Album Review: LateNightTales by Röyksopp

In its second decade of existence, Late Night Tales is an institution. The compilation series asks artists to create their ultimate "late night" mix and has featured a variety of acts, from MGMT to Belle & Sebastian to Four Tet, Jamiroquai, and Lindstrøm. The line-up's been so diverse, it's interesting it took until now to ask Röyksopp to curate an entry: the group's always showcased a smart design sense as well as an open acknowledgement of other music's influence on their work.

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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.

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For a band that released sticky electro-burner Junior and ambient think piece Senior within a mere 18 months, Röyksopp's contribution to the Late Night Tales series comes off just as straight-forward as it does eccentric. With a pair of new tracks in tow, the Norwegian duo contribute the agreeable, vocoder-laced "Daddy's Groove," alongside a wispy cover of a Depeche Mode B-side "Ice Machine," featuring M83 collaborator Susanne Sundfør on vocals. Working as the showpiece track, "Ice Machine" is also the album's most upbeat composition, as the rest of the mix floats abidingly upon '70s prog and yacht rock (Rare Bird, Little River Band, Byrnes & Barnes), new age and Krautrock (Vangelis, Richard Schneider Jnr.

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