Walking on a Dream (album)

Walking on a Dream is the debut studio album by Australian electronic music duo Empire of the Sun, released on 3 October 2008 by Capitol Records. The album was produced by band members Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore, along with Peter Mayes and Donnie Sloan.

Walking on a Dream
Studio album by
Released3 October 2008 (2008-10-03)
Recorded2007
Studio
Genre
Length43:34
LabelCapitol
Producer
Empire of the Sun chronology
Walking on a Dream
(2008)
Ice on the Dune
(2013)
Singles from Walking on a Dream
  1. "Walking on a Dream"
    Released: 30 August 2008
  2. "We Are the People"
    Released: 20 September 2008
  3. "Standing on the Shore"
    Released: 12 June 2009
  4. "Without You"
    Released: 25 September 2009
  5. "Half Mast (Slight Return)"
    Released: 15 January 2010

Walking on a Dream received 11 nominations at the ARIA Music Awards of 2009, winning seven, including Album of the Year. A special edition of the album, containing a bonus disc of remixes, B-sides, and unreleased tracks, was released on 20 November 2009.

Background and release

The album was recorded and mixed by Peter Mayes at Soundworks Music Studio in Sydney at various times throughout 2007, with additional recording by Chris Vallejo at Linear Recording, also in Sydney.[3] According to EMI Music Australia's website, the painting of Steele and Littlemore that comprises the album artwork was based on the iconic film posters for Indiana Jones and Star Wars.[4]

Walking on a Dream reached number six on the Australian Albums Chart and number 19 on the UK Albums Chart.[5][6] The album has been certified double platinum in Australia and gold in the United Kingdom.[7][8]

"Walking on a Dream" was released on 30 August 2008 as the album's lead single.[9] The video features Steele and Littlemore, wearing faux-oriental costumes and makeup inspired by Peking Opera, on location along the Bund in Shanghai, China between 21 and 27 July 2008.[3][10]

The second single, "We Are the People", was released on 20 September 2008.[11] The video for the song was shot in Mexico, and used the ancient Mexican festival Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) as its inspiration. Locations included the gardens of Sir Edward James at Las Pozas, Monterrey and García.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic61/100[13]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Blender[14]
The Guardian[15]
The Independent[16]
musicOMH[17]
NME8/10[18]
The Observer[19]
Pitchfork6.4/10[20]
PopMatters[21]
Rolling Stone[22]

Walking on a Dream received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 61, based on 19 reviews.[13] Andrew Leahey of AllMusic wrote that Empire of the Sun "[festoon] their music with oddball flourishes, androgynous lyrics, and a general sense of theatricality that borders on schizophrenia", concluding, "Like the music it promotes, the cover art is purposely ludicrous, but listeners who have a palette for such whimsy should walk away happy."[2] Martin Robinson of the NME described the duo as "silly but their songs demand to be taken seriously, just like Prince, Ultravox and Bowie."[18] Blender's Tyler Gray stated, "Acoustic guitar strummed in time with dance beats, tinny vocals and tons of slap-back reverb—it's like some magical pop formula concocted long ago by aboriginal Australian shamen [sic] and parceled out ever since to INXS, Midnight Oil, Outback Steakhouse jingle makers and now this turquoise-loving duo."[14] Andy Gill of The Independent opined that the songs "Walking on a Dream" and "We Are the People" "rather resemble The Beloved or Air, sharing with those duos the impression that the music just seems to have settled, like snow, around the melody."[16]

Mike Orme of Pitchfork wrote that "at their indulgent best [the duo] strike a trenchant middle ground between fantasy and historical revisionism", but expressed that "although Empire tries mightily, they collapse underneath too many ideas before the record is even half over."[20] Michael Cragg of musicOMH felt that the album "offers little in the way of musical experimentation" and that "[m]ost of it sounds like a strange amalgam of Fleetwood Mac and MGMT, as if the latter had been transposed from the slightly grubby streets of Brooklyn to the beaches of Australia."[17] Christian Hoard of Rolling Stone noted that the duo "have lots of straightforward pop chops, but they prefer to get wonky with cheesetastic, Eighties-flavored keyboards and nonsense rhymes like 'Hotdog belt donut melt/Magpie knelt by itself'", adding that the album "sounds like Europop on Special K".[22] At The Guardian, Dorian Lynskey commented that "the slick, pastel-wardrobed MOR of the title track and 'We Are the People' demonstrate melodic agility and sun-dazzled charm", but viewed the album as "a ripe cheese, best not consumed whole."[15] Alex Denney of The Observer remarked that "the record settles upon a cooler hue, favouring minor-key shuffles that, at their best, sound like prime Bangles cuts, but tend towards pedestrian 1980s pop hackery at their worst."[19] Tyler Fisher of PopMatters concluded that, "despite the well-developed '80s image, the music emulated is not anything worth reviving."[21]

Accolades

The album was listed at number 29 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums, published in October 2010.[23]

Awards

ARIA Awards

The ARIA Music Awards of 2009 nominations were announced on 8 October 2009.[24] Empire of the Sun received more nominations than any other artist, with a total of 11.[25] The winners were announced on 26 November 2009.[26]

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Walking on a Dream Album of the Year Won
Highest Selling Album Nominated
Best Pop Release Won
"Walking on a Dream" Single of the Year Won
Highest Selling Single Nominated
Best Video (directed by Josh Logue) Won
"We Are the People" Nominated
Empire of the Sun Best Group Won
Empire of the Sun and Donnie Sloan with Peter Mayes Producer of the Year Won
Aaron Hayward and David Homer from Debaser Best Cover Art Won
Peter Mayes Engineer of the Year Nominated

Brit Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Empire of the Sun International Breakthrough Act[27] Nominated
Walking on a Dream International Album[27] Nominated

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Standing on the Shore"4:23
2."Walking on a Dream"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Jonathan Sloan
3:16
3."Half Mast"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
  • Mayes
3:54
4."We Are the People"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
4:27
5."Delta Bay"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
3:12
6."Country"Littlemore5:04
7."The World"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
4:36
8."Swordfish Hotkiss Night"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
3:55
9."Tiger by My Side"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
5:47
10."Without You"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
5:00
iTunes Store bonus track[28]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Breakdown"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
2:37
Japanese edition bonus tracks[29]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Romance to Me"Littlemore3:25
12."Walking on a Dream" (Van She Tech Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
3:47
13."We Are the People" (The Shapeshifters Vocal Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
4:16
14."Walking on a Dream" (video)Video directed by Josh Logue3:19
Special edition bonus disc[30]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Breakdown"
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
2:40
2."Romance to Me"Littlemore3:26
3."Walking on a Dream" (Sam La More 12" Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
7:52
4."Standing on the Shore" (Losers Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
6:39
5."We Are the People" (The Shapeshifters Vocal Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
8:17
6."Without You" (New Version)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
3:32
7."Swordfish Hotkiss Night" (Eron Mezza Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
2:22
8."Standing on the Shore" (Hey Today! Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
4:46
9."Walking on a Dream" (Ben Watt Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Sloan
7:28
10."We Are the People" (Shazam Remix)
  • Steele
  • Littlemore
  • Mayes
5:44
11."Girl"Littlemore3:58
12."Etude"Littlemore2:27

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Walking on a Dream.[31]

  • Empire of the Sun – production
  • Debaser – artwork, illustrations
  • Mike Marsh – mastering
  • Peter Mayes – mixing, production, recording
  • Donnie Sloan – production (tracks 2–4, 10)
  • Chris Vallejo – additional recording

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[51]
10th Anniversary Edition
3× Platinum 210,000
Germany (BVMI)[52] Gold 100,000^
Ireland (IRMA)[53] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[54] Gold 500,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Edition Label Ref.
Australia 3 October 2008 Standard Capitol [55]
Ireland 13 February 2009 Virgin [56]
United Kingdom 16 February 2009 [17]
Denmark 18 February 2009 EMI [57]
Finland [58]
Norway [59]
Sweden [60]
Netherlands 20 February 2009 [61]
Switzerland [62]
Germany 13 March 2009 [63]
France 16 March 2009 [64]
Italy 27 March 2009 [65]
United States 21 April 2009 [66]
Japan 10 June 2009 EMI Japan [29]
Australia 20 November 2009 Special Capitol [67]
Germany EMI [30]
Italy [68]
France 23 November 2009 [69]
Denmark 25 November 2009 [70]
Finland [71]
Norway [72]
Sweden [73]

References

  1. "Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream". Clash. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  2. Leahey, Andrew. "Walking on a Dream – Empire of the Sun". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  3. "Biography". musichead. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  4. "Empire Album Artwork Unleashed On The World". musichead. 8 September 2008. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  5. "Australiancharts.com – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  6. "Empire of the Sun | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  7. "British album certifications – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". British Phonographic Industry. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2016. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Walking on a Dream in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  8. "Walking On a Dream – EP by Empire of the Sun". iTunes Store (AU). Archived from the original on 10 November 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  9. Duncan (31 August 2008). "Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". The Inspiration Room. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  10. "We Are the People – Single by Empire of the Sun". iTunes Store (AU). Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  11. "Empire of the Sun's We Are the People shot in Mexico". The Daily Telegraph. 5 December 2008. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  12. "Reviews for Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun". Metacritic. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  13. Gray, Tyler. "Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Blender. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  14. Lynskey, Dorian (13 February 2009). "Empire of the Sun: Walking On a Dream". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  15. Gill, Andy (20 February 2009). "Album: Empire of the Sun, Walking on a Dream (Virgin)". The Independent. Archived from the original on 10 March 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  16. Cragg, Michael. "Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream". musicOMH. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  17. Robinson, Martin (17 February 2009). "Album Review: Empire Of The Sun". NME. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  18. Denney, Alex (15 February 2009). "Pop review: Empire of the sun, Walking on a Dream". The Observer. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  19. Orme, Mike (2 December 2008). "Empire of the Sun: Walking on a Dream". Pitchfork. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  20. Fisher, Tyler (15 May 2009). "Empire of the Sun: Walking on a Dream". PopMatters. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  21. Hoard, Christian (14 April 2009). "Walking on a Dream : Empire of the Sun". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 19 April 2009. Retrieved 29 November 2010.
  22. O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Victoria: Hardie Grant Books. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9.
  23. Mengel, Noel (8 October 2009). "ARIA Awards 2009 nominations a musical mixed bag". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  24. "Walking on a Dream with 11 ARIA nominations!". walkingonadream.com. 8 October 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2011. Retrieved 9 October 2009.
  25. "Empire of the Sun shines at the 2009 ARIA Awards: Australian music artists honoured". ARIA Music Awards. 27 November 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  26. "Brit Awards 2010 winners in full". BBC News Online. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  27. "Walking On a Dream by Empire of the Sun". iTunes Store (AU). Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  28. エンパイア・オブ・ザ・サン [Empire Of The Sun] (in Japanese). EMI Music Japan. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  29. "Empire Of the Sun // Walking On A Dream Special Edt" (in German). EMI Music Germany. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  30. Walking on a Dream (CD liner notes). Empire of the Sun. Capitol Records. 2008. 2354032.CS1 maint: others (link)
  31. "ARIA Dance – Week Commencing 7th December 2009" (PDF). ARIA Charts (1032): 21. 7 December 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  32. "Austriancharts.at – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  33. "Ultratop.be – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  34. "Ultratop.be – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  35. "Dutchcharts.nl – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  36. "Hits of the World". Billboard. 121 (24). 20 June 2009. ISSN 0006-2510.
  37. "Lescharts.com – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  38. "Offiziellecharts.de – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  39. "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 8, 2009". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved 1 November 2010.
  40. "Italiancharts.com – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  41. "Charts.nz – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  42. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  43. "Swisscharts.com – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  44. "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  45. "Empire of the Sun Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  46. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Albums 2009". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  47. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2009". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  48. "Official Album Chart: 2009" (PDF). UKChartsPlus. p. 7. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  49. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Dance Albums 2010". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  50. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2019 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  51. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Empire of the Sun; 'Walking on a Dream')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  52. "The Irish Charts - 2009 Certification Awards - Gold". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  53. "American album certifications – Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 26 June 2019. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
  54. "Walking On A Dream – Empire Of the Sun". JB Hi-Fi. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  55. "Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream". Tower Records Ireland. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  56. "Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Danish). CDON.dk. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  57. "Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Finnish). CDON.fi. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  58. "Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Norwegian). CDON.no. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  59. "Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Swedish). CDON.se. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  60. "Walking On A Dream | Empire Of The Sun" (in Dutch). Free Record Shop. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  61. "Empire Of The Sun von Walking On A Dream" (in German). CeDe.ch. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  62. "Empire Of The Sun // Walking On A Dream" (in German). EMI Music Germany. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  63. "Walking on a dream – Empire Of The Sun" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  64. "Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  65. "Walking On A Dream". Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  66. "Walking On A Dream (Special Edition) – Empire Of the Sun". JB Hi-Fi. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  67. "Empire of the Sun – Walking on a Dream (Special Edition)" (in Italian). Internet Bookshop Italia. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  68. "Walking on a dream special edition – Empire Of The Sun" (in French). Fnac. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  69. "Walking On A Dream – Special Edition (2CD) (Album) – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Danish). CDON.dk. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  70. "Walking On A Dream – Special Edition (2CD) (Album) – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Finnish). CDON.fi. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  71. "Walking On A Dream – Special Edition (2CD) (Album) – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Norwegian). CDON.no. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  72. "Walking On A Dream – Special Edition (2CD) (Album) – Empire Of The Sun" (select "Fakta" tab) (in Swedish). CDON.se. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.