Profound Mysteries III is the eighth studio album by Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp, marking the third and final installment in the Profound Mysteries series. Released on November 18, 2022, the album is accompanied by collections of short films, each directed by a different filmmaker, as well as animated visualizations created by artist Jonathan Zawada for each track.
Röyksopp announced in 2014 that their fifth studio album, The Inevitable End, would be their last traditional album release. In 2016, following the non-album single "Never Ever," Torbjørn Brundtland explained that they wanted to explore various musical expressions without the constraints of an album format. Svein Berge added that the themes of ending and death in The Inevitable End made it a natural conclusion, prompting them to seek new ways to release music.
In the subsequent years, the duo shifted their focus to remixes, collaborations, and rarities, including their Lost Tapes collection. By the end of December 2021, Röyksopp created a new Instagram account, sparking speculation about a new project. The account featured a message to "Press R" and linked to an interactive version of their official website, allowing users to hear new music. They soon released short films for "(Nothing But) Ashes" and "The Ladder."
On February 2, 2022, Röyksopp announced their new project, titled Profound Mysteries, set for release on April 29, 2022. They unveiled the album artwork by Jonathan Zawada and premiered the track "Impossible," featuring Alison Goldfrapp. The announcement described the project as an "expanded creative universe" rather than a traditional album, emphasizing the theme of profound mysteries that have intrigued them since their youth.
Goldfrapp expressed her enthusiasm for collaborating with Röyksopp, calling it a fascinating experience. In February 2022, they released a short film, The Conversation, directed by Martin de Thurah, along with another new track, "This Time, This Place…," featuring Beki Mari. Mari described the collaboration as a "divine blessing."
March 2022 saw the release of the single "Breathe," featuring Astrid S, accompanied by a short film, I Hate My Shelf, directed by Andreas Nilsson. Astrid S remarked on her long-standing desire to work with Röyksopp, citing their inspiration in her music. In April 2022, the band confirmed ten short films would accompany the project, one for each track.
Initially, they considered having a single director for the entire concept but ultimately collaborated with multiple directors to bring their vision to life. The resulting films were designed to evoke personal interpretations from viewers rather than serve as traditional music videos.
The sixth single, "If You Want Me," featuring Susanne Sundfør, was released shortly before the album launch, accompanied by a visualizer and a short film titled Mycelium. Sundfør described the collaboration as enjoyable, expressing pride in their joint work.
