aaamusic | On 05, Sep 2010

Starting with a brief intro that sounds like a flanger pedal taking flight, Royksopp’s new single ‘The Drug’ is a gentle electronic instrumental tenderly constructed from a sparse handful of loops that echo around one another on tiptoes. Even the small discordant flourishes later on ease themselves gracefully into the mix. Melody is provided by the synths, and rhythm by the underlying pulse provided by a low-key drone, and by the slightly incongruous dance beat drum machine track. As ‘The Drug’ progresses, yet more drones and flanger launches are piled on and slipped between other layers, creating a strangely organic transition between the dreamy main section and the darker hiss that rears its head just before the end.

What Royksopp have built here is a sound built from totally synthetic elements and yet the finished product is completely natural and bordering on beautiful as it seeps into your skin. The true and lasting appeal of such a track is down to personal taste, but if you are looking for some new and enchanting ambience, this could easily become your new drug of choice.

Author: Katie H-Halinski