Empire of the Sun is an up-and-coming indie/electronic duo with a particularly fitting name. The 1984 novel that Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore drew inspiration from is a tale of disoriented youth and immense freedom being closed in on by hostile forces. In a similar manner, Empire of the Sun’s debut album, Walking on a Dream, explores the territory of youth and depravity as they confront the pains of reality.
Songs like “Crying” and “Love Dog” are the highlights of the album, fusing the classic feel of TVOTR with innovations that are simple, yet foreign enough to excite the listener.
In Doha and Dubai we have two vastly different cities. While it is difficult to simply declare one superior and the other inferior, different values are clearly present in the directions these hubs are moving. While Doha’s may seem more thought-out for the long term, Dubai’s stunning present development is a compelling counter-argument.