Who Said Music Videos Were Dead? Empire Of The Sun Release Sci-Fi Epic

Following releasing the first taste of their new studio album in the keyboard streaked lead single “Alive”, now Empire Of The Sun have dropped the epic-scaled, otherworldly, costume-laden video clip for the single, set to be the third song on the electro-pop duo’s album (the full tracklist available below).

At a glance, this video could be airing snippets of Game of Thrones, or be a grab from Star Trek, or maybe even an episode of 90s science fiction show, Sliders. However, once a vision of music masters Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore appear, it becomes clear this absurd (in a good way) clip is the work of the duo.

The video for “Alive” shows Steele and Littlemore donning extravagant, yet somewhat tribal costumes, coming to the aid of a unconscious wolf-woman, injecting her with the essence of life before the chorus erupts with the lyrics (and indeed narrative of) “lovin’ every minute ‘cos you make me feel so alive.”

The pair, now accompanied by the invigorated furred being and another feathered character, continue to journey through various backdrops, including the scenic mountain range the video begins with, a dense forest, and end on a rugged coast line, giving life and spirit to other foreign creatures, on what is undoubtedly a foreign planet.

Irrespective of a fitting explanation however, the clip is full of colour, costume, spirit and mystery, all of which tie in appropriately to the broader campaign Empire of the Sun have undertaken in releasing and leaking elements of Ice on The Dune. The video could be airing snippets of Game of Thrones, or be a grab from Star Trek, or maybe even an episode of 90s science fiction show, Sliders.

First came their Hollywood-sized album teaser trailer, which was directed by new Star Wars director JJ Abrams. The American filmmaker invited Steele and Littlemore to hang out in his Los Angeles space, which resulted in his Bad Robot production team teaming up with the band to create a very Raiders Of The Lost Ark-inspired teaser called ‘Discovery’.

As previously reported, the trailer depicts several South American miners discovering early tribal cave paintings depicting the etherial “Empire of the Sun”, uncovering the colourful and bird-like face of “Emperor” Steele and his fur clad bandmate “Lord” Littlemore in a sparse desert; the duo face an unprecedented challenge in their bid to restore peace to the world, 1,000 years into the future. The teaser’s mysterious tone should come as no surprise from the mastermind behind Lost, Fringe, and Alcatraz.

It has not been revealed whether this next instalment, “Alive,” was by producer Abrams, though given the nature of the screen-centric’s former endeavours, it certainly doesn’t seem impossible.

Work on Ice On The Dune began over 18 months ago, when Steele and Littlemore reunited with the latter’s fellow PNAU half, Peter Mayes, and Jono Sloan in New York to begin pre-production on the new record. Steele remarked on the pressures to match the success of Walking On A Dream, which earned the duo eight ARIA awards, two BRIT nominations, and more than one million in album sales.

“I had never experienced fame before, and I don’t think in Australia, people realised how many places this record travelled,” the former Sleepy Jackson frontman said. ”In the end what has driven us is the same as the first record, which is music that makes people feel excited and want to get up in the morning.”

Along with the new album, set for release on June 14th, Empire of the Sun are premiering their latest record as part of the Sydney Vivid LIVE 2013 lineup, playing two headline shows at the Sydney Opera House on May 30th & 31st.

Just last week, the synthpop duo were also announced as part of the mammoth Splendour In The Grass 2013 lineup, alongside other Australian acts with 2013 releases, including Bernard Fanning, The Drones, Cloud Control, Boy & Bear, The Growl, Birds of Tokyo, Songs, The Chemist and many more.

Other commitments for the pair include an appearance at the Jay-Z-curated Made In America festival, the Wilderness Festival in London, Electric Daisy Carnival in three US cities, and the Sziget Festival in Budapest.

Ice on The Dune is the follow-up to Empire of the Sun’s debut album Walking On A Dream, the album which saw them embark on an extensive tour locally and abroad back in between 2008 and 2009. The new album also celebrates the duo’s reuniting after a spat and parting of ways in 2010 following their performance at the Brit Awards.

You can view the official album artwork and tracklising for Ice On The Dune below, along with Empire Of The Sun’s Australian festival dates:

Empire of the Sun — Ice on the Dune Tracklisting:
1. Lux
2. DNA
3. Alive
4. Concert Pitch
5. Ice On The Dune
6. Awakening
7. I’ll Be Around
8. Old Flavours
9. Celebrate
10. Surround Sound
11. Disarm
12. Keep A Watch