Ask Röyksopp fans to describe the band’s sound and you will get answers like “bold and bright yellow, like sunshine” or “beats with a fresh kind of energy.” But upon listening to the more ominous ensemble of tracks on their newest release, Senior, I found that anything but sunshine came to mind.

On Senior, the Norwegian duo has taken an unexpected turn in the style of their downtempo creations. While predecessor Junior is a set of solid disco tracks focused on colourful harmony and vocal work, this instrumental follow-up represents its introverted, darker sibling. “The Alcoholic” is a tune for contemplative rainy days while the middle track, “Senior Living”—the uncontested highlight of the album—freezes time with a graceful maturity.

These wistful tracks and their unique sound production are undeniably beautiful. However, Röyksopp fans who enjoyed the vigour and energy of the band’s earlier albums’ might lose patience with Senior’s drastically slower pace. This is not to say that it is stale; on the contrary, listeners have the chance to discover a different side to the electronic music visionaries.

To all fans of downtempo music, Senior is Röyksopp’s most free-form album to date, with more attention than ever given to sound exploration.