Extraterrestrial Aussie electro duo Empire Of The Sun have reentered our orbit to make a big announcement. They’ll be releasing their third studio album, the follow-up to 2013’s Ice On The Dune, this October.
It shall be dubbed Two Vines, and features a number of higher-than-high-profile musical contributions from the likes of the previously announced Lindsey Buckingham from Fleetwood Mac, plus Wendy Melvoin (from Prince’s band the Revolution) and pianist Henry Hey and bassist Tim Lefebvre from David Bowie’s Blackstar band.
The whopping 15-track album is also packing a new Manny Marroquin mix of their 2008 chart smasher Walking on a Dream.
Sunlord Nick Littlemore explained the concept of the album in a press statement (via Pitchfork), indicating that the title Two Vines does not in fact refer to the recent upsurge in short-form internet videos.
“There was an image we talked about very early on with this record, before we wrote the title track, Two Vines, and that was this image of a modern city overtaken by jungle, almost like mother nature taking back the planet,” he says.
“All the buildings will turn back to sand. All it will be is nature again. We wanted to make something that reflected the beauty of that, and the wisdom that plants can give us about living harmoniously on this beautiful planet.”
Two Vines was recorded in Hawaii and Los Angeles, and co-produced by both Empire of the Sun themselves and Peter Mayes (Sia, the Killers, Mika).
“Going to Hawaii to record was the best idea,” Steele says. “That was the catalyst for me. I’d spend the morning surfing, then roll in and make music into the night.”
The group’s new disc is due out on Friday, 28th October. We haven’t heard any of the mysterious new music that its heavenly guts are packing yet, but you can catch the official artwork and track listing below.
Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on the official release date for Luke Steele’s long-fabled collab with Silverchair’s Daniel Johns, *sigh*.
Watch: Empire Of The Sun – ‘Walking On A Dream’
‘Two Vines’ Track List:
1 Before
2 High and Low
3 Two Vines
4 Friends
5 There’s No Need
6 Way to Go
7 Ride
8 Digital Life
9 First Crush
10 ZZZ
11 To Her Door
12 Keystone
13 Lend Me Some Light
14 Welcome to My Life
15 Walking on a Dream
