About
Empire of the Sun fuses Australian electronic ambition with pop euphoria, transforming studio precision into festival-ready spectacle.
Empire of the Sun is the electro-glam-pop project where Luke Steele of The Sleepy Jackson and Nick Littlemore of Pnau collide their respective visions into something maximalist and euphoric. The duo emerged from a collaboration on Pnau’s 2007 album — specifically “With You Forever” — and the chemistry was immediate enough to warrant their own venture. What they created operates in the space between the synth-pop grandeur of Phoenix and the robotic precision of Daft Punk, but with a distinctly Australian expansiveness.
Their 2008 debut Walking On A Dream arrived as a statement of intent: a spiritual road movie rendered in crystalline synths, propulsive rhythms, and Steele’s soaring vocals. Co-written with Pnau’s Peter Mayes, the album went platinum domestically and secured eleven ARIA nominations, including Album of the Year. Live, the project expanded into a full band configuration — guitars, drums, additional vocals — transforming the studio’s meticulous arrangements into something more kinetic. Their debut performances at Parklife in 2009 established Empire of the Sun as a festival fixture, a band that understood how to translate electronic production into physical space without losing the songs' essential shimmer.
The project sits at the intersection of Australian electronic ambition and pop accessibility, a rare position where commercial success and critical credibility coexist without compromise.
Sound
Crystalline synths, propulsive rhythms, and soaring vocals anchored in meticulous electronic production that translates to kinetic live arrangements. The sound sits between synth-pop grandeur and robotic precision, with distinctly Australian expansiveness.
Scene
Empire of the Sun occupies a rare space where Australian electronic ambition meets mainstream pop accessibility without compromise. They established themselves as festival fixtures capable of translating electronic production into visceral live experiences.
Timeline
- • Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore first collaborated on “With You Forever” from Pnau’s 2007 self-titled third album, which sparked the chemistry that would become Empire of the Sun.
- • Empire of the Sun was officially formed in 2007, taking their name from J.G. Ballard’s novel that became Steven Spielberg’s 1987 film.
- • The duo released their debut album Walking On A Dream in 2008 on EMI, co-written with Pnau’s Peter Mayes.
- • Walking On A Dream achieved platinum certification in Australia and earned eleven ARIA Award nominations, including Album of the Year.
- • Empire of the Sun made their debut festival appearance at Parklife in 2009, establishing themselves as a major live draw.
- • The project expanded beyond the studio duo into a full live band configuration featuring guitars, drums, and additional vocals.
- • Empire of the Sun has released music through multiple major labels including EMI, Astralwerks, and Capitol Records.
- • The band’s sound synthesizes influences ranging from Phoenix’s synth-pop grandeur to Daft Punk’s robotic precision, filtered through an Australian sensibility.
Source: Editorial
Discography
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