Australian duo Empire of the Sun are back to announce Ask That God, their first new album in eight years. They’ve also shared the album’s latest preview, “Music on the Radio.”
Ask That God is Empire of the Sun’s fourth studio album and is due for release on July 26th. After taking several years off on a “sonic pilgrimage,” the duo are resurrecting their fantastical personas (Luke “Emperor” Steele and Nick “Lord” Littlemore) and are embarking on a “holistic musical adventure” for Ask That God. “It has been a journey unlike any other that Empire Of The Sun has undertaken,” Littlemore says in a statement. “We always ‘go there’ when it comes to exploration of both the self and the outside world… This body of work represents the greatest shift in consciousness our world has ever seen and that’s reflected in the music.”
The announcement arrives one month after Empire of the Sun’s comeback single, “Changes,” which featured a psychedelic Michael Maxxis-directed music video. They’ve brought back Maxxis to helm the visual for their newest single, the disco-tinged “Music on the Radio.” The song is a thumping, bass-heavy psychedelic jam, with Steele utilizing his cherubic falsetto and the duo offering a hypnotic groove.
Meanwhile, the song’s video, filmed in Thailand, features aliens, a surreal pool party, space cowboy apparel, sparkling lights, and plenty of other trippy visuals. Watch the video for “Music on the Radio” below.
Ask That God is Empire of the Sun’s first album since 2016’s Two Vines and their first release since 2017’s On Our Way Home EP. While Luke Steele reemerged with a 2022 solo album Listen to the Water, Nick Littlemore returned to his dance music trio Pnau, who scored a number one hit with their remix of Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart” in 2021.
Ask That God Artwork: