Royksopp @ Club Soda

The Norwegian electro/dance duo Röyksopp, composed of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, recently stopped by Club Soda for a night of great music. It had been a while since we’ve seen the duo in Montreal and so their return was greatly anticipated – so much so that they played to a sold out Club Soda! I must say, I’ve been a fan ever since I heard “Remind Me” from their debut album, Melody AM, in Robot Food’s Lame (my favourite snowboarding movie). What I’ve always liked about them is their mix of downbeats, drum machines, guitar and vocals, which, when blended all together, give the duo their distinctive sound.

So, last Saturday I was really excited to have a chance to see them live, but I didn‘t know what to expect. Was I going to see two guys, their synthesizers and their drum machines, or not? I wasn’t disappointed at all; yes the two were behind their synths, and they also had two guitarists with them. When the show opened, the two guitarists were dressed in black and sporting what looked a pillowcase over their heads while they played the familiar notes of “Eple”. They managed to build enough hype to last the whole show with the just first songs! Most of them are fan favorites: “So Easy”, “Remind Me” (my favourite) and “Sparks” (complete with live vocals by Anneli Drecker). The guys were able to balance their set list with songs from both of their last two albums, Junior and Senior.

Although they did go on for more then an hour and a half, the crowd was hooked on every song! Those on the floor didn’t stop dancing for the entire show; and you know the show is good when even the people in the balconies start dancing! Thankfully, the sound at the club soda sounded good for once.

I find it really nice when groups aren’t afraid to experiment with new sounds or wear props during a show. During “The Girl and The Robot”, Torbjørn wore a robot looking mask and Anneli had a faux-fur feline mask on while she sang “Tricky Tricky” at the end of the concert. They experimented with new sounds by performing a dubstep-inspired version of ‘’Have Another Cherry’.”

Even if they didn’t play a few songs I would’ve loved hearing live, like “Triumphant”, “Silver Cruiser”, “Circuit Breaker” and “A Beautiful Day Without You,” the concert was awesome! Yes, awesome and amazing! It was one of those concerts you come out of wanting more (in the good way). It should’ve gone on for hours, but all good things come to an end. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take that long before the boys come back to Montreal!

-Alex Menjivar co-hosts Phantastiq Cypha on Fridays from 4-6pm