Listening Party: Empire of the Sun

In recent weeks Empire of the Sun have been featured in papers and on screens in welcome of their first album, Walking On a Dream, already top of the pops in the UK. This pair of sonic chemists, Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau), whip up a blend of ostentatious costume, contagious 80's pop sensibility and emotive vocal intonations of the most deliciously languid variety. Though their appearance may rub some the wrong way (imagine Pocahontas, the Pirates of Penzance and a fat smattering of Star Wars) they don't seem overly concerned. When asked in today's Guardian if their over-the-top look could take away from potential success, Littlemore's reply is "Maybe, but it's great having a project where you can justify buying an $800 headpiece …". Absolutely!

First encountered via Chimera Musica I quickly went on to discover the videos for Walking On a Dream and We Are the People (below), the latter of which features a kaleidoscope of ancient mesoamerican and Mexican imagery thanks to the location (Mexico), appearances made by natives, and wardrobe stylings. The monuments in the jungle sequence are Fondo Xilitla (pron.(s)hee-leet-la) the creation of artist Edward James, and what clearly appears to be one of the most enchanting places on Earth. This quirky couple of "blokes" from Australia bring me back to the blissfully carefree days of youth and episodes of hypnotic dancing to eardrum busting volumes of 80's music. Que alegria!


We Are The People Video

----------------
Listening to: Land of Talk - Speak to Me Bones
via FoxyTunes