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
Skulls
Röyksopp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you wanna ride with us tonight...
We will be the hands that lift you up and
We will be the hands that hold you high
We will make you say our name forever
We will make you want another try
If you wanna ride...
If you wanna ride with us tonight
If you wanna ride with us tonight...
We will be the love you've always wanted
We will be the fire in your blood
We will be the voice of your desire
We will be salvation in the flood
We will be the arms that lift you up and
We will be the hand that strike you down...
We will make you scream our name forever,
We will make you go another round...
If you wanna ride...
The lyrics of "Skulls" by Röyksopp are open to interpretation, but they seem to be describing a secret society or a mysterious group of people who offer a path to glory and redemption. They invite the listener to join them on a ride, promising to be the hands that lift you up and hold you high. They claim to be capable of making you want to say their name forever, giving you a sense of purpose and belonging. The repeated use of the word "skulls" suggests that this group might have something to do with death or mortality, but it's not clear if this is meant to be taken literally or metaphorically.
As the lyrics progress, the promises made by the mysterious group become more intense and, in some cases, threatening. They describe themselves as the love you've always wanted, the fire in your blood, and the voice of your desire. They offer to be salvation in the flood, implying that they have some kind of special power or knowledge that can save the listener from a disaster. However, they also say that they can be the arms that lift you up or the hand that strikes you down, suggesting that there may be a darker side to their agenda. They promise to make you scream their name forever and to make you go another round, implying that once you join them, there's no turning back.
Overall, the lyrics of "Skulls" are cryptic and slightly ominous, but they also have a seductive quality that draws the listener in. The repetition of the phrase "if you wanna ride with us tonight" creates a sense of urgency and excitement, as if the listener is being invited to a secret party that only a select few know about. The song's electronic beats and hypnotic melody reinforce this feeling of being swept up in something larger than oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
If you wanna ride with us tonight
If you want to join us in our endeavor tonight
We will be the hands that lift you up and
We will support and motivate you to succeed
We will be the hands that hold you high
We will acknowledge your accomplishments and celebrate your success
We will make you say our name forever
We will make an indelible mark on your memory and identity
We will make you want another try
We will instill in you a desire to experience this again
Skulls!
This exclamation of 'Skulls' is left open to interpretation, but it could symbolize a willingness to boldly face any challenge and overcome it
We will be the love you've always wanted
We will provide the care and attention you have been seeking
We will be the fire in your blood
We will ignite a passionate and energetic spirit within you
We will be the voice of your desire
We will help you to express and fulfill your deepest wishes
We will be salvation in the flood
We will be a source of help and protection in challenging or perilous situations
We will be the arms that lift you up and
We will physically support and carry you if necessary
We will be the hand that strike you down...
We will push you to your limits and challenge you to grow
We will make you scream our name forever,
We will create a lasting memory and impact on your life
We will make you go another round...
We will encourage you to continue striving and give it another try
If you wanna ride...
If you would like to be a part of this experience...
Contributed by Jeremiah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Milton F
Skulls - Lyrics
If you want to ride with us tonight
If you want to ride with us tonight
We will be the hands that lift you up and
We will be the hands that hold you high
We will make you say our name forever
We will make you want another try
If you wanna ride, Skulls!
If you wanna ride with us tonight
If you wanna ride with us tonight
We will be the love you've always wanted
We will be the fire in your blood
We will be the vice of your desire
We will be salvation in the flood
We will be the arms that lift you up and
We will be the hand that strike you down
We will make you scream our name forever
We will make you go another round
If you wanna ride
xevissimo
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
We will be the hands that lift you up
and we will be the hands that hold you high…
We will make you say our name forever,
we will make you want another try…
If you wanna ride…
Skulls!
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
We will be the love you’ve always wanted,
we will be the fire in your blood…
We will be the vice of your desire,
we will be salvation in the flood…
We will be the arms that lift you up
and we will be the hand that strike you down…
We will make you scream our name forever,
we will make you go another round…
If you wanna ride…
H. Rashid
[Verse 2]
We will be the life you always wanted
We will be the fire in your blood
We will be the vice of your desire
We will be salvation in the flood
[Verse 3]
We will be the arms that lift you up and
We will be the hand that strike you down
We will make you scream our name forever
We will make you go another round
Sampa Farrugia
SKULLS LYRICS
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
We will be the hands that lift you up and we will be the hands that hold you high…
We will make you say our name forever,
we will make you want another try…
If you wanna ride…
Skulls!
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
If you wanna ride with us tonight…
We will be the love you’ve always wanted,
we will be the fire in your blood…
We will be the vice of your desire,
we will be salvation in the flood…
We will be the arms that lift you up and we will be the hand that strike you down…
We will make you scream our name forever,
we will make you go another round…
If you wanna ride…
Katie J
Listening in 2020.
Damnit, I wish Royksopp further explored their darker electronic side.
This is my ultimate favourite gothic electronic song. It’s perfection.
Eyes Open
@Renatus Piscator it would be nice 🤪😁
Oğuzhan Topçakan
i hopefully expect a dark, horror themed album from them. such as "Skull and Shark" from Lazerhawk.
Michael Verwey
Ever tried Lorn
Eyes Open
@Michael Verwey yea sorted great artist 😉👀🙏👆
Focket & Friends
Saw the lorn reply, such a great artist. Check out IAMX (!!!) and Mr Kitty. IAMX is cut from the same cloth as this and Mr Kitty has some great goth/dark wave vibes but he’s cancelled as of now unfortunately
zordid
Every sound, every beat is so perfectly placed. This is one of the best produced songs ever. Sonically perfect. I love this sooo much.
Jamie Forsyth
I'd love a whole album of this kind of darker Royksopp!!!
nikolaiadrigov
Supposedly they're done with albums, but the Royksopp x Robyn collab has a lot of these dark beats
Guy
The inveteble end! is where this song came from at least!