The abundance of popular American and British English music acts makes it uncommon if not difficult to break into the charts while hailing from elsewhere, but fortunately for me it is a feat Röyksopp, an electronic music duo from Norway, accomplished. With songs to suit many moods, they became a stand-by in my collection for many years.
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### <center><b>420 to 30: A Music Retrospective</b></center>
<center><i>60 Weeks to 30 Years-Old, with 420 Songs by 60 Different Artists</i></center>
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Here's 7 of my favorites from Röyksopp.
# <center><b>Week 41: RÖYKSOPP</b></center>
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## <center><b>#281/420 - Röyksopp, “She’s So”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2001, <i>Melody A.M.</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTo0845YX_o
While a lot of Röyksopp’s music features vocalists, many of their songs also do not. This is one of those instrumentals, and one of my favorites, from their debut album in 2001, which is also my favorite album of theirs, beginning to end. This is an extremely chill, sexy, back alley piece with auditory neon lights reflected in puddles on definitely some kind of substance. It’s dominated by swelling synth and blaring saxophones, which patter and meander about before the beat pulls them into a swirl.
It should come as no surprise on my 420 countdown there are some great songs to get stoned to on here, and with or without inhaling, this album has the power to take you at least halfway there. Trees and clouds, man. Trees and clouds.
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## <center><b>#282/420 - Röyksopp, “Forsaken Cowboy”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2010, <i>Senior</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVCTQYxu25Q
It’s very interesting to me that a song without words and without sound effects and obviously without visuals, even without seeing its title, can still sound like its title. Maybe it is a little spacier than the Old West, but the rhythm seems to have perfect pace with a trotting horse and its bobbing rider and the ethereal, forlorn voices exude despondency and loneliness.
It could also be being conditioned by film scores to hear certain music as certain themes, but the music written for the films has to be imagined in the first place and there is a methodology and a why to this, but it goes a bit over my head as a non-musician. For me, it is just a feeling I recognize.
Either way, this is an enjoyable and relaxing song, and album, to zone out to.
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## <center><b>#283/420 - Röyksopp, “Happy Up Here”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2009, “Happy Up Here”)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VztfFa1xCnU
This song came on the radio and first caught my attention during a delivery job of mine for a sandwich shop back in 2009. I remember thinking it was an unusual kind of song to hear on what was primarily an alternative rock station, but I dug it, and it prompted my tracking down all of Röyksopp’s first three albums. I am glad I did. It’s poppy, video game-ish, club music, full of warmth; a fun song and worthy entry point into some great music.
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## <center><b>#284/420 - Röyksopp, “Röyksopp Forever”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2009, <i>Junior</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rSpas1OZ48
My favorite instrumental from Röyksopp. Where “She’s So” excels with the saxophones, this one has it in droves with the string section. It has a very epic feel, fitting of the “forever” in its title, and is easy to imagine as part of film soundtrack; through headphones, the soundtrack of your life. Like most great epic themes, it also features a rewarding build-up throughout the song, increasing in parts, drama, and intensity. And after all that, it suddenly crashes and crumples away, tying itself off for whatever comes next in the playlist, shuffle, or album itself.
It’s one of the most satisfying Röyksopp tracks, deserving of the duo’s name as part of its own.
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## <center><b>#285/420 - Röyksopp, “Remind Me”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2001, <i>Melody A.M.</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yklKIPb38PE
The song that introduced most of us to Röyksopp, whether we realized it or not, was this one, featured in an insurance advertisement featuring a caveman on a moving sidewalk that received major airplay and even, bizarrely, turned into a short-lived sitcom. Moments of mega-fame aside though, this is the stand-out track for me on their first album and my personal favorite. Cool, chill, subdued, and aquamarine, it’s reflective and calm and makes for a perfect song choice in such moments.
The singer, Erlend Øye, is from another Norwegian band, Kings of Convenience, and really does the track justice with just the right touch on the microphone. Berge and Brundtland made an all-timer with this one, on an album I highly recommend.
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## <center><b>#286/420 - Röyksopp, “This Must Be It”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2009, <i>Junior</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba8OdY6t0Ok
My favorite vocalist to work with Röyksopp is Karin Dreijer of another electronic duo, The Knife, from Sweden. Here she excels amid charged electronic sounds. I love the energy this song comes in with right from the start, not wasting any time in getting its super-awesomeness on. I also enjoy how it maintains it throughout. There is no slow down or change-up to take away from the momentum at any point, which means your head bobs and hip wags need never let up either.
Röyksopp is able to put out a great dance track just as well as it can a subdued atmospheric piece and it makes trekking through their catalog all the more diverse and enjoyable.
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## <center><b>#287/420 - Röyksopp, “What Else Is There?”</b></center>
<center>(originally from 2005, <i>The Understanding</i>)</center>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-6RFpKIV4w
The Nordic partnership has done it again. A truly great song from Röyksopp and Karen Dreijer, and my personal favorite from the group. This is a very well-produced track that really has it all. The vocals are amazing, the instrumentation is epic and dramatic in all the right ways with nuances and passionate swings, and the lyrics are just cool. It’s one of those songs that seems possible to have direct meaning, but yet has the correct dosage of mystery and ambiguity to allow your own applications and interpretations to deepen the meaning and scope of the words.
<center><i>Road’s end getting nearer
We cover distance, but not together
I am the storm and I am the wonder
And the flashlights, nightmares, and sudden explosions.
I don't know what more to ask for
I was given just one wish</i></center>
It’s an entrancing song and one that almost always capped off my Röyksopp playlists. Their music has been the soundtrack to many great, relaxed moments in my life and it’s been a jolly time reminiscing this week.
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Next week, I’ll be featuring a legendary group in rap music that, in my opinion, featured the greatest lineup ever assembled, on Beatles level relative to their genre in terms of raw talent in a single group. They were only fully together for what amounted to a fleeting moment in the grand scope of things, but their influence and prominence in hip hop continues to this day, straight outta Compton, N.W.A.
### <center><b>420 to 30: A Music Retrospective</b></center>
<center><i>60 Weeks to 30 Years-Old, with 420 Songs by 60 Different Artists</i></center>
<center>[Week 1: <b>Johnny Cash</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-1-johnny-cash-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 2: <b>The Jackson 5</b>/The Jacksons](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-2-the-jackson-5-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 3: <b>A Tribe Called Quest</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-3-a-tribe-called-quest-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 4: <b>Weezer</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-4-weezer-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 5: <b>Bob Dylan</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-5-bob-dylan-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 6: <b>Led Zeppelin</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-6-led-zeppelin-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 7: <b>2Pac</b>/Makaveli](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-7-2pac-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 8: <b>Billy Joel</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-8-billy-joel-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 9: <b>Electric Light Orchestra</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-9-electric-light-orchestra-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 10: <b>Elvis Presley</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-10-elvis-presley-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 11: <b>Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-11-dr-buzzard-s-original-savannah-band-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 12: <b>The Jimi Hendrix Experience</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-12-the-jimi-hendrix-experience-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 13: <b>Nirvana</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-13-nirvana-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 14: <b>The Doors</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-14-the-doors-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 15: <b>The Rolling Stones</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-15-the-rolling-stones-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 16: <b>Gnarls Barkley</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-16-gnarls-barkley-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 17: <b>Gábor Szabó</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-17-gabor-szabo-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 18: <b>Galaxie 500</b>](https://steemit.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-17-galaxie-500-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 19: <b>Simon & Garfunkel</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-19-simon-and-garfunkel-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 20: <b>Gorillaz</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-20-gorillaz-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 21: <b>Ennio Morricone</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-21-ennio-morricone-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 22: <b>The Moody Blues</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-22-the-moody-blues-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 23: <b>Koji Kondo</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-23-koji-kondo-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 24: <b>Rob Zombie</b>/White Zombie](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-24-rob-zombie-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 25: <b>Paul McCartney</b>/Wings](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-25-paul-mccartney-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 26: <b>George Harrison</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-26-george-harrison-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 27: <b>Phil Spector</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-27-phil-spector-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 28: <b>John Lennon</b>/Plastic Ono Band](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-28-john-lennon-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 29: <b>Public Enemy</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-29-public-enemy-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 30: <b>The Love Language</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-30-the-love-language-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 31: <b>Barry White</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-31-barry-white-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 32: <b>Frank Sinatra</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-32-frank-sinatra-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 33: <b>David Bowie</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-33-david-bowie-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 34: <b>Queen</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-34-queen-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 35: <b>The Offspring</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-35-the-offspring-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 36: <b>Louis Prima</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-36-louis-prima-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 37: <b>The Notorious B.I.G.</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-37-the-notorious-big-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 38: <b>Nancy Sinatra</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-38-nancy-sinatra-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 39: <b>Stevie Wonder</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-39-stevie-wonder-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)
[Week 40: <b>Roger Miller</b>](https://peakd.com/music/@jozefkrichards/week-40-roger-miller-420-to-30-a-music-retrospective)</center>
<center>[FULL PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1BLyyxbF9s8dLZAzD7dgd9?si=6aa3783762404d0a)</center>
View the full list of "420 Songs" here: https://tinyurl.com/y8fboudu (Google spreadsheet link)