The Diary of a B’Estfest Convert - Day 2

You know that feeling when you go somewhere not knowing what to expect? And then things turn out great in the end?

Mixed feelings about the “two-headed Norwegian monster” (as the Royksopp members define themselves on their official webpage), my fears- that, by making extensive use of synths on the stage, they would not have the liberty to move too much and the show would be too static- were way off the mark.

For the sake of clarity, I should begin by saying that Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland came accompanied by their long-time collaborator and vocalist Anneli Drecker, whose amazing voice that seems to come from a distant past, overlaps in an uncanny way on their experimental electronica. The effect is spectacular.

Furthermore, Royksopp’s choreography, costumes and light show were simply nuts. The members changed outfits, which seemed to get crazier and crazier, various times during the performance.

Berge and Brundtland put on an appearance in front of their Korg tools, the former wearing a black helmet, the latter with a white feather mask that covered almost his entire face.

After she dashed on the song This Must Be It wearing a strange Star-Wars-like helmet, Drecker would later appear into an entirely black costume covering her from head to foot on What Else Is There? and turned into a giant bird later.

Berge also outdid himself in changing costumes: at some point he appeared in a red Robocop-like costume and towards the end of the show, in a black costume with light bulbs.

“Word is on the street that you are the best!,” shouted Brundtland to the crowd, while the show was already running on borrowed time, since the public would not let them go, and they returned for 3 encores.

In fact, Royksopp played so much that they ran out of songs. Remind Me was played twice, once during the show and once during the encore, and other well-known Royksopp hits such as So Easy, Happy Up Here, Poor Leno, Only This Moment, The Girl and the Robot also found their place in the repertoire they brought to Bucharest.

Going to a Royksopp concert is like going to the moon: feels like you’ve just set foot on an alien but still familiar planet.