Brundtland and Berge were schoolmates in their hometown Tromsø, experimenting with electronic instruments in the early 90s and being a part of their city's techno scene. As they grew up in northern Norway, they listened to local artists like Bel Canto and Biosphere. The band has also expressed their interest in the music of Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Giorgio Moroder, Art of Noise, Vangelis, Erik Satie, and Francis Lai. They were members of various electro acts in their youth, such as Alanïa, Drum Island and Aedena Cycle. After recording as part of Aedena Cycle, Berge and Brundtland left the group to form their own band, Röyksopp.
In 8 October 2001, Röyksopp released their debut album Melody A.M. on Wall of Sound label. This critically acclaimed downtempo album reached #1 in Norway charts, #9 in UK Albums Chart, #18 in US Top Electronic Albums. Melody A.M. spawned five singles: "So Easy" (released in 1999, re-released in 2002), "Eple" (released in July 2001, re-released in 24 February 2003; #16 UK), "Poor Leno", featuring Erlend Øye (released in 3 December 2001, re-released on 18 November 2002; #38 UK), "Remind Me", featuring Erlend Øye (5 August 2002; #21 UK), and "Sparks", featuring Anneli Drecker (2003; #41 UK).
The band became famous for their original music videos (the infographic-styled video by French company H5 for the track "Remind Me", won the 2002 MTV Europe Music Award for best music video). The single "Eple" (meaning "apple") was used by Apple Inc. as the music for the startup video for Mac OS X 10.3.
In 4 July 2005, the band issued their sophomore album The Understanding on Wall of Sound. The album was preceded by the hit single "Only This Moment", featuring Kate Havnevik (27 June 2005; #33 UK). Another four singles followed: "49 Percent" (26 September 2005; #55 UK), "Curves" (non-album single; 3 October 2005), "What Else Is There?", featuring Karin Dreijer of The Knife (5 December 2005; #4 Norway, #32 UK) and "Beautiful Day Without You" (26 June 2006).
Röyksopp's Night Out EP was released in 27 February 2006 and it contains live recordings from a concert in Norway, Rockefeller (Oslo) in November 2005. The album contains a new dance version of their single "Sparks" and a reinterpretation of the song "Go With the Flow”, originally by Queens of the Stone Age. In 5 March 2007, the group issued Back to Mine: Röyksopp, a compilation album from the Back to Mine series, compiled and mixed by the band.
On 23 March 2009, Röyksopp released their third album Junior on Wall of Sound. Röyksopp have invited several guest artists, like Robyn, Anneli Drecker, Karin Dreijer, Lykke Li, to perform on various songs from Junior. The first single "Happy Up Here" was released on 19 January 2009 (digital)/16 March 2009 (vinyl) and peaked on #3 in Norway and on #44 in UK. Another two singles supported the album' sales: "The Girl And The Robot", featuring Robyn (15 June 2009; #2 Norway) and "This Must Be It", featuring Karin Dreijer (2 November 2009).
Since 2010, the band started posting on their official site new exclusive songs available for free download (usually a song every month), known as Röyksopp.com Track Of The Month.
In 13 September 2010, Röyksopp released the fourth album Senior, the atmospheric counterpart of Junior. The first single from the album, "The Drug", was released on 9 August 2010.
Official site: http://www.royksopp.com
Ice Machine
Röyksopp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The shouts of the boys in the factory
I ring you on the telephone silently
Like blood, like the wine in the darkroom scene
The darkroom scene
Oooh the darkroom scene
Once composed
Seven years long and as tall as a tree
Reading
On the wall
Emissions, efficiency
Efficiency
Oooh efficiency
Resurrect
As a feeling
On my window
Of a past reunion
Resurrect
As a feeling
On my window
Of a past reunion
Visions
Of a picture
Like the city
And the air we breathe
The air we breathe
Oooh air we breathe
She stood beside me once again
I knew her face
We met before in the street
Recalling all the children dancing at our feet
The dancing feet
Ooooh dancing feet
In Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør's song Ice Machine, the lyrics describe the artist's reminiscing about a past relationship while dealing with various emotions associated with memory. The lyrics reference an industrial factory and the shouts of the boys within it, as the artist talks about hearing these sounds "running through my head secretly." The artist then tries to reach out to their past love interest silently over the telephone, going so far as to relate this feeling to "blood, like the wine in the dark room scene." The darkroom scene is a reference to a photography darkroom, which was a common way of developing film before digital photography. The artist then sings about a letter that was composed seven years ago and stood as tall as a tree. Along with this, there are references to "emissions, efficiency" and the idea of efficiency as a whole, which could represent the industrialization theme mentioned earlier.
Later, the artist talks about the feeling of "resurrecting" something that has long been forgotten, in this case, a reunion from the past. This reunion is represented as a vision on the window, which then expands into a picture of the city and the air that surrounds it. Lastly, the artist recalls a moment where they reunited with their past love interest, recalling "all the children dancing at our feet," a reference to how life was perceived in the past versus the present.
Line by Line Meaning
Running through my head secretly
Secret thoughts taking control of mind
The shouts of the boys in the factory
Loud noise of men working in the factory
I ring you on the telephone silently
Making a quiet call to connect emotionally
Like blood, like the wine in the darkroom scene
Intense and intimate moment captured in memories
A letter
A written message
Once composed
Written in past
Seven years long and as tall as a tree
Extended and significant message
Reading
Going through it
On the wall
Displayed publicly
Emissions, efficiency
Environmental impact and productivity
Resurrect
Bring back to life
As a feeling
As an emotion
On my window
Reflecting in the glass
Of a past reunion
Remembering a previous get-together
Visions
Images in the mind
Of a picture
Of a photo
Like the city
Similar to the surroundings
And the air we breathe
Part of our daily life
She stood beside me once again
Seeing someone from past, in present
I knew her face
Recognizing the person
We met before in the street
Had a chance encounter on the road
Recalling all the children dancing at our feet
Remembering young ones celebrating joyfully
Contributed by Jacob G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@konradchudy1491
Running through my head secretly
The shouts of the boys in the factory
I ring you on the telephone silently
Like blood, like the wine in the darkroom scene
[Chorus]
The darkroom scene
Darkroom scene
[Verse 2]
A letter, once composed
Seven years long and as tall as a tree
Reading on the wall
Emissions, efficiency
[Chorus]
Efficiency
Efficiency
[Bridge]
Resurrect
As a feeling
On my window
Of a past reunion
[Verse 3]
Resurrect, as a feeling
On my window of a past reunion
Vision of a picture like the city
And the air we breathe
[Chorus]
The air we breathe
Air we breathe
[Verse 4]
She stood beside me once again
I knew her face
We met before in the street
Recalling all the children dancing at our feet
[Chorus]
The dancing feet
Dancing feet
@omarneira3377
Running through my head secretly
The shouts of the boys in the factory
I ring you on the telephone silently
Like blood, like the wine in the darkroom scene
The darkroom scene, oh, darkroom scene
A letter once composed
Seven years long and as tall as a tree
Reading on the wall
Emissions, efficiency
Efficiency, oh, efficiency
Resurrect
As a feeling
On my window
Of a past reunion
Resurrect as a feeling
On my window of a past reunion
Visions of a picture
Like the city
And the air we breathe
The air we breathe, oh, air we breathe
She stood beside me once again
I knew her face
We met before in the street
Recalling all the children dancing at our feet
The dancing feet, oh, dancing feet
@SwedishChef1977
10 years later this is still the best god d**n Depeche Mode cover that has ever been performed!! Love it immensely!!
@iamyourfuture808
better than the original
@georggoplen24
@iamyourfuture808 : By far!
@vincentruvo6988
Love her voice but I find her stage presence weak.
@roberthpilesund384
There is a better version of Enjoy the silence made live by Infected Mushroom, but i have never been able to find it online. "best god d**n Depeche Mode cover that has ever been performed! " imho.
@Raznyevideo
I think the best DM cover is Stripped by Rammstein
@TheHorsebox2
Her voice is hypnotic.
@palmiccz
Royksopp have incredibble pick for vocalists!
@TheHorsebox2
@@palmiccz Yes, amazing artists.
@seanbryant9371
Absolute masterpiece....visually stunning, reworked synths and her haunting voice, make this song more uplifting than the original and as a lifelong DM fan, from the early 80's, that's as much praise as one can give. Love, love, love this version!