room, then passed it on to Royksopp and Robyn to "sign off". Once everyone was happy, they bunged it onto YouTube, along with this explanatory note:

"We're just about to shoot a full video for "Do It Again". Awaiting it's completion, the most impatient souls out there can spend the meantime losing themselves in this mesmerizing black&white hypno-bonanza - and even sing along should they so desire... B+B*"

AND NOW HERE IT IS ON YOUR COMPUTERS.

Modern life, eh?

Royksopp and Robyn - Do It Again

* B+B are Royksopp's Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, fact fans

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Exciting news from Robyn (and Royksopp)

Hooray! There is a new mini-album on the way from Robyn and Röyksopp. The cover art, which is hovering above this paragraph, bills the performers as Röyksopp and Robyn, but I think we all know the correct order - both alphabetically and in terms of importance.

The two have collaborated before - most memorably on None Of Dem (slow-burning, introspective) and The Girl and The Robot (Madonna fed through a Commodore 64) - but this is something altogether more meaty.

"In the beginning we just knew we wanted to do something together, and then it started to feel more like a band thing than songs for a Röyksopp or Robyn album, so we're releasing this music together as a band, you could say," said Robyn.

"This five track mini-album is the accumulation and embodiment of the synergy between Robyn and ourselves," added Röyksopp, in an attempt to drain any potential excitement from the announcement.

Monument is the first track we're getting to hear - via a 1'30" preview on YouTube. It sounds promising.

Robyn and Röyksopp - Monument (preview)

Fans of longsongs (I'm looking at you Justin Timberlake) will be pleased to hear that the full version of Monument is just three seconds shy of 10 minutes. The full EP tracklisting looks like this:

Monument - 9:57
Sayit - 6:25
Do It Again - 5:06
Every Little Thing - 4:02
Inside The Idle Hour Club - 9:53

You can pre-order it now, with delivery on 26 May. But the first single, Do It Again, is only two weeks away.

"Hoo", as I said, "Ray".

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Royksopp remix Kings Of Leon

Results = spectacular

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I'm In Love With A Robot

Fact: The first song I ever wrote was called "Robie The Mechanical Robot", about a mechanoid with two heads. It was so visionary and ahead of its time (1982) that it has taken pop music nearly 30 years to catch up. Its like Leonardo Da Vinci and his helicopter all over again.

So here, in 2009, is Royksopp's version of my original song. They've made a few minor changes - the key, the chorus, the melody and the lyrics - but it's essentially the same.

Oh, and it's got Robyn in it.

Royksopp ft Robyn - The Girl & The Robot

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Royksopp & Robyn on Norwegian TV

Robyn is the guest vocalist on the new Royksopp single, The Girl And The Robot, and made a surprise appearance on Norwegian telly over the weekend to help them promote it.

I'm sure there's something more interesting to say about this, but I can't think what it might be. Can you help?

Royksopp live at Senkveld - The Girl and the Robot

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It's a slightly late Royksopp video

We mentioned Royksopp's squiggly new single, Happy Up Here over a month ago, and it was up for sale on iTunes at the start of February.

Now, safe in the knowledge that it's a bona fide Top 75 flop, they've put out a video. No wonder the record industry is in crisis, etc, etc.



Space invaders!!!

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Royksopp single sounds like Royksopp

With credit to Popjustice, here is Röyksopp's latest bit of day-glo dance frippery, Happy Up Here.

Stick around to the end, where it gets properly amazing:



The Norwegian duo release their new album, Junior, later this year and it features vocals from Robyn, Lykke Li and Karin Dreijer of the Knife. Hooray!

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