Empire Of The Sun: Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore
Empire Of The Sun, the now 10-year-old, self-styled “post-apocalyptic psychedelic adventure” comprised of The Sleepy Jackson‘s Luke Steele and Pnau‘s Nick Littlemore, release their third album Two Vines this month.
This time round the Australian duo work with pianist/arranger Henry Hey and bassist Tim Lefebvre, from David Bowie‘s Blackstar band, as well as Wendy Melvoin from Prince‘s Revolution and Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham, and follows 2008’s Walking On A Dream and 2013’s Ice On The Dune.
Here Littlemore delves into his memorybanks for the albums that have influenced him most for Empire Of The Sun’s This Music Made Me – in his own, absolutely unedited, words…
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probably the most influential record of my entire life, Thierry Muller AKA Ilitch is a genius, now that word is thrown around far too much but in this case it applies beyond all others, if you can track down a copy of this, you better strap yourself in, i wasn’t ready for what happened to me when the needle hit the wax, will you be ?
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welcome to the dome, in deep hyperspace, the Italian variety! with acid lines and fine wines we will traverse the starry skies, ooh theres a planet made of changa and another of acacia. this fun and colorful record always lightens the mood and lifts the spirit. like a good ‘ol bowl of pasta !! you’ll hear hints of Throbbing Gristle
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Wow ! what an artist ! so many moods, Rawls is a real gent and a professional. from “in the middle of the night” to “when we were young” he covers all the bases, what a band! such arrangements. I love the sound of the record, the timbre of his voice. Listen to the strings on “the lady in my life” and lets get close by the fire…
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when this recording first reaches the listeners eardrums, elation occurs and poignancy. The theme song of the film is used both to highlight the deepest, most melancholy moments of the narrative as well as the happiest most uplifting ones. Pair it with a loved one on a winters evening and you’re in the mood for passionate love.
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That thats unknown brings mushroom and leaf together
What leaf ? What mushroom ? in the fall we see all things drop yet mushrooms rise! oh Mushroom oh Mycology you have made a man out of me!
and what a pleasure it is to know you, deeply and sacredly we dance the dance of a trillion nights
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Empire Of The Sun
As a child i found myself in the bush, the forest as most of you call it, with my brothers both bigger and stronger than I. James and Sam my hero’s! we would go adventuring and later particularly with James, what fun was had! deep into the creek we’d find frogs and toads, water spiders and a decent branch to use as a pointer or sword or lean stick. always came home with muddy knees but not like Sams, but hey that is another story not fit for this publication!!!!hahaha i jest i jest what times, and what about the time that my father was bitten by a scorpion ? how many uses did we have for ice cream containers ? in the murky water and tadpole musings of my life.
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C’mon Bristol! light up, we all been blind, we all been “out” when we wanted to be “in”. I thank Dj Darren Emerson for turning me on to this one, for he gets the groove, he spins that wax and we all dance up and down the floor, for centuries we will sing high the songs of Cymande, i can see it and see the textures and feel the deep love of everlasting, a mighty heavy load we all carry , well leave your troubles at the door and enjoy yourself again.
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ooh yeah, this record i bought when i was about 12 years old, just after id first taken a flying key! loved it then, rediscovered recently and love it more now! Al Jorgensen is the master of the groove, i was so enamored by him i wanted to be him! i never had that experience before or afterwards. Dj Derrick Carter posted about the song “work for love” recently and it took me back to all the buds and fun times i’d had being a misunderstood and misanthropic teen, if only my older mycological self could’ve influenced me earlier, too many tears shed on the dance floor as an under age party monster
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i wanted to write about Cherry’s deep and resounding influence on me in the last 18 months, he gets me, deeply, madly and i love him for it. Yes i was a fan of Miles Davis and others but Cherry came to me sweetly and directly from Hyperspace, oh he has been there, there where all is, and was and will always be. Deep i says like the infinite pond in the basement of the basement gleaming, all spiritus and gorgeous, and in the midst of pure and everlasting bliss we find the space to dance, he does all this for me, every single time.
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Reset the switch inside your head i ask do you recall you must forget ? everything you thought you knew was designed to bend the inner truth.
Outer worlds will disappear then yourself will not exist don’t stop your soul from giving in surrender all, begin again.
There’s a lighthouse in the stars by the ocean very far shining brightly a paradise guiding all the atoms to the sun and no one can ever tell you that you don’t belong, those salty droplets running down your face feed the earth and feed the ground today. Because all your tears are beautiful.
Remember that you are one the same as all is one and full of grace endlessly again again again again again
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Empire Of The Sun’s third album Two Vines is out on 28 October 2016 through Virgin EMI. Tour dates and further information can be found here.
Empire Of The Sun MP3s or CDs
Empire Of The Sun on Spotify
