Culture Clash: Empire Of The Sun

Nick Littlemore writes for Clash...

Empire Of The Sun is a truly multi-sensory project.

The Australian duo – Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele – have developed an incredible visual sensibility, that stretches through their music videos and on into their live shows.

The pair recently confirms plans to host their first ever London headline show at the Roundhouse, with Empire Of The Sun due to take to the stage on Thursday (October 13th).

Ahead of this, we tracked down Nick Littlemore for a very special instalment of Culture Clash.

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Book
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. This novel changed everything for me, Bowles writes with such command that the reader cannot help but be transported into his world. This is like entering a landscape far from anywhere you’ve been with three intrepid travelers mixed up with their own minds and adapting or attempting to adapt to a strange and wondrous land. I’ve long wished to take a journey into the desert, I've been there in my dreams and meditations… a big inspiration for “the 2 Leaves Project”.

Film
Tempest by Paul Mazursky. This film is loosely based on Shakespeare’s play of the same name. We find ourselves in New York City living with John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands, two of my absolute favourite actors to ever grace the stage or the silver screen. Cassavetes takes us on an hypnagogic like journey to Greece full of scenes I long to encounter – whilst I've travelled to the region I’ve never seen nor experienced the raw fullness of island life, lived as it was thousands of years ago. A must see!

Album
'Moorish Music from Mauritania' – Khalifa Ould Eide & Dimi Mint Abba. I believe that the world was sung into existence, I’ve been to the dome and beyond. Did you know that every new born child has perfect pitch?! Big inspiration for “the 2 Leaves Project”… there is so much more mystery awaiting all of us, once we break down the west, let us go east, with Esphand and others by our side we may find what the mystics found.

TV Show
Anthony Bourdains – No Reservations. My wife and I love food, we love eating it, we love cooking it and traveling far to taste the tastes locals of any given region enjoy. Bourdain's approach is lively and entertaining, though his diet is more meaty than we ourselves go in for, the places and the colours and of course the imaginary smells of spices always captivate us to no end.

Video Game
Street Fighter II arcade version, I've not played in over 20 years but this was my jam, now I’m a man of deep resonant anti violence and mindfulness… do they have a game for that? I want to collaborate with Google’s “deep dream” and create a machine that can transcend this reality, go further and farther, to the place of all music, till all patterns align in symmetry like “the 2 Leaves Project”.

Gadget
Publison DHM 89 B2 Developed by the French government, this is the sound you've all been looking for! In “the 2 leaves Project” the DHM is the star, what a machine! In my experiences in hyperspace I've heard things that the DHM is able to mimic. Pitch shifters and delays, reverse but it does much more that meets the ear! If you find one, let me know, I need another and another for it is like no other.

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Empire Of The Sun will play London's Roundhouse venue on October 13th.

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