Pnau
Upper body shot of two men performing. Man at left is shown in right profile, he is holding a microphone in his right hand and singing with his eyes closed. He wears a dark blue shirt, dark pants. At his right hip in his belt is an electronic device. The second man is partly obscured, he leans in close to the first. He is singing and playing a 12-string guitar with his left hand high on the fret board. His right hand holds the guitar pick as he strums the strings. His eyes are open and looking at the first man.
Pnau – Nick Littlemore (left), Peter Mayes (right) – performing at Sir Stewart Bovell Park, Busselton, January 2012.
Background information
Origin Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Genres Electronic dance, Wonky pop
Years active 1999 (1999)–present
Labels Sony
Associated acts Teenager, Ladyhawke, Empire of the Sun
Website www.pnau.net
Members
Nick Littlemore
Peter Mayes

Pnau is an Australian dance music duo originating from Sydney, Australia. The duo consists of musicians Nick Littlemore (vocals, production) and Peter Mayes (guitar, production).[1] The pair have achieved multiple successes throughout their career with their award-winning debut album Sambanova,[2][3] their universally acclaimed 2008 release Pnau,[4] their breakthrough side-project Empire of the Sun,[5][6][7] and their multiple chart-topping singles. Pnau is also recognized for their heavily publicized apprenticeship under musician Elton John, who signed the duo after listening to their record Pnau.[8] A number of projects featuring Elton's involvement with the band are currently in development, such as Pnau's new album Soft Universe[9] and an album featuring Pnau recreations of Elton John's hits.[10]

Contents

Biography [link]

Pnau formed in Sydney, New South Wales by Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes. The two met at secondary school and began performing together in the mid-1990s, initially playing acid, house, and trance music.[1] Littlemore recalled meeting Mayes when he was 10; "He tripped me over. We hated each other for a couple years and then we started sneaking out and going to raves when we were about 13 and we formed a bond over intense music." Littlemore and Mayes created their first album when they were in their mid-teens. "It was called Fractured Geometric Spaces Made of Light," Littlemore remembers, "Which is probably why it was never picked up."[11]

In 1999, Pnau officially released their debut album Sambanova under the independent label Peking Duck. It was recorded in a bedroom studio and they only expected to sell a few thousand copies.[12] The album turned out to be a surprise success when it won Best Dance Release at the ARIA Music Awards. A week later, however, the album was pulled from record stores for using uncleared samples. In a 2003 interview with The Age, Mayes recalled that they had no understanding of sample clearances due to their naïveté in the music business.[13] Mayes claimed that the album's recall did seriously affect their commercial sales.[13] Littlemore later contested "They screwed us over for $300,000. Warners didn't; another third party did. But that happens. We're still here, we're still doing it."[14]

In subsequent years Pnau went on to make many live appearances at music festivals like Big Day Out in 2001 and Homebake in 2002. During this time, they garnered a reputation for their lively performances.[15] Amidst this era, Pnau released their second album, Again in 2003.[16] The album was not a commercial success and Littlemore was later quoted as Again being "the worst record I’ve ever done".[17] Littlemore has since retracted the statement. When asked if he still considered Again to be his worst record, Littlemore responded, "Well next to [Soft Universe]. They're sort of on par." Littlemore further explained that a lot of his opinion is formed around the albums' commercial success, which is an easy headspace for him to get into since "everyone loves Empire of the Sun, it's sold 1.1 million records."[14] Despite the seemingly unfavorable album response, several tracks received considerable acclaim - the most noteworthy being We Love The Fresh Kills which was a significantly popular single for the duo at the time.[4] However, because of Again's lackluster success the pair parted ways for some time to work with other artists such as Robbie Williams,[17] Van She,[18] and Lost Valentinos.[19]

When the two reunited in 2007 they wrote over two-hundred songs together and started to lay down an entire album.[17] They sent a work-in-progress track to long-time friend and collaborator Luke Steele, who sent back the track with his own vocals. After receiving the track Littlemore and Mayes decided to scrap everything they had laid down to focus on a more vocally centered album.[20] The track became known as With You Forever and the finalized album was released under the self-titled name Pnau. The album not only featured vocal work from Luke Steele and Nick Littlemore himself, but also had many guest appearances such as Ladyhawke, Nik Yannika from Lost Valentinos and Michael DeFrancesco from Van She.[21] The album was released to high critical acclaim[4] and gained unexpected favorable attention from Elton John,[8][22][23][24] declaring it to be the greatest record he'd heard in ten years.[25][26]

Inspired by their track "With You Forever", Pnau began work on a collaboration with Luke Steele.[27] Originally titled Steelemore,[24] Empire of the Sun made its debut on 4 October 2008 with Walking on a Dream. Nick Littlemore and Luke Steele took the roles of bandmates, while Peter Mayes assumed the role of producer. Some critics where quick to note that the band sounded more like a work of Pnau than Luke Steele's band The Sleepy Jackson.[28] Empire of the Sun has achieved international success having been certified 2x platinum in Australia[5] and gold in the United Kingdom,[6] as well as winning eleven ARIA awards.[7] Pnau makes it clear on their Myspace numerous times that not only is Empire of the Sun a side project of theirs, but that they are also the producers.[29] Regarding Empire of the Sun, in early 2009 news began appearing that Nick Littlemore had disappeared.[30][31] The reality had been that Nick Littlemore had left Empire of the Sun to begin work on the fourth Pnau album along with Elton John.[9]

In 2011 Pnau released Soft Universe. Littlemore has described it as a very "emotional" album, inspired by the break up with his long-time girlfriend.[32] With input from Elton John, the album features Littlemore singing all the vocals on the album along with tracks co-written with fellow Aussie artist Martin Craft and producer Mark Saunders.[33] The album was positively received, although mainly critics expressed discontent with the lack of the "endearing weirdness of previous Pnau and Empire releases."[34]

On 10 March 2012, the first remix track from the anticipated, upcoming Elton John rework album commissioned for Pnau was leaked, initially airing on Pete Tong's BBC Radio 1 broadcast. [35] It was also revealed the remix album will feature eight tracks and is currently set for a April 2012 release.[36]

New album and 2011 tour [link]

Pnau's new album titled Soft Universe was released on 22 July 2011. The accompanying small Australian tour of the same name will at this stage cover only four dates, visiting Melbourne, Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle.

Pronunciations [link]

One accepted pronunciation of Pnau is "pah-now".[37] The name is commonly accented to simulate the sound of a gunshot. Nick Littlemore explained the name was the result of an instance when he was speaking in tongues. After shouting gibberish for half an hour, Littlemore decided Pnau would be an appropriate band name.[38]

Another theory on the pronunciation, according to one interview with the pair, is "pah-nyeow". The group has on other occasions explained that the name "rhymes with meow".

Awards [link]

Discography [link]

Albums [link]

Singles [link]

  • "Need Your Lovin' Baby" (2000, Warner Music)
  • "Sambanova" (2000)
  • "Follow Me" (2001, Warner Music)
  • "Blood Lust" (2002, Warner Music)
  • "Una Noche" (2002, Kompact)
  • "Baby" (2008, ETCETC) #34 AUS
  • "Embrace" (2008, ETCETC)#55 AUS[39]
  • "The Truth" (2011)
  • "Solid Ground" (2011)
  • "Unite Us" (2011)
  • "Epic Fail" (2012)

EPs [link]

  • Need Your Lovin' Baby (2001)
  • Enuff Enuff (2005)
  • Wild Strawberries EP (2007)

References [link]

  1. ^ a b Wesolowski, David Peter. "Pnau > Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p509057. Retrieved 2 April 2010. 
  2. ^ "Pnau Sambanova". Australian charts portal. Hung Medien. https://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Pnau&titel=Sambanova&cat=a. Retrieved 2 April 2010. 
  3. ^ "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2000: 14th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). https://www.ariaawards.com.au/history-by-year.php?year=2000. Retrieved 2 April 2010. 
  4. ^ a b c "PNAU at Ministry of Sound". Ministry of Sound. https://www.ministryofsound.com.au/music/artist/pnau/. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  5. ^ a b "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2010". https://www.aria.com.au/pages/httpwww.aria.com.aupageshttpwww.aria.com.aupagesARIACharts-Accreditations-2010Albums.htm. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  6. ^ a b "Certified Awards Search". BPI. https://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  7. ^ a b "Empire of the Arias". Empire of the Sun Official. https://www.walkingonadream.com/t/aria. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  8. ^ a b "Elton John signs Aussie Band PNAU". News.Com.Au. 31 July 2008. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/music/elton-signs-aussie-band-pnau/story-e6frfn09-1111117066700. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  9. ^ a b "Empire Of The Sun's Nick Littlemore writing with Elton John". NME. https://www.nme.com/news/empire-of-the-sun/47587. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  10. ^ "Tired Big Day Out Performers Ready To Party In Perth After Final Aussie Gig". Perth Now. https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/special-features/tired-big-day-out-performers-ready-to-party-in-perth-after-final-aussie-gig/story-fn7bdca5-1226001589684. Retrieved 2011-02-11. 
  11. ^ "Cosmo Chats: PNAU". Cosmopolitan Austrailia. 23 November 2011. https://cms.cougar.nineentertainmentco.com.au/celebrity/cosmo-celeb-chat/2011/11/cosmo-chats-pnau/. Retrieved 11 March 2012. 
  12. ^ "Pnau Again". Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 31 March 2003. https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/review/album/s978904.htm. Retrieved 16 April 2010. 
  13. ^ a b Drever, Andrew (17 October 2003). "Pnau and then". The Age (Melbourne: Fairfax Media). https://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/16/1065917534693.html?from=storyrhs. Retrieved 16 April 2010. 
  14. ^ a b "Interview: PNAU". FHM Magazine. 23 November 2011. https://www.fhm.com.au/interview-pnau.htm. Retrieved 11 March 2012. 
  15. ^ Tomas, Juan-Carlo (15 November 2002). "Cookin'". The Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). https://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/11/14/1037080847952.html. Retrieved 16 April 2010. 
  16. ^ "Pnau – Again (CD)". Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/Pnau-Again/master/194972. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  17. ^ a b c "Australian Interview - PNAU". Ruth Bailey. https://ruthbailey.com.au/?p=11. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  18. ^ "Nick Littlemore discography". Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/artist/Nick+Littlemore. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  19. ^ "Lost Valentinos* - Miles From Nowhere EP at Discogs". Discogs. https://www.discogs.com/Lost-Valentinos-Miles-From-Nowhere-EP/release/1058281. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  20. ^ "PNAU - Behind The Scenes". Ministry of Sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z17Uyv4lMs. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  21. ^ "Pnau Biography". Pnau.net. https://www.pnau.net/bio/pnaubio.pdf. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  22. ^ "Elton John Loves PNAU". Crushable. https://crushable.com/entertainment/elton-john-loves-pnau/. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  23. ^ "Elton John Joins The PNAU Fan Club". Undercover. https://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=3633. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  24. ^ a b "Rolling Stone: Pnau interview". Rolling Stone. https://jasontreuen.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/rolling-stone-pnau-interview/. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  25. ^ "PNAU - Nick Littlemore - Music". Time Out Sydney. https://www.timeoutsydney.com.au/music/pnau--nick-littlemore.aspx. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  26. ^ "PNAU Baby (live on Sunrise), With the Talent Zone Dancers". Talent Zone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxqfwaXHV2g. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  27. ^ "PNAU Tracks". Pnau.net. https://www.pnau.net/bio/pnautracks.pdf. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  28. ^ "Walking On A Dream Review". Allmusic. https://www.allmusic.com/album/r1448205. Retrieved 26 August 2010. 
  29. ^ "Pnau Myspace". Myspace. https://www.myspace.com/pnau. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  30. ^ "Empire of the Sun’s Nick Littlemore MIA for Five Months; Luke Steele May Be Forced to Play Duo’s First-Ever Live Shows Minus His Right-Hand Man". Exclaim News. https://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=136&csid2=844&fid1=41381. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  31. ^ "Empire Of The Sun's Nick Littlemore Leaves Band And Goes Missing!". Take 40. https://www.take40.com/news/17295/empire-of-the-sun's-nick-littlemore-leaves-band-and-goes-missing!. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  32. ^ McNamara, Tim. "Littlemore discusses Empire sequel and Pnau's "emotional" new album". The Music Network. https://www.themusicnetwork.com/music-news/artists/2010/11/26/littlemore-discusses-empire-sequel-and-pnaus-emotional-new-album//. Retrieved 2010-11-26. 
  33. ^ "Nick Littlemore joins the circus". Triple J. https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s3079613.htm//. Retrieved 2010-11-29. 
  34. ^ "Pnau - Unite Us". Music OMH. https://www.musicomh.com/albums/pnau_0212.htm. Retrieved 2012-03-11. 
  35. ^ "Pete Tong - Essential Selection - 09-03-2012". beatmyday. https://www.beatmyday.com/2012/03/10/pete-tong-essential-selection-09-03-2012/. Retrieved 2012-03-11. 
  36. ^ "First Taste of Pnau and Elton John Collab". Stoney Roads. https://stoneyroads.com/first-taste-of-pnau-and-elton-john-collab/. Retrieved 2012-03-11. 
  37. ^ "PNAU-Again". About.com. https://dancemusic.about.com/od/reviews/fr/PnauAgain.htm. Retrieved 24 October 2010. 
  38. ^ "Vera Meets PNAU". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_gFWSeZvgw&p=828CE5377F9C208B&playnext=1&index=25. Retrieved 24 October 2010. 
  39. ^ [1] ARIA Report 973. Retrieved 2011-02-16

External links [link]


https://wn.com/Pnau

Pnau (album)

Pnau is the third album by Australian dance music duo, Pnau. The album was released in 2007 on the independent record label etcetc in Australia and on the independent record label Pnau Records and Tapes on LP in the UK in 2009. The album peaked at 31 on the Australian albums chart and was featured at number 89 on the Triple J Hottest 100 Albums of All Time.

The album is considered significant for the band in several regards. Shortly after the album's release Elton John claimed the album to be the greatest record he had heard in ten years. Subsequently, Pnau was signed onto Elton's management, which resulted in their heavily publicized apprenticeship under the music icon.

Additionally, Pnau reunited Nick Littlemore with Luke Steele for the first time in nearly a decade for the album tracks "With You Forever" and "Freedom". According to Littlemore, the track "With You Forever" inspired the artists to collaborate on a side project, which finalized a year later into the highly successful electronic pop band Empire of the Sun.

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