ALBUM STREAM: Empire of the Sun – ‘Ice on the Dune’

June 12th, 2013

Mike Sacchetti

You may have seen advertisements all over the web promoting the new album, Ice on the Dune, by Empire of the Sun. You may have just glossed over it, or even given into temptation by clicking the ad just to see what all of the fuss was about. If you did, you would have heard their unbelievable radio-friendly single, “Alive.” If this track left you wanting more, have no fear.

Rolling Stone interviewed Empire of the Sun, and is premiering their new album, Ice on the Dune, ahead of its June 18 release date. When asked about the new album, frontman Luke Steele discussed writing and producing a more Americanized sound.

“With the first record, we didn’t have time to think. It was quite immediate. But this time, we set the bar pretty high: We wanted every chorus to have a zing. The songs would go through many sets of clothes. We kind of became a bit like Steely Dan: Ship out a chorus, bring in a new chorus, we’d all love the chorus, then swap out the verse. We’d approach it like George Martin, talking to Lennon/McCartney. It was a new process for us, being that strict on how much the song could cut through.”

Empire of the Sun are not just a duo of no-names with a lot of major label support. Steele has worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and Usher. When Australian indie synth-pop comes to mind, there is no doubt that Empire of the Sun should be in the conversation. During the interlude of their single “Alive,” Steele sings, “say hello to the future.” I think that is exactly the direction pop music should be going after this release.

You can stream Empire of the Sun’s new album, Ice on the Dune, over at Rolling Stone here.

What do you think of the album? Did they accomplish their goal by making a more Americanized and radio-friendly album? Let us know your thoughts!

Ice on the Dune is available on June 18 via Astralwerks. Pre-order the album now on iTunes.