Interview – Royksopp

Royksöpp are the long reigning masters of experimental electronica. With a background from the club scene, four highly successful albums and an upcoming tour to Australia, BBM caught up with one half of Royksöpp, Svein Berge to find out some more.

You first formed in 1998, which was 13 years ago, has the 13th year been a lucky one for you?

In all fairness, Tøbjorn, the other guy, the pretty guy, we actually met as kids. We have been dabbling with electronic music ever since we were 13 so if you then start doing the math you’ll find it’s longer than 13 years which makes it even more embarrassing. But this year has been good.

How has electronic music evolved since the 90’s?

There are good and bad things. I think as it stands now, there’s been an influence that electronic music has had on mainstream pop, particularly American pop and I’m not really a fan of that. But then again, there is always the underground. I think electronic music is best when combined with traditional acoustic instruments.

Who or what is the inspiration behind what you do?

Well just to sound extremely pretentious and pompous I’d say life in general. That could be anything from getting pissed with friends to having a hike in the mountains, to eating a strange meal or seeing a good movie. There’s no particular source of information that we seek. Both Tøbjorn and I are curious people that like to push boundaries and explore and that’s our main driving force, to try new and different things.

What alternative career do you dream you’d be doing if you weren’t a musician?

If I was to chase a dream and I wasn’t dealing with music, I’d be a blacksmith or maybe a movie director. I’m really into movies but I think that’s way too much work for me so I’d probably be doing something a lot duller, like working in an office.

You are known for your outlandish onstage costumes, have you contemplated the birthday suit?

I wouldn’t know what that is. My mind works in mysterious ways so I’m immediately thinking something sexual.

It means wearing nothing…

Oh, so that’s the birthday suit, well that has been contemplated yes, but I’m afraid people would get embarrassed when they see two enormous Norwegian cocks on stage…I don’t think you should print that but you can if you want!

(Of course we will) What have you been listening to lately?

I’m very eclectic when it comes to music and it seems to go in cycles with me. I can have a period when I listen to 60’s Soul for a couple of months then I move onto anthem-related Rock from the early 80s. Right now I’m very into Italian Prog Rock from the mid 70s.

You’ve travelled all over the world to perform at festivals but who does it best, Europe or Australia?

I’ve never been to Australia and it was something I had to do before I die. We have another year left in us…that sounds very dark. We just had to go while there was still a bit of youth left in us. So you guys better put on a damn good performance.

Do you need someone to come and help untangle your wires on tour?

Well that’s the area where I shine. I can really be in control and know which plug to put in which socket and so on. But then again, I have reached the level now where I just boss people around. I say to people “please pour some water in my mouth while I’m standing here on stage.” So I have all these stage techs doing things for me because I’m so lazy and full of myself.

A lot of musicians have a list of requests (Rider) that they give to venues beforehand, like Ferrero Rocher and Coca Cola on ice, do you?

Well there is always obviously the Ferrero Rocher that Tøbjorn requires to be anally inserted every 2nd hour! If you rewind back 10/11 years, our Hospitality Rider was a lot more excessive than it is now. We had a couple of years when we just went completely haywire requesting bits of the moon, prostitutes, lady boys and whiskey galore. We’ve toned that down a lot now, it’s down to just lady boys and Milkyways.

Is there anything exciting on the horizon for RÖYKSOPP?

To us it’s always exciting; we feel that we are leading a particularly fulfilling life. We are as of now making new music. It feels good; we’re in a good mood. We had our period of making slightly darker music and now we’re ready for some more fun and energy and that feels good.

Why is everyone in Norway so beautiful?

Well thankyou on behalf of all Norwegians. It has always been a bit of a riddle to me and I don’t know why Scandinavians are the way they are. Could it be the fresh air or could it be all the fish that has been eating over the years. It is fair to say that it’s the Scandinavian women that are the pretty ones, the men aren’t that pretty, they’re fairly tall, but not pretty.

If you found some lost musicians in the forest what would you do with them?

Well I’d whip them and rape them. No, I would take them back to civilization if that’s what they requested but then again I’m really drawn towards the forest so I would probably just keep the musicians in the forest, bring them some musical equipment and record some nice forest music with them, and fill them full of drugs and exploit them!

RÖYKSOPP will be performing at Big Day out 2012 all over Australia and at the following sideshows:

Enmore Theatre, Sydney – Friday 27th January
The Palace, Melbourne – Thursday 2nd February

By Sarah Wilk