Röyksopp – Running To The Sea Ft. Susanne Sundfør (Seven Lions Remix)

Posted by J-Tiffy on December 2, 2013

It has taken a long time for me to gather enough nerve to write this review, because this piece of music intimidates me so much. I don’t know how to accurately convey the way that this song made me feel when I heard it for the first time. I was on a crowded city bus, but felt completely alone. I didn’t feel lonely, rather, I felt as if I had been transported away by the music, and was in a different place than the people around me. I moved to the music without regard for the perceptions or judgments of strangers in my vicinity, and it felt surreal.

I will start by saying that sadly, the past couple of releases from Seven Lions had not quite met my expectations – expectations set by his previous releases that just seemed to have that divine unison of sounds. He displays sounds that can be so profoundly beautiful while hitting with the force of a hurricane. The intricacy of the songs and the mergence of the extremely diverse elements in his work can be amazing. I failed to connect with the songs “Fevers”, “Strangers”, and “Serpent of Old” on this level, with different reasons for each. I still enjoyed them, and I believe that those songs made me appreciate Running to the Sea even more, for this release was a return to the sort of magic that I had fallen in love with before, and that I feared was lost.

Jeff Montalvo (Seven Lions) classically blends strong genres of music to create his powerful sound, but this song is the most ambitious concoction to date. Trance builds, metal breakdowns, progressive dubstep drops, massive trance synth lines, glitchy tendencies, a gun-cocking sample; I have no idea how to classify this track, and quite frankly have no real desire to. In interviews, Jeff has said that he considers female vocals to be the “ultimate instrument”, and I think that Susanne Sundfør’s were a superb choice of instrument to remix; they are incredibly sad and beautiful. Her voice against the bass pulse at the beginning of the song gives me goosebumps every time. From tip to tail this song is compelling, intriguing and innovative. The serene, the brooding, the demonic and the euphoric are all portrayed in this masterpiece. It is my favourite remix that I’ve heard for this song, and I think it might be my new favourite Seven Lions piece, which speaks volumes. Give this track a listen and appreciate the adventure that it takes you on.

There is a package on Beatport containing this remix and others of “Running to the Sea”, including one from Magnus & Timon.

Beatport: Running to the Sea Remixes