Various Artists - Late Night Tales - Röyksopp (2013) [FLAC]

The LateNightTales series is an easy gateway for those interested in finding where an artist's influences lie -- with volumes that are curated by Jamiroquai, MGMT, Belle & Sebastian, and Lindstrøm, among many others -- and Röyksopp's contribution showcases the Norwegian duo's love of analog synthesizer tones. The album's 19 tracks weave an icy, cinematic narrative as Torbjørn Brundtland and Svein Berge pick choice cuts from their record collections. Most of these songs are from the '70s and '80s, and are innocent and somber songs of the new wave, yacht rock, AM pop, and ambient variety. No surprise that they would select Vangelis' synth theme "Blade Runner Blues" from the Blade Runner soundtrack, or the chilling classical-themed vocoder piece "Odi et Amo" by Jóhann Jóhannsson, since so much of Röyksopp's music is carved from the same stone, but there are also some surprises, like the smooth R&B jam "Love You Out of Your Mind" by Byrne & Barnes and the short spoken word story told by Benedict Cumberbatch, "Flat of Angles, Pt. 2." As weird as these selections are, they fit. Per usual, this is a cleverly constructed mix that puts you in a mood that resonates with that of the artist. This volume is relatively drowsy, but nice and seductive. Two bonus tracks by Röyksopp are nice inclusions too, including one of the group's earliest covers, Depeche Mode's "Ice Machine," and a new one titled "Daddy's Groove" that feels like a cute, lost synth ballad from the Drive soundtrack.