Review of Do It Again EP by Robyn and Royksopp

Swedish pop sensation Robyn has collaborated with Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp for mini-album 'Do It Again', which serves as each act's first new record since 2010. Robyn is known for her big accessible synth-pop sound, while Röyksopp are known for a colder and more experimental sound. Have these two very different artists managed to make something great together across these five songs?

Robyn and Royksopp Do It Again EP

It starts off with a ten minute ambient song, 'Monument', that sets the scene for the mini-album, fusing Kraftwerk style minimalist synths with Robyn's pop vocals. Neither artist is compromising their signature sound to suit the other, which is just as well as they both work well together. We then go into 'Sayit' which is much dancier in comparison with its 4/4 beats, wiry synth arpeggios that sound like they're the soundtrack to a tech noir movie and the repeated lyrics, 'I want you'. It's not untrodden territory by any means, but it does make your fingers tap and your body move along to the groove. 'Doitagain' is even more danceable with the synths taking a flashier turn. This is a straight-up fun pop song with simple good-time lyrics like, 'Don't care what they say, it hurts so good, I don't wanna stop, I know I should, but let's do it again'. Robyn's vocals  appear to be channelling Madonna on one of her more dance music tracks. Again, not very original, but nonetheless enjoyable.

'Every Little Thing' is the weak link out of the five songs on 'Do It Again' with synth lines that fly over your head and generic heartbreak lyrics like 'Every little thing I say, every little thing I do, you should really know by now, it's for you', which aren't sung with enough conviction to make this loss of love sound real.

The mini-album closes on ten minute instrumental 'Inside The Idle Hour Club' which builds and builds to great effect starting with emotional and blissful synths, and then four and a half minutes into the song, the low synth-line enters adding a moody vibe. Long warm notes follow with harp-like sound effects, before the song concludes on a minimalist note. 

Overall, this is an impressive mini-album by Robyn and Röyksopp that's sees the two artists fuse each other's strengths to make a record that will please a wide range of synthpop fans with its elements of both mainstream and experimental pop.

3/5

Max Cussons


Official Site - http://robyn.com

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