Profound Mysteries II

Approfondimenti

After taking an extended hiatus from the album format, Norwegian electronic duo Röyksopp made a grand return in early 2022 with Profound Mysteries, the first installment of an ambitious two-parter. During their first two decades together, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland curated an impeccable guest list of mostly female Nordic luminaries to voice their sweeping downbeat and synth-pop anthems. Swedes like Robyn, Lykke Li, and Karin Dreijer have all taken memorable turns at the mike, though it's fellow Norwegian Susanne Sundfør whose wonderful latter-day contributions make her seem like the group's honorary third member. Along with Röyksopp newcomers like Astrid S and Alison Goldfrapp, Sundfør made two strong appearances on Profound Mysteries' first volume and returns here just a few months later for a pair of victory laps on the project's sequel. Where the overall tone of volume one was more haunted and windswept, this second set boasts a handful of irresistible club-driven tracks, particularly the two instrumental highlights, "Denimclad Baboons" and the slightly menacing "Control." With their growling synths and wily arrangements, both are quintessential Röyksopp bangers. Musically, Berge and Brundtland continue to subtly expand their signature mix of lush downbeat drama and clever electropop, getting cinematic and darkly funked-out, sometimes in the same song. Adding continuity to the project, Astrid S, Pixx, and Sundfør appear on both Profound Mysteries albums, with Sundfør adding another classic to their shared catalog on the excellent "Oh, Lover." Karen Harding makes her Röyksopp debut on "Unity," a rousing uptempo cut that feels like a bit of a club throwback, and fellow Brit Jamie Irrepressible loans his yearning voice to the moody "Sorry." As satisfying as its predecessor, Profound Mysteries II is yet another quality entry in Röyksopp's already sterling canon.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo