Melody A.M.

by

Röyksopp

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Where do I start with this wonderful little gem? This may be trite by now, but I too was introduced to Royksopp via the Geico Caveman commercial (those joints are funny, right?) Like a previous reviewer, I instantly flew to my computer trying to find the song ("Remind Me"). It wasn't long before I tried to buy the CD, but there was a problem: it was no where to be found within 70 miles of my location. I literally travelled to the capital of my state and still couldn't find it. I despaired, and that's no hyperbole. I could find copies of "The Understanding", their latest CD, in abundance. However, I was told by a DJ acquaintance of mine that Melody AM far out-shined The Understanding.

So about 2 months passed before it finally dawned on me to try Amazon.com (DERR!!) When I received my CD, I popped it in and immediately skipped to "Remind Me" and played it about 10 times before hearing the rest of the disk. I'd read the reviews and expected "Eple" to knock me off my feet...it really didn't, though. Don't get me wrong, it was good and quirky, but this CD didn't become magical for me until #4 "In Space". I heard the intro and was immediately fixated...when the rest of the song dropped in, my mouth hit the floor of my car. This orchestral, celestial music wrapped itself around my heart and as corny as this may sound, I think I teared up for a millisecond.

#5, "Poor Leno", continued to hypnotize me. The melancholy yet beat laden song sealed me as a Roysksopp fan forever. I could vividly imagine hearing the song while looking out at the frozen world atop a sheer cliff somewhere...or while viewing glaciers or something. #7, "Royksopp's Night Out" is another of my favorites. It's so weird...it puts me in the mind of a futuristic carny high, or a night of clubbing that can only be recollected in sparse moments and a blur of faces and drinks. Then comes my baby on the disk, "Remind Me". If you listen to the lyrics, it's such a touching song. I guess it has particular significance for me because I'm prior military and I had to suffer the pain of saying "goodbye" to friends all the time. Anyone who has ever fallen out of touch with a lover or close friend will appreciate this song.

The whole CD is without flaw. And as if that weren't enough, you get four bonus tracks and some music videos thrown in there. In my opinion, the version of "Remind Me" on the bonus disk is just a good, if not better than the original version. The video for it is cool, too. Even the bonus version of "Poor Leno" (#2 on the bonus disk) is awesome, even without the words. You rarely find such a beautiful and generous offering. A previous reviewer said this package was kind of pricey...no, my friend; this package is worth every penny. I dare anyone who is a music lover NOT to become smitten with this disk. Melody AM will forever by in my top 10, and that's not just lip service. Buy it and love yourself for doing so.

This CD came out some six years prior to this review and the only reason I have decided to review it now is because one of the songs on this CD has gained new life thanks to the Martin Advertising Agency of Virginia, which handles the GEICO insurance marketing account. So Royksopp is now getting a royalty check for the song "Remind Me." Lucky them.

That's not even the best song on the CD. Actually I have always liked how the duo sampled The Bobby Vinton crooner classic "Blue on Blue" in the song "So Easy." The other "hit" on this CD was the danceable "Poor Leno," which is also a better song than "Remind Me."

But unlike their contemporaries Air (and countless others), this duo cooks up a dish of light techno with an added bit of an emphasis on the sound effects. Sometimes I like techno sound effects but I prefer melodious techno.

But thanks to the advertising campaign, people are discovering Royksopp and maybe people will see there's a whole new world of interesting techno music out there. And that is definitely a good thing.