Röyksopp at Substation – What Else Is There?

Seattle was lucky enough to get a side show as Röyksopp slipped into town between their Coachella appearances, and even though I’ve always dreamed of seeing one of their full live sets, this DJ set felt like a gift. I joke often that out of the hundreds of sets I attend every year, the one I regret missing most was Röyksopp with Robyn back in 2014. I kept thinking, they’ll be back soon. They weren’t. And seeing them with Robyn, an artist who stands in her own league, would have been unforgettable. Thankfully she returned solo in 2019, but Röyksopp remained elusive. So, when this Substation date appeared, I wasn’t making that mistake again.

My connection to Röyksopp goes back to living in Athens, discovering The Understanding, and falling into the emotional world they build so effortlessly. Their melodic lyricism has always felt like it narrates my life. “What Else Is There?” captivated me instantly; the song, the video, the atmosphere. Two decades later, it still feels untouchable. The Inevitable End remains a no‑skips record for me; I still play the vinyl at home, letting “Here She Comes Again,” “I Had This Thing,” and “Running to the Sea” wash over me. Their music is personal, cinematic, and deeply human.

Röyksopp, the Norwegian duo of Svein Berge and Torbjørn Brundtland, have been shaping electronic music since their 2001 debut Melody A.M., a record that helped define the downtempo and chill‑electronica movement. Their catalog spans the experimental (The Understanding), the pop‑leaning (Junior), the introspective (Senior), and the sprawling conceptual trilogy Profound Mysteries. Their 2026 schedule includes Coachella and European festivals, but Substation was one of the rare small‑room stops on this run.

They came on just after midnight, opening with their epic collaboration with Robyn, “Monument,” a perfect way to set the tone. The sold‑out room erupted. From there, the set flowed like a guided journey through their universe: familiar, emotional, and punctuated with deeper cuts and underground selections.

Hearing their own tracks woven into the mix was the highlight for me, “Here She Comes Again,” “Stay Awhile,” “Impossible,” “Sordid Affair,” “Melody A.M.” textures, and “Running to the Sea,” which I can only hear now through the lens of the Seven Lions remix. One of the standout surprises was their remix choice of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” which sent the room into a collective dance‑floor hypnosis.

Substation was the perfect venue for this; intimate, dark, industrial, and packed with fans who knew exactly what they were there for. The energy never dipped. Röyksopp’s transitions were seamless, their selections thoughtful, and the emotional through‑line unmistakable. It felt like being pulled through two decades of electronic history by the artists who helped write it.

 

They closed with “What Else Is There?”, featuring Karin Dreijer’s unmistakable vocals; a perfect, haunting ending to a night that felt both nostalgic and immediate. Hearing that song live, even in DJ‑set form, was surreal. It reminded me why Röyksopp’s music has stayed with me for so long.

No, this wasn’t the Marymoor tour with Robyn. It wasn’t the full live show I’ve dreamed of. But it was a beautiful taste of their world, a rare, intimate night with two artists whose music has shaped so many of my memories. I’m not going to complain about finally getting to see them in any capacity, especially when I got to dance to some of my favorite songs of all time.