Customer Reviews

Understanding (W/Dvd)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Royksopp who hail from Norway are back with a great new and eagerly awaited second album.
Break-beats and retro-funky rhythms are at times more prevalent in this album without the band having lost any of the dreamy qualities of their previous release. Where the previous album was hypnotic and more abstract, this album is more focused on compact continuous melodies and a more retro-fururistic sound (New Order come to mind). Don't get me wrong though, the unique cinematic and playfull Royksopp sounds are still alive and well.

The opening instrumental track "Triumphant" starts with a piano riff that made me think i was listening to a solitary pianist expressing his mellow angst rather than a pop song that i'd expect Royksopp to produce,later on the opening track incorporates some more more instruments that signal the start of this album's experience, the song almost reminds me of the start of a stroll basically, it has a cinematic quality. It's just tough trying to explain Royksopp's music anyway.

"Only this moment" which is the second track is an absolutely brilliant track and the best in the album in my opinion. The beats are playful, and the sensual vocals (both male and female) add a very unique warm vibe to the song. It's a truly unique song and in a perfect world should have a heavy MTV or radio play rotation (i'm sure in Europe it will have it's chance, but i'm focusing on the bland airwaves of the US as a sad example). I definitely turn the volume way up on this one.

"49 Percent" is a poetic track that has a drum roll and some aetherial echo as a background, it's a track that slowly builds up to a euphoric climax. Very cinematic, very optimistic, very spring-like. I like it alot.

"Sombre Detune" leaves me uninterested (pretty much the only song in this album that had that effect on me), so i skip this one, it's just an instrumental track that just doesn't go anywhere in particular. The constant "ah ah" sounds really don't add much and i think the song would have been better off not been included in the album.

"Follow my ruin" is a nice pop song, retro sounding at parts, a bit 80s and a bit reminiscent of DaftPunk, it's got nice male vocals , similarly, on "Beautiful day without you", where we experience a very nice laid back sound and a nice conitnuous narative of whispering and laid back vocals (that fans of their hit "Poor Leno" might like).

On "What else is there" Karin Dreijer's voice brings Cindy Lauper to mind, with a very interesting track. A nice pairing of pained and yet dreamy vocals with a low electric guitar that appears here and there and a signature beeping backround sound that was prevalent in the first album, it is the 2nd best pefrormance in this CD i think the end of the song reminds me of clocks ticking and having a chill out sleepy symphony all of their own. I wish there were more of her singing vocals on this CD.

"Circuit breaker" is a cool and fast paced electronic romp, it has a quick beat, yet the background is a nice warm low humm that evokes two different moods while the vocals are quick and breathless, the female vocalist's soothing melody adds a very nice and dreamy touch to the song towards the end.

"Alpha Male" is an epic instrumental track, it's a bit like following a ride through a labyrinth of sonic and lush electronic sounds to get to the end of a destination. A bit like a little story to a soundrack for an adventure only you can imagine with your eyes closed to it.

"Someone like me" is another mellow yet groovy song, i love the clapping sounds that add a bizarre gospel element to the song. Retro 80's in sound, yet with warm, smooth whispering & soft male vocals.

"Dead to the world" could easily be music composed for underwater sea-diving documentaries. Very dreamy, very soothing angelic and aetherial. Sleepy vocals add an angelic element to a mesmerizing chill out track.

"Tristesse Globale" is a muffed piano driven instrumental track that's a nice closer to CD 1.

CD2 has some excellent instrumental tracks and a very very nice vocal track (track 1 called "Go Away"),that i am surprised they didnt' include on CD1. It's worth it really to fork out the extra $$ and buy this 2 CD release, since all 5 tracks on CD 2 are really excellent and quite different. The insrumentals here are exremely playful , adventurous and have lots of great electronic beats.

Overall, a great new release that didn't dissapoint me while at the same time evolves the band's sound, so we don't get a repeat of the debut album. I look forward to seeing the band perform again Live. They are trully excellent in concert and much more upbeat Live. Until then, i have this new double release to enjoy and get acquainted with.

I originally heard of the Norwegian group Royksopp when visiting Amsterdam. I had MTV Europe on in my hotel room (MTV Europe actually still plays music, what a concept!) and I saw the video for "Poor Leno" and was instantly hooked. Of course, when you hear a song so instantly infectious to your ears, you think, how the heck can they possibly follow this up?

The answer is "The Understanding," an absolute gem of a disc that builds on the bands beginnings and takes their music one step beyond, creating swirling cinematic melodies coupled with beautiful, emotive, yet understated vocals. The first single and video, "Only This Moment" is sublime. (Be sure to check out the video online at the Astralwerks website.) The song is plaintive, emotional, melancholy, and at the same time "funky", albeit in a Norwegian Electronica sort of way.

I have had this disc for two weeks and it has yet to leave my CD player. Call it electronica, dance, downtempo,or whatever you like... this music is gorgeous and cinematic. Music based in electronica can sometimes be cold and inaccessible, but Royksopp know how to put emotion in their music. Royksopp's music is rather hard to categorize... Let's call it "Norwegian Bliss".

Note: The limited edition 2CD set is worth the extra few dollars! It includes bonus tracks, mainly instrumental, unavailable elsewhere.

The Undestanding is a great chilled vocal album, and precisely that is what makes it different from Melody am. This guys are pros, you won't be dissapointed by the vocals.

This one is (i'd dare to say) an experiment from royksopp on the vocals. You'll listen a female and male vocals with nice lyrics throughout the album.
In my opinion they did very well with them! Even though you might expect a less vocal album, i guarantee your satisfaction.

4 traxx on this album are rated 5stars on my media player, but the track i just can't stop listening to is 49%. It's a continuos (something like soft drum & bass) build up during those 5:12min. Excelent male vocals and very touching lyrics.

Melody AM did not had as many vocals as The Understanding, keep that in mind before buying this album.

Fist of all, Royksopp's newest album "The Understanding", does not suck by any means. It is a great album that shows the musical duo's depth. It also shows their ability to evolve and make a sound that is entirely unique (just like with their first album.)But just like with evolution, there is always something that gets left behind. In the case of The Understanding, it seems as though the older, raw, retro-synthish, old-skool electro-popish Royksopp that we all came to love so much, grew up and matured into something that we arent sure how to deal with. Maybe I will learn to love the new evolved Royksopp as much as the old one, hopefully. But I dont think I could ever give up those days of listening to Melody A.M. on vinyl,,,,,,,ahhhh how nostalgic! But hey, dont think that the new album is not worth picking up, any true Royksopp fan needs it....So check it out, and maybe you will see that I was wrong!

The Melody A.M. album is one of my all-time favorites. Something about it transcends any particular genre, and I find that I can listen to it in the company of other electronic music, pop, world, classical or jazz and it just feels... at home.

The Understanding is an entirely different story. While some tracks sound "characteristically Röyksopp," many sound like they're by a different duo altogether. That's not to say the album isn't fantastic, but the sound wasn't quite what I was expecting. I agree with those who label this album as a little more "pop" or a little more "dance" than the "electronic" label of Melody.

The bonus tracks are interesting, but not really all that exciting (at least after listening to them all twice through). Choosing between this and the standard album (with its more appropriate CD-insert booklet) should be the hardest part for you. Definitely pick this up.

If you absolutely loved "Melody AM", then this album may be a little bit of a disappointment for you. If, however, you loved "Melody AM" but found it ever so slightly lacking, like I did, you will probably be elated with this offering.

I loved "Melody AM" but missed the vocals that I tend to relish on downtempo/trip-hop records. While Melody had vocals, they felt a little bit like an afterthought. The star of the show on that album was the atmospheric, Nordic soundscapes. While completely enjoyable to listen to, Melody AM just didn't translate for me like this album so consistenly does.

This CD truly starts for me on the bubbly and effervescent "Only This Moment". I loved the uptempo beat of this track, particularly when combined with both male and female vocals. While I almost always prefer female vocals on electronica, this entire CD make me fall in love with the male vocalists (though the female vocals were flawless). Throw in the decadent "Follow My Ruin", the wistful "Beatiful Day Without You", and the soaring vocals on "What Else Is There" and I am in complete heaven. Again, great male vocals on "Follow My Ruin", totally changed my perception of how electronica/house music should be sound. The female vocals on "What Else is There" are beyond compare, though I do agree with one of the other reviewers that Cyndi Lauper somewhat comes to mind. Maybe that is why I love this song - I have seen Cyndi in concert three times and have always admired her unusual voice and unwillingness to conform. Yet, for me, this song even blows away anything she has offered.

This entire album is fantastic, not a single "skip it" song in entire collection. For hardcore Melody AM fans, you will still find some atmospheric offerings that should be to your liking. The bonus CD was worth the couple extra dollars. I expect that both CDs will be in constant, heavy rotation for some time to come.

If you fell in love with the first album, this latest artistic work by two of the greatest electronic musicians today will definately fullfill your wildest dreams of a successful sophmore album. At least it did for me. True, that doesn't always happen but Royksopp undoubtedly managed to show up my own skepticism about musicians keeping their style while pushing their creative talents in the second round. Don't assume that this album will serve up the same slick and organic vibes as the first one. The duo has taken a much more vocal and beat driven approach to many of the new tracks such as the first single off the album "Only This Moment" and its follow up "49 Percent". Yes, this is a good thing! We don't want to hear the same old thing anyway, even if it did send us into a trance of pure electronic exstacy. We want to be bludgeoned in the face by the fresh and unexpected. We want to be taken on a musical journey so far out of the galaxy that only the rasping calls of our mothers telling us to take off those d**m headphones can drag us back to reality. And personally, I feel that Royksopp delivers... yet again. Now for those of you who have not yet gotten the chance to experience Royksopp's first album GO BUY IT IMMEDIATELY! Actually, with the creepy fanatical ranting aside, I really would recommend that you start off with Melody AM first unless you really prefer more upbeat and pop-vocal type electronica mixed with some heavy techno-esque beats that seem to be prominent on the Bonus Disk offered with the Special Edition of The Understanding. Of course I can't stress enough the importance of the "Bonus Disk". Yes the few extra dollars are worth it, don't be silly.

i can't say enough how much i've enjoyed this record. i've listened to it just about every day and i'm still loving it.

If you fell in love with the first album, this latest artistic work by two of the greatest electronic musicians today will definately fullfill your wildest dreams of a successful sophmore album. At least it did for me. True, that doesn't always happen but Royksopp undoubtedly managed to show up my own skepticism about musicians keeping their style while pushing their creative talents in the second round. Don't assume that this album will serve up the same slick and organic vibes as the first one. The duo has taken a much more vocal and beat driven approach to many of the new tracks such as the first single off the album "Only This Moment" and its follow up "49 Percent". Yes, this is a good thing! We don't want to hear the same old thing anyway, even if it did send us into a trance of pure electronic exstacy. We want to be bludgeoned in the face by the fresh and unexpected. We want to be taken on a musical journey so far out of the galaxy that only the rasping calls of our mothers telling us to take off those d**m headphones can drag us back to reality. And personally, I feel that Royksopp delivers... yet again. Now for those of you who have not yet gotten the chance to experience Royksopp's first album GO BUY IT IMMEDIATELY! Actually, with the creepy fanatical ranting aside, I really would recommend that you start off with Melody AM first unless you really prefer more upbeat and pop-vocal type electronica mixed with some heavy techno-esque beats that seem to be prominent on the Bonus Disk offered with the Special Edition of The Understanding. Of course I can't stress enough the importance of the "Bonus Disk". Yes the few extra dollars are worth it, don't be silly.

First off, the bonus disk in this Limited Edition release is well worth the few extra dollars. "Go Away" is one of the most energetic tracks on the album and "Clean Sweep" sounds similar to the work of Kraftwerk. Royksopp has progressed not only in lyrics but also in song structure and musicality. Several tracks are heavy on the dance side while others are very laid back, similar to those on Morning AM. The whole album is a very enjoyable piece of work.