Senior

A voiceless surprise from Royksopp

The Norwegian duo Royksopp was not resting long after the praiseworthy album Junior (2009). A year and half after the release of that record, the hard-working and incomparable Scandinavians came back with another full-length effort. Judging by its title, Senior, these men continue sticking to the concept of contrast in all they do. Senior is not only different from its predecessor, but has nothing in common with the other two studio works Royksopp have made. The musicians stated unanimously that the title of their new product is a precise reflection of the album’s musical content and their inner states and that they have matured now, which means the music has matured too. As adult and serious people, Svein and Tornbjorn saved useless words and preferred the language of musical instruments to human speech. Senior is entirely an instrumental album.

Album living around you

Absolutely voiceless compositions produce a powerful effect of thoughtful and consistent messages as the listener’s imagination start to build vivid images and colorful pictures. Whichever track you choose on this album, it’s a completed piece of art with its own story, mood and idea. Tricky Two leads you out into a cold rainy night onto the deserted road leaving you no idea of where to go. Coming Home brings about completely different feelings. It is a bright and life-assuring song about returning to where you belong, to the mother land, or the family. It is your mind and heart that will tell you where you want to leave now. The Alcoholic is an uneasy track with a variety of special sonic effects which create a whirl making you feel kind of dizzy. You do not understand these songs, but you immerse into them as soon as they begin. The synths mould the required atmosphere while the guitars shape up a simple melody. Meanwhile, we have to give the credits to the arrangements, the use of ‘outside’ sounds that make the whole album live its own life; and it lives not somewhere there, but here, around you. You can hear a cold wind blow, a deep forest rustling with leafs, an old house creaking. You have no choice but to go there.

The most non-commercial and serious album from the Norwegians

As it becomes clear after listening to Senior, this record’s tracks do need any words. The Royksopp musicians were not lying when promising the most mature album to their fans. The Norwegians hold in secret how to communicate with the audience exclusively via musical. Considering total absence of vocals, Senior can and even should be seen as the band’s most non-commercial album to date. Outside the context of this work, among songs by other performers, these compositions may feel strange and even wild. That is why none of these nine pieces has any chance to become a hit and blow the airplay. Instead, each song here is an inseparable constituent of a big time and well-thought-through work. All efforts to single out the most fascinating fragments, as well as efforts to name the less successful elements, will give no result. Too young to be called an old band, Royksopp are already now producing an impression of a very experienced outfit whose members own unrivaled song-writing and executing skills.