Royksopp - Happy Up Here [Single]

EMI/Wall Of Sound

I love electro music, from Kraftwerk to Shy Child with a hidden passion for Gary Numan along the way; it’s definitely my ‘thing’. So when I received a package of 4 cd singles to review and didn’t know where to start I went for the adage of going with what I know best. So Royksopp’s new single “Happy Up Here” was popped into my stereo and I got myself ready to judge. Before the tune had even started playing I read on the pretty but totally irrelevant sleeve that they had used a sample from the Parliament song “Do That Stuff”. In my opinion if you’re going to sample George Clinton you’d best do something damn good with it... so high standards had been set!

Norwegian duo Royksopp had an honourable start to their career when their second single “Eple” was used by some computer people for something. The bleepy ditty was everywhere for a long time and Royksopp are yet to follow its success.

There is only so much that can be said about “Happy Up Here”, the first single from the band’s forthcoming album, “Junior”. At 2.44 it doesn’t have a chance to get boring. Sounding like the theme tune to a cool kids programme, it’s not putting itself up for any awards in epic song writing. Laced with that familiar Royksopp tinny sound (or is it just my stereo?) “Happy Up Here” is as cute as the infamous “Eple” and the melody is as likely to stick in your head for as long. It is a perfect light hearted cheery summer song, I can imagine beautiful tanned people bouncing along a sun drenched boulevard, eating peaches and whistling along to it on their IPods.

There are 2 notable remixes of “Happy Up Here”; the Breakbot remix is a funked up, Daft Punk-esque version of the tune whilst the Boys Noise remix is a lot meatier, more Justice than Daft Punk, in fact I can easily imagine parts of the mix (a longer version of the tune at 5.28) merging nicely into “Phantom part 2”.

To sum up I don’t think “Happy Up Here” will make Mr Clinton turn in his grave, partly because he isn’t dead but also because I defy anyone to not smile just the slightest bit whilst listening to it. Basically if you like “Eple” you’ll probably like “Happy Up Here”. If “Eple” inspired you to self harm you might want to avoid this single at all costs.

I’m off to eat a peach and drink some sparkling mineral water now!