Illustration by Kenzie Todd
On Spotify today, every single song on Empire of the Sun’s debut album “Walking On A Dream” has over one million streams. Furthermore, almost half of the songs have gained even more fame as samples in popular songs, like “The Spins” by Mac Miller.
But how and why did this psychedelic, chorus pop, high-concept monster of graphic design achieved worldwide fame? “Walking on a Dream” was released in 2008 by two Australians: Nick Littlemore, a former modern dancer, and Luke Steele, a singer/songwriter previously from the troupe Sleepy Jackson. The duo formed naturally, with Littlemore’s relative lack of musical experience leveling out Steele’s long practiced history in music production.
But as far as “Walking On A Dream” goes, the album seems anything but designed. While every song has the same(ish) bass boosted drums, falsetto chorus, and yacht rock chords, the lyrics range significantly from party anthems like singles “We Are The People” and “Walking On A Dream” to borderline nonsensical ramblings in songs like “Swordfish Hotkiss Night.” The opulence is a lifestyle for the artist, as proven by Luke Steele and his wife Snappy Dolphin legally naming their first child Sunny Tiger.
Last but certainly not least, the album cover. What is even happening there? In interviews, the duo is said to have been inspired by “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” poster, but the resemblance is minimal. The outfits are said to be inspired by the Chinese Peking Opera, they seem more like further droplets of ego to me. Somehow, the cover won Best Album Art of the year at the 2009 Australian Recording Industry Awards.
At the end of the day, the psych-pop album has somehow stood the test of time, being remastered into a two disk ten-year anniversary version in 2019. Empire of the Sun still plays shows around Australia, and the duo has not formally broken up yet, so more acid-trip tracks could very well be on the way.
