Empire of the Sun make their grand return with Ask That God, their first record in what feels like eons, and one that restores the duo to their rightful place as the rulers of danceable, anthemic electronica. With a handful of tour dates scheduled for the fall in support of the album, Emperor Steele and Lord Littlemore are bringing this whole new collection of fiery, uplifting tracks on the road with them for their upcoming Australia, Mexico, and U.S. tour. They have something of a reputation for spectacularly theatrical live shows, so you won’t want to miss them when they flood the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on November 23rd with this fresh batch of euphoria-inciting songs.

A revitalization of their ravishing sound

Empire of the Sun’s eight-year hiatus, with both Steele and Littlemore spending more time working on their solo endeavors, unintentionally fostered the necessary space they needed to rediscover their creative fire for the project. After spending years chasing the enduring but elusive thrills conjured by their hit “Walking on a Dream,” the pair have reemerged liberated from the shadow of past successes and global stardom, only to reveal that their well-spring for giddily galvanizing electro-pop is far from dry.

Breezy acoustic guitars surging alongside synthesizers (“Changes”) and thrumming bass-driven rushes synced to Steele’s gleaming croons (“Happy Like You”), the band’s album at times feels like a time-warped montage of their best bits—past and future. Paying sublime tribute to their ability to breathe into existence soul-vivifying soundscapes is the record’s title track, “Ask That God,” its shimmering melody a prism of pulsing drums, vaporizing electronica, and a potently bittersweet yearning.

Evolved synth-pop spliced with a retro dance energy

Earnest, organic evolution has always been a hallmark of every new Empire of the Sun project. As evidenced by the various biomes (from arctic tundras to verdant rainforests) that have adorned their covers and informed their musical world-building, they both welcome change. Ask That God—the artwork of which pictures the duo encased in ethereally translucent eggs, wearing vibrant pink and purifying white outfits—fittingly finds them embracing a blossoming rebirth that’s opened them up to a whole new world of dreamy dance anthems.

For every track that harkens back to their alluringly hypnotic synth-pop, there are two more that offer proof of their growth. Lead single “Music On The Radio” dishes out spiraling, funky disco rhythms, “AEIOU” is an adrenaline-sprinting raver fueled by a collaboration with PNAU (Littlemore’s dance project), and the record’s breathtaking closer “Friends I Know” unfolds as a swelling crescendo of orchestral-digital bliss. Each of these wonderful moments serves as proof that the Empire remains perfectly attuned to all that makes their music so timelessly enthralling.

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Transformative, cosmic, euphoric fun

It just wouldn’t be an Empire of the Sun album if it didn’t lyrically or emotionally tap into an otherworldly feeling of connection with oneself, others, and—as the title implies—whatever higher power they ascribe to. Be it a deity, the vastness of the cosmos, or the spiritual ecstasy of an earworm melody. “All my decisions are running out of ways to play / All my religions are slowly slipping away,” Steele coos near the end of the album. “How am I ensured that happiness will return? / Mid air collision, I’ll work it out, I’m sure.”

On Ask That God, Steele’s and Littlemore’s creative and personal rejuvenations seep through their music into the hearts and minds of their listeners, kindling a grand, electrifying appreciation of life that surges on songs like “The Feeling You Get”—a love song to those moments that leave you dazzled and floating in the awe of being alive. In “Rhapsodize,” that intention is embodied in a characteristically sci-fi dialogue between a human speaker and a robotic entity, the former trying to share and communicate the world’s beauty to the newly created latter.

The Empire has always sought to deliver undimmed elation via its music and their fourth studio album does exactly that while also managing to revolutionize the means to that end. A band has never sounded more exhilarated and renewed after being so ready to resign itself to oblivion—and it’s clear that the duo is more accommodating than ever to the requisite fluctuations that make life worth experiencing and music worth hearing.

Ask That God is available on all streaming platforms. See Empire of the Sun on one of their upcoming 2024 tour dates which includes a stop at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on November 23rd.

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Words: Steven Ward

Visit Empire Of The Sun on their website and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.

Empire of the Sun Tour
October 24 – The Hordern Pavillion – Sydney, Australia
October 26 – Myer Music Bowl – Melbourne, Australia
October 29 – Riverstage – Brisbane, Australia
November 1 – Red Hill Auditorium – Perth, Australia
November 17 – Corona Capital Festival – Mexico City, Mexico
November 19 – Auditorio Telmex – Guadalajara, Mexico
November 23 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, California USA
November 26 – Kings Theatre, Brooklyn, New York USA