Get ready to dive into a musical universe shaped by titans of electronic music – PNAU (Nick Littlemore, Peter Mayes, and Sam Littlemore) and Empire of the Sun (Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele) have left an indelible mark on the global electronic music scene for nearly two decades. In a momentous collaboration, these two iconic groups have united to create their latest masterpiece, ‘AEIOU,’ featuring the ethereal vocals of Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele seamlessly blending with PNAU’s trademark dance floor sound. This release marks Empire of the Sun’s return to the music scene after a seven-year hiatus, coinciding with PNAU’s exciting announcement of their upcoming sixth studio album, ‘Hyperbolic,’ set to launch in early 2024.
We recently spoke to Nick Littlemore about the culmination of his musical ventures, the release of ‘AEIOU’, future endeavours, and more.
If you had to describe yourself and your artistry to someone who didn’t know you, what would you say?
As a songwriter, the music that I’m really passionate about has a healing quality to it. I think we all suffer from different ailments, be it mentally or physically, and music can be there for people as a healing power. That is our mission. We want to send spells of joy and harmony to people.
And leading on from that, for someone just finding your work for the first time, what three songs and/or remixes would you advise them to listen to first and why?
That’s tricky because I could just pick the most popular tracks. However, there’s an Empire of the Sun song called ‘I’ll Be Around’, which I always felt summed up a lot of the feelings that I wanted to convey in music. Then, on the polar opposite of that, I’d say there’s a PNAU record called ‘No More Violence’, which we still play in our sets. It was never a big hit, but we just love to have a whole crowd chanting “no more violence”. It feels really profound. We play it more for that experience than anything else. The third one would probably be this record, ‘AEIOU’, because I’ve given you an Empire of the Sun track and a PNAU track, but this is the first time we’ve ever combined them both. It’s so incredibly special.
You’ve achieved so much throughout your time in the industry. Did you think you would end up where you are now?
No, not in any sense. We just enjoy the journey and we haven’t questioned leaving the industry. We’ve definitely had some tantrums along the way, but I think, in our souls, we know that this is what we do, we make music, and we love it.
Do you think the process of creating music has changed significantly since you started out, especially with the likes of TikTok and AI?
Most definitely! The interesting thing is that we’re seeing at least one generation coming through that is satisfied by a seven or ten-second clip. I don’t think that’s how it will be forever. I believe we have a greater capacity to create things that are compelling. Maybe we need to come up with newer and more interesting developments musically and artistically, as those things are still rewarded. Good ideas still rise to the top. However, the industry is a lot more democratic, which is exciting. You can now just sing into your phone and become a superstar. I know there were booths in the 50s that you could walk into and sing down a pipe, but I don’t think anything from that ever reached the charts, you know? I was recently thinking about a girl called Shiloh, who posted a video singing a few melodies and playing her guitar, which XXXTENTACION then sampled. It’s truly remarkable that there is a litany of these stories, where someone can just do something once, just in front of their phone in an intimate environment, and their whole life can change.
Huge congratulations on your recent release of ‘AEIOU’, featuring Empire of The Sun. I believe this is the first time you’ve brought two of your ventures together, why now? When did you know it was going to be the next single?
Well, Luke and I have been in the process of making a new Empire of the Sun record for the past seven years, which I realise is a very long time, but the world has changed throughout that. So, we’ve been talking about what the next record would be, and we keep coming back to the idea of making a dance-based album, but for Empire of the Sun. Meanwhile, Peter and I are writing all the time with amazing writers in LA, and a song just came up which felt right for Luke’s voice. We played it to him and he loved it, so it just happened naturally. I am really excited that we’re finally making true dance music with Luke’s incredibly unique voice.
What’s the meaning behind this record for you?
I believe that when one tells the meaning of a record, it sort of diminishes it in some ways because everyone makes their own meanings to songs. However, having said that, it does have quite a deep meaning. It is really about protecting your soul making sure that you love yourself, and lifting your spirits. It is always an important thing to remember that you are loved, especially in times that are continually more trying. I feel in recent years, it’s easy to feel isolated and we want to let these songs serve as kind of beacons of hope and like lighthouses of joy along your paths.
Is there a colour you think best represents it?
I’m always seeing dark wet leaves of the rainforest, as I find those sorts of dark greens infinitely fascinating, so I’d say that!
Excitingly, looking ahead to your upcoming sixth studio album Hyperbolic, do you have three words that represent what we can expect from it?
That’s really interesting. We often watch lots of videos when we’re in our writing sessions, so rather than adjectives, I think there are certain feelings about Japan, Italy, and probably England. I could give you words, but I think those places are more representative in terms of where we’re drawing our inspiration. We’re always trying to pursue those hooks that feel more universal.
Throughout the process of creating the album, have you learned anything prominent about yourself?
It’s funny because you go into making a record thinking you’re going to learn all this stuff, but I think the more you learn, the less you know. You end up questioning more and more, but I love the whole process and that you can just keep experimenting or trying the same concept in an infinite variety of ways.
Over the years, you’ve worked closely with the legend himself, Sir Elton John. What impact has that relationship had on you?
Elton has changed our lives a few times at this point. We met a long time ago now, 12 or 13 years ago and made an album with him. So, to then come full circle and have ‘Cold Heart’, one of the biggest records of the last few years, has been truly amazing. It has opened doors for us when we thought we weren’t going to get another shot on this level. We’ve suddenly been thrust into rooms with the greatest songwriters in the world. It’s been an absolutely thrilling ride and we have so much to be thankful for. I may have started that record, but Pete 100% made that record the worldwide smash that it is, and obviously, Dua Lipa doesn’t hurt in any way. She’s an incredible singer and we really hope to work with her one day.
PNAU have some really exciting performances coming up, such as the Changing Tides Festival and Haydays. What is your favourite thing about being on stage?
I think it’s sharing that energy and feeding off the drummer, the crowd and the energy of the record. It’s really being a part of that. We’re sharing this music and experience, and there’s no feeling like it. It is so special looking out to a beaming crowd and your cheeks hurting from smiling so much. We’re dancing and trying not to fall over in our delirious joy – I’ve tripped over spectacularly multiple times at this point!
And finally, what’s on your bucket list? Where would you like to be in 5 years’ time?
We’ve always talked about doing something orchestral, which would be super exciting, or like with a large jazz ensemble, a huge horn section, or something of that nature. Something large-scale would be really, really fun. The possibilities now with AI are getting massive, as you can have a lot of different voices on one record. I know that wouldn’t be real, but I feel like music is not all going to change fundamentally. However, there is going to be a style of music in the next five years that could not exist without all that code, or whatever you want to call it. That’s going to be really interesting, not so much what the computers or the machines are going to create, but what musicians and artists are going to create in response to it. I feel like it’s still about our humility and humanity and the way we will interface with everything around us. It is code after all, and it won’t really have a soul. It’s like a microwave that can draw a Botticelli. I mean, it’s not going to lead you to God, although I did previously think maybe it would, but maybe that’s a question for another time and day.
Written by Issy Todd
GEM Magazine 