ARTIST · ELECTRONIC / POP

Empire of the Sun

Feather headdresses and neon myth—stadium pop dressed as operatic sci-fi soundtrack.

Electronic pop
Synth-pop

Updated 27 October 2026

Biography

Empire of the Sun fused The Sleepy Jackson’s baroque tendencies with Pnau’s electronic architecture into neon-drenched singles.

Walking on a Dream became shorthand for late-2000s festival optimism: falsetto, gated pads, and coastal melancholy.

Their visuals mattered as much as the sonics, yet hooks still translate on audio-only radio when programmers want colour.

Detailed playback keeps synth detuning, sidechain pump, and vocal layers distinct under loudness ceilings.

Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore met through Australia’s music scene and made Walking on a Dream, an album of shimmering electronic pop, with costumes inspired by science fiction and fantasy. The title track made them international stars in 2008 and 2009.

Ice on the Dune (2013) and Two Vines (2016) continued the theatrical style. Littlemore is also a founder of the electronic act Pnau, whose collaborations with Elton John include Cold Heart.

Interesting facts about Empire of the Sun

01 Australian electronic duo formed by Luke Steele (The Sleepy Jackson) and Nick Littlemore (Pnau) in 2007.
02 Debut album Walking on a Dream (2008) included the title hit plus We Are the People.
03 Known for ornate costumes and elaborate live presentations accompanying the music.
04 Nick Littlemore is also a member of Pnau.
05 Later albums include Ice on the Dune (2013) and Two Vines (2016).
06 Two Vines (2016) was their third studio album.