Melody A.M.

Melody A.M. is the debut studio album by Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp. It was released on 3 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
Röyksopp
Released3 September 2001 (2001-09-03)
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]

Songs from the album have been used in television adverts and video games; in 2006 "Remind Me" was featured in an advertisement for GEICO Insurance in one of their popular Caveman ads, while "Eple" was licensed by Apple and used as the introduction music for the Mac OS X v10.3 setup assistant. The Silicone Soul remix of "Poor Leno" was featured in the soundtrack to the 2003 snowboarding video game SSX 3. "So Easy" was used as the soundtrack of T-Mobile's launch advert featuring the face of a baby appearing around places in a city, as well as a 2002 SpongeBob SquarePants ad campaign used in the United Kingdom and Mexico.

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 normalized 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
Region CertificationCertified 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
Region Date Edition Label Ref.
Germany 3 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. DeCicco, Nick (14 October 2013). "Our Music Year No. 287: Röyksopp, 'Melody A.M.'". Daily Republic. Retrieved 19 January 2018.
  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. Dimery, Robert (2005). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Quintessence Editions. p. 750. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
  5. 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. Setzen, Jon (19 April 2002). "Electronic CD Reviews: Howie B, Mark Farina, Fila Brazilia and more". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. Bush, John. "Melody A.M. – Röyksopp". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  8. "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). Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  19. "Melody A.m. – Special Edition". CDJapan. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  20. Melody A.M. (liner notes). Röyksopp. Wall of Sound. 2001. WALLCD027.CS1 maint: others (link)
  21. "ARIA Alternative – Week Commencing 11th March 2002" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association (628): 12. 11 March 2002. Retrieved 12 February 2014 – via Pandora Archive.
  22. "Röyksopp – Melody A.M." (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  23. "Dutchcharts.nl – Röyksopp – Melody A.M." (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  24. "European Top 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21 no. 8. 15 February 2003. p. 12. OCLC 29800226. Retrieved 15 July 2018 – via American 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.
  30. "Swedishcharts.com – Röyksopp – Melody A.M.". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  31. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  32. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  33. "Royksopp Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  34. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  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. "Best Dance" (PDF). Music & Media. 16 November 2007. p. 21. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  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.
  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 11 January 2011. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Melody AM in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  41. "Melody A.M.: Royksopp". Amazon (Germany) (in German). Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  42. "Röyksopp – Melody A.M." IBS.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  43. "Royksopp – Melody AM". Juno Records. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  44. "Melody A M – Röyksopp". Fnac (in French). Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  45. "Melody A.M – Royksopp". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  46. "Melody A.M. : Royksopp". HMV Japan. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  47. "Releases / Melody AM". Wall of Sound. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
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  49. "Melody A.M. [US Bonus Disc] – Röyksopp". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
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