Walking on a Dream [Mustard Yellow Vinyl]

by Empire of the Sun

Overview

Empire of the Sun's debut offering of experimental electro-pop and dance-rock is very well-timed, hitting the market just as the buzz surrounding MGMT's Oracular Spectacular has started to recede. Like those similarly colorful Americans, Empire of the Sun's two members embrace the glam lifestyle in spirit and song, wearing festive costumes in concert and festooning their music with oddball flourishes, androgynous lyrics, and a general sense of theatricality that borders on schizophrenia. Walking on a Dream runs an interesting gamut, sampling equally from hip-hop ("Swordfish Hotkiss Night"), arty synth pop ("Standing on the Shore"), and all the stops in between. With its programmed percussion and futuristic keyboards, the music sounds slightly more indebted to Pnau than the Sleepy Jackson; nevertheless, Luke Steele (the brains behind the latter band) takes center stage on the bulk of these songs, speak-singing in a childish tenor one minute and cooing like a lovestruck female the next. The aforementioned MGMT followed a similar path with their own debut -- a fact that simply cannot be emphasized enough, given the vast similarities between both records -- but while MGMT took cues from the likes of David Bowie and Prince, Empire of the Sun's fusion is more reminiscent of worldbeat and fantasy movie soundtracks. The outlandish cover art follows suit, as Steele and Nick Littlemore (dressed up in bizarre Star Wars-styled regalia) are flanked by a decorative elephant, a tiger, and what appears to be the skyline of Atlantis. Like the music it promotes, the cover art is purposely ludicrous, but listeners who have a palette for such whimsy should walk away happy. ~ Andrew Leahey

Product Details

Release Date:	07/12/2024
Label:	Emi Import
UPC:	0602465276572
Rank:	2612

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Empire of the Sun   Primary Artist
Jared Bridgeman   Guitar
Luke Steele   Vocals
Peter Mayes   Co-Producer

Technical Credits

Shazam   Remixing
Adam McElnea   Mastering
Chris Vellajo   Engineer,Recording
Eron Mezza   Remixing
Chris Vallejo   Engineer
Losers   Remixing,Remixing
Jeremy Wheatley   Mixing
The Shapeshifters   Remixing,Additional Production
Ben Watt   Remixing
Mike Marsh   Mastering
Sam LaMore   Remixing
Simon Marlin   Remixing,Additional Production
Luke Steele   Composer,Group Member
Donnie Sloan   Producer
L. Steele   Composer
Max Reich   Remixing,Additional Production
William Bowden   Mixing,Producer,Mastering,Recording
Hey Today!   Remixing
Empire of the Sun   Mixing,Producer
Simon Davey   Mastering
John Ruberto   Mastering
Peter Mayes   Mixing,Composer,Engineer,Producer,Mastering,Recording,Audio Engineer
Jonathan Sloan   Composer
Oscar Gaona   Mastering
Noel Burgess   Mastering
Nick Littlemore   Composer,Group Member
Graeme Durham   Mastering