Royksopp – Shepherds Bush Empire, London 05/11/09

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“Let’s just crack on, shall we?” This charmingly innocuous introduction summed up James Yuill’s quintessentially English take on Euro-dance to a tee: quirky, slightly understated but supremely effective nonetheless. Although often labelled a folktronica act, apart from the occasional strum of an acoustic guitar tonight’s set solidly focused on the “-tronica” aspect, at times reminiscent of Daft Punk (albeit with less engaging hooks), at others shifting towards more minimalist drum ‘n bass.

Making the most of the impressive lighting rig, Yuill commanded his table of synths, pedals and assorted gewgaws with seemingly effortless ease, and if his vocals are a touch characterless the consistently high quality of his music more than compensates. The perfect example of what a support act should be, the reaction from the crowd suggested that he’d be selling a lot of records that night- and for my money, deservedly so.

The audience suitably warmed up, it was incumbent on Royksopp to capitalise on the palpable atmosphere of excitement that pervaded the venue, and to their credit they did so with style. A decade’s worth of experience has honed them into a deadly efficient live act. Whilst electronica can be a sterile spectacle live, little more than the album played really loudly with some fancy lighting, it’s pleasing to see the Norwegian duo have put some effort into elevating their show above their humdrum contemporaries.

The band started as they meant to go on with the atmospheric ‘Royksopp Forever’, augmented with subterranean bass levels and the band dressed in ridiculous costumes (Svein Berge’s sinister black robes and astronaut helmet/fishbowl hybrid particularly impressed), before moving into a tranche of new material – the highlight being a vivacious guest appearance from Swedish popstress Robyn.

The recruiting of a live bassist beefed up the synths and pre-recorded backing tracks and the enigmatic Anneli Drecker was the perfect replacement for Karin Dreijer Andersson’s icy grandeur, her dervish-like dancing and ornate headdress adding an nicely eccentric touch to the performance. It’s not necessarily a criticism that the show occasionally achieves levels of camp I’ve not encountered since the Scissor Sisters – Berge’s duets with Drecker may have had a cheesy Euro boyband dimension about it, but ultimately it’s entirely in their favour that they don’t take themselves too seriously.

Despite three tiers of Shepherd’s Bush Empire being ostensibly given to seating, there was nary a soul to be seen who wasn’t dancing, waving their arms Ibiza-stylee or shuffling in that vaguely embarrassed way Londoners do when confronted with something with a beat, and that’s always the sign of a successful show. It’s always difficult to strike the perfect balance between showcasing new songs and delivering the hits but tonight, a triumphant Rokysopp made it seem So Easy.

Photos courtesy of Minh Le