A perfectly paced set took us through their more current catalogue, with many choices coming from their releases in the 2020s. There was no sense of “trying out new material” here though, Berge and Brundtland served up percussive, bassy versions of their ambient sounds that left you feeling they could have comfortably kept us dancing for hours more.
Firstly, as the crowd filed in, Luxembourgish DJ SpudBencer skillfully set the tone with his deep trippy rhythms and energised the audience for the main event.
Just before 9pm as SpudBencer was rounding out his set, Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland emerged from behind the walls of Neimenster, carrying a cooler box and accompanied by four hooded individuals in orange cloaks. The sight of the duo and their mysterious entourage brought a cheer from the audience and packed out the front of the stage.
Torbjørn wore a funky white hat, while Berge sported a black hat and face cover reminiscent of Zorro. Alongside the four figures in orange cloaks with their faces concealed by a reflective lens, the stage setup reminded this reviewer of a Nordic Squid Games trial.
The show opened slowly, with deep housey sounds, the dancers barely moving while shrouded in a dry ice fog. This gave Alison Goldfrapp’s vocals in the opener, “Impossible” a suitably ethereal, spooky feel.
“The Girl and the Robot” was the first proper banger in the set. The dancers, now out of their cloaks were well on their way to winning over the already receptive crowd.
And then, the lasers. As the sun dipped below the spire of Neimenster, “Monument” brought the lasers bouncing off the Abbey wall behind the crowd, almost hiding the Casemates above. The show was a seamless blend of wistful vocals, melody and power, exemplified by tracks like “Oh Lover” blending into a thumping “Stay Awhile”.
“Oh lover” was the last brief respite before the shows climax of “Unity”, “You don’t have a clue”, and “The R”.
The main set wrapped with a heavily remixed version of “What Else Is There,” leaving the crowd craving more. The three song encore was of a slower tempo, winding the crowd down and letting the dancers express themselves.
The final, final send off was one to remember, a pounding version of 2022’s “Like an Old Dog”. No “Eple” this night, but no nostalgia needed as Royksopp showed they’re on top of their game for a long time to come.
Special mention must go to the man in a glow-in-the-dark Royksopp t-shirt who must have been the happiest guy in town that night.
