Royksopp - Profound Mysteries III (2LP)

Röyksopp closed their 2022 triptych with Profound Mysteries III on 18 November 2022, and it lands like the final scene of a long, carefully staged film. The Norwegian duo spent the year building this world piece by piece, with each instalment coming bundled with sculptural visuals by Jonathan Zawada and a string of short films that deepened the mood. That context matters here, because III feels like the exhale after months of intrigue, the part where the characters step out into the night and the credits roll.

Opener So Ambiguous sets the tone with Jamie Irrepressible stepping into the light. His voice is pure theatre, but it never tips into camp. Röyksopp frame him with glassy pads and a gently rising pulse, the kind of arrangement they’ve always done well, and let him carry the tension. Me&Youphoria follows like a confession that turns into a celebration, Jamie again giving it a big, heart-on-sleeve chorus while the synths flicker with that late night shimmer they’ve chased since the Melody A.M. days. You can hear the confidence of producers who know exactly how much detail to reveal, and when to pull it back.

The Mourning Sun with Susanne Sundfør is the album’s quiet thunder. She has been one of their most powerful collaborators over the years, and here she slides through a stately progression with absolute poise. The track moves with a slow, inevitable push, thick with reverb and a sense of space that could be a cathedral or a warehouse at 4 am. It is a reminder that Röyksopp’s melancholia is part of what makes their music feel grand without turning gaudy. When the beat finally blooms, it feels earned.

Then there is Speed King, a bruiser by their standards, all grit and propulsion. It scratches an itch for those who wanted something a touch nastier in this trilogy. The kick is up front, the synths gnash and spit, and the arrangement keeps mutating so it never becomes a straight line. You get the feeling they wanted to show the other face of their world, the side that owes as much to cold-wave and early techno as it does to their pop instincts.

Across III, the duo’s ear for texture is in full display. The bass often feels rubbery and physical, the high-end is sprinkled with tiny percussive details, and the synth leads tend to arrive like voices rather than simple hooks. They have talked before about stepping away from traditional album cycles after The Inevitable End in 2014, and this trilogy proves they were serious about reinventing how they present music. Each track came with its own visual identity, each single felt like a little artefact, and by the time Profound Mysteries III arrived, the bigger picture was clear.

If you are here for the vinyl, this is a rewarding press to live with. The low end carries real weight, the quieter passages breathe, and the artwork completes the story. Röyksopp vinyl has always had a loyal following, and Profound Mysteries III vinyl sits nicely next to the earlier chapters if you are building the set. For crate diggers in vinyl records Australia circles, it is the kind of title you might spot in a Melbourne record store and not want to leave behind. If you prefer to buy Röyksopp records online, this instalment is essential, and it makes a strong case for revisiting the whole trilogy rather than cherry-picking singles. Röyksopp albums on vinyl tend to reward full plays, and this one locks into a late night flow that digital playlists rarely respect.

What makes III stick is the balance. There is romance without mawkishness, club energy without empty bombast, and a cinephile’s sense of pacing that turns the listening experience into a small journey. The feature choices help too. Jamie Irrepressible gives the record its aching, human centre, while Susanne Sundfør arrives like a bell toll, clear and cutting. Röyksopp’s production is the quiet star, always precise, always in service of mood.

By the end, you feel they have answered the riddle they set up back in January. Not by revealing secrets, but by showing how many shades a single idea can hold. Profound Mysteries III is the finish line, but it keeps the door ajar. That lingering feeling, somewhere between glow and chill, is why this chapter deserves a spot on your shelf.