Melody A.M.

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Melody A.M. is the debut studio album by Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp, released on 13 September 2001 by Wall of Sound. As of 2005, the album had sold 750,000 copies worldwide,[4] with 454,271 sold in the United Kingdom alone.[5]

Melody A.M.
Studio album by
Released13 September 2001 (2001-09-13)
Genre
Length45:58
LabelWall of Sound
Producer
  • Röyksopp
  • Ole J. Mjøs
Röyksopp chronology
Melody A.M.
(2001)
The Understanding
(2005)
Singles from Melody A.M.
  1. "So Easy"
    Released: 1999
  2. "Eple"
    Released: 23 July 2001
  3. "Poor Leno"
    Released: 3 December 2001
  4. "Remind Me"
    Released: 1 July 2002
  5. "Sparks"
    Released: 23 June 2003

Composition

Jon Setzen of the San Francisco Chronicle describes the album as "an across-the-board mix of bleepy synths, crunch beats and ambient, dreamy vocals, with even a bit disco mixed in at times".[6] With the album, "Röyksopp balances the haunted atmospheres of Boards of Canada with the more traditional "songwriting" sensibility of downbeat specialists like Groove Armada or Koop", according to John Bush of AllMusic.[7]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic81/100[8]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [7]
Blender     [9]
Entertainment WeeklyB[10]
The Guardian     [11]
Muzik5/5[12]
NME8/10[13]
Pitchfork7.8/10[14]
Q     [15]
Rolling Stone     [16]
San Francisco Chronicle     [6]

Melody A.M. was met with universal acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 81, based on 21 reviews.[8]

On 21 November 2007, the album was included on The Guardian's series of the 1000 Albums to Hear Before You Die.[17] It is also listed in a similar selection, called 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, in a series of books by Quintessence Editions.[4] On 24 November 2009, Melody A.M. was named the best Norwegian album of the 2000s decade by the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.[18]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."So Easy"3:44
2."Eple" (some versions contain a "hidden track" of talking in the pregap)Röyksopp3:36
3."Sparks"5:23
4."In Space"Röyksopp3:30
5."Poor Leno"
3:57
6."A Higher Place"Röyksopp4:31
7."Röyksopp's Night Out"Röyksopp7:30
8."Remind Me"
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
3:39
9."She's So"
5:23
10."40 Years Back\Come"4:45
European limited edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Poor Leno" (Jakatta Radio Mix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
3:51
2."Poor Leno" (Silicone Soul's Hypno House Dub)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
8:09
3."Remind Me" (Someone Else's Radio Remix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
4:03
4."Eple" (video) 3:38
5."Poor Leno" (video) 3:57
6."Remind Me" (video) 4:05
US special edition bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Remind Me" (Someone Else's Mix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
3:36
2."Poor Leno" (Röyksopp's Istanbul Forever Take)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
5:35
3."Remind Me" (Ernest St. Laurent Moonfish Mix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
6:56
4."Poor Leno" (Silicone Soul's Hypno House Dub)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
8:09
5."Poor Leno" (video) 3:57
6."Remind Me" (video) 4:05
7."Eple" (video) 3:38
Japanese special edition bonus disc[19]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Go"Röyksopp7:19
2."Poor Leno" (Jakatta Radio Mix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
3:35
3."Poor Leno" (Silicone Soul's Hypno House Dub)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
8:11
4."Remind Me" (Someone Else's Radio Remix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Øye
4:04
5."Eple" (Fatboy Slim Remix)Röyksopp5:48
6."Eple" (Shakedown Remix)Röyksopp6:43
7."Eple" (Black Strobe Remix)Röyksopp6:10
8."Sparks" (Roni Size Remix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Drecker
5:29
9."Sparks" (Murk Downtown Miami Mix)
  • Röyksopp
  • Drecker
8:22
10."Poor Leno" (video) 4:01
11."Remind Me" (video) 4:12
12."Eple" (video) 3:39

Sample credits[20]

  • "So Easy" contains a sample from "Blue on Blue" by Gals and Pals.
  • "A Higher Place" contains a sample from "Freedom" by the Tyrrel Corporation.
  • "She's So" contains a sample from "Love in Space" by Peter Thomas Sound Orchestra.
  • "40 Years Back\Come" contains a sample from "Red Right Returning" by Michael Manring.

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Melody A.M.[20]

  • Röyksopp – arrangement, production
  • Anneli Drecker – vocals on "Sparks"
  • Erlend Øye – vocals on "Poor Leno" and "Remind Me"
  • Ole J. Mjøs – co-production on "A Higher Place"
  • Ole Vegard "05" Skauge – bass on "A Higher Place"
  • Rune Lindbæk – extra input on "A Higher Place" and "40 Years Back\Come"
  • Marte Rognerud – inner sleeve photography
  • Sølve Sundsbø – cover photography
  • Tom Hingston Studio – design

Charts

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Melody A.M.
Region Certification Certified units/sales
France 40,000[37]
Italy 10,000[37]
Netherlands (NVPI)[38] Platinum 80,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[39] Platinum 50,000*
Sweden 17,000[37]
United Kingdom (BPI)[40] Platinum 454,271[5]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history for Melody A.M.
Region Date Edition Label Ref(s)
Germany 13 September 2001 Standard Parlophone [41]
Italy 14 September 2001 EMI [42]
United Kingdom 8 October 2001 Wall of Sound [43]
France 9 October 2001 Labels [44]
Australia 4 March 2002 EMI [45]
Japan 5 June 2002 [46]
United Kingdom 12 August 2002 Reissue Wall of Sound [47]
United States 15 October 2002
  • Standard
  • special
Astralwerks [48][49]
Japan 18 June 2003 Special EMI [19]

References

  1. ^ a b DeCicco, Nick (14 October 2013). "Our Music Year No. 287: Röyksopp, 'Melody A.M.'". Daily Republic. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  2. ^ Battaglia, Andy (22 November 2002). "Röyksopp: Melody A.M.". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  3. ^ Hogan, Marc (14 November 2014). "Röyksopp: The Inevitable End". Pitchfork. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b Dimery, Robert (2005). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Quintessence Editions. p. 750. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  5. ^ a b Jones, Alan (11 July 2005). "London events swing sales on UK charts". Music Week. Archived from the original on 30 August 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  6. ^ a b Setzen, Jon (19 April 2002). "Electronic CD Reviews: Howie B, Mark Farina, Fila Brazilia and more". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. ^ a b Bush, John. "Melody A.M. – Röyksopp". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  8. ^ a b "Reviews for Melody A.M. by Röyksopp". Metacritic. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  9. ^ Salamon, Jeff (November 2002). "Royksopp: Melody A.M." Blender. No. 11. p. 141. ISSN 1534-0554. Archived from the original on 15 August 2004. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  10. ^ Browne, David (1 November 2002). "Melody A.M." Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 February 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  11. ^ Lynskey, Dorian (12 October 2001). "Royksopp: Melody AM (Wall of Sound)". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  12. ^ Green, Thomas H. (October 2001). "Royksopp: Melody A.M. (Wall Of Sound)". Muzik. No. 77. p. 69. ISSN 1358-541X.
  13. ^ Needham, Alex (5 October 2001). "Royksopp : Melody AM". NME. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 14 April 2009.
  14. ^ Abebe, Nitsuh (5 March 2003). "Röyksopp: Melody A.M." Pitchfork. Retrieved 20 July 2005.
  15. ^ "Royksopp: Melody A.M.". Q. No. 183. November 2001. p. 128. ISSN 0955-4955.
  16. ^ Blashill, Pat (8 October 2002). "Royksopp: Melody A.M." Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 28 March 2008. Retrieved 20 August 2004.
  17. ^ "1000 albums to hear before you die". The Guardian. 21 November 2007. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  18. ^ Talseth, Thomas (24 November 2009). "Röyksopp åpnet dører med debuten" [Röyksopp opened doors with debut]. Verdens Gang (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 22 August 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  19. ^ a b "Melody A.m. – Special Edition". CDJapan. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  20. ^ a b Melody A.M. (liner notes). Röyksopp. Wall of Sound. 2001. WALLCD027.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ^ "ARIA Alternative – Week Commencing 11th March 2002" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 628. 11 March 2002. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
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  24. ^ "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 8. 15 February 2003. p. 12. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  25. ^ "Lescharts.com – Röyksopp – Melody A.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  26. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 6, 2003". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  27. ^ "ロイクソップのアルバム売り上げランキング" [Röyksopp album sales ranking] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 24 October 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  28. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Röyksopp – Melody A.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
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  32. ^ "Dance Albums" (PDF). Music Week. 31 August 2002. p. 18. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
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  34. ^ "Royksopp Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  35. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2002". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  36. ^ "End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 2003". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  37. ^ a b c "Best Dance" (PDF). MTV Europe Music Awards 2002. Music & Media. Vol. 20, no. 47. 16 November 2002. p. 21. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  38. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Röyksopp – Melody A.M." (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 10 October 2018. Enter Melody A.M. in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 2004 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  39. ^ "IFPI Norsk platebransje Trofeer 1993–2011" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  40. ^ "British album certifications – Röyksopp – Melody AM". British Phonographic Industry. 31 January 2003. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
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  46. ^ "Melody A.M. : Royksopp". HMV Japan. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
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  49. ^ "Melody A.M. [US Bonus Disc] – Röyksopp". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2014.