Rui-Long Monico - Geneva // USA Conexion

Röyksopp - Understanding (2005)
Label: Astralwerks
Genre: House/Trip Hop

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Tracklist :
1. Triumphant
2. Only this Moment
3. 49 Percent
4. Sombre Detune
5. Follow my Ruin
6. Beautiful Day without you
7. What Else is there?
8. Circuit Breaker
9. Alpha Male
10. Someone like Me
11. Dead to the World
12. Tristesse Globale

Fabulous. This album is fabulous. I picked it up while I was digging for some fresh House songs and I don't regret my choice. Understanding is the sophomore project initiated by Svein Berge and Torbjorn Brundtland under the alias of Röyksopp. While their Norwegian names might be unpronounceable, their taste for purified and minimalistic music is exquisite.  

While Understanding might be considered as being House music (it was even nominated by the House Music Awards in the top album of the year category), it has no clubbing or dancing potential. Röyksopp invites us to a world of relaxation in between trip hop and down tempo pop where the soft melodies hits you painlessly.

The first track of this CD sets the tone. A sample of classical piano opens the show with grace then a sublime set of drums kicks in. That's it I'm in love. Another highlight is the soulful cameo of Chelonis Jones on 49 Percent, in between R&B and Pop, taking the best of both world, This shyt is incredibly cool to listen to! I'm also loving the vocals that Karin Dreijer drops on What Else is there?, I don't understand what she is saying, maybe it's not even English but I don't care because it sounds great. The rest is equally good without any noticeable fillers.

My only regret in this album is the relative monotony that can be felt after listening to the whole album. Now I'm not saying it's boring, just that it lacks a little bit of audacity and experimentation to transform this essay into a masterpiece of the electronica scene.

Since music is a question of mood, Understanding remains my favorite album to listen when I had an exhausting day at work or at school. It doesn't try to send me any philosophical messages through complex rhymes or musical layers, it just relaxes me enough to forget what a tiring day I had. That's all I'm asking.