Has it really been four years since we last had any new material from Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes? Surely not. Well if it does not seem so, it’s because in one way or another they have remained in our consciousness. After the success of Pnau’s self-titled third album, the duo barely paused for breath before collaborating with The Sleepy Jackson’s Luke Steele to produce the massively successful Empire of the Sun.

Now back in Australia for a string of low-key gigs to promote their new album Soft Universe, many punters heading to Billboard would be keen to see what would be coming next for this eclectic duo. Along for the ride was local indie pop act Owl Eyes. With a few singles already receiving high rotation on Triple J, things are looking bright Melbourne’s very own Brooke Addamo.

Owl Eyes hit the stage at 8:30 with minimal fanfare. Brooke and her similarly affected keyboardist were both looking quite hippy, dressed in princess dresses, and flowers in their hair. It was all a bit dramatic really. Her angelic voice more than made up for any pretention however, as she proceeded to open up the set with single Crashes. Her melancholic and soaring vocals, combined with atmospheric synths, and tight rhythm section made it an unobtrusive lead-in for Pnau. The band’s cover version of Foster The People’s Pumped Up Kicks certainly woke the crowd up as the excitement started to build.

As the lights went dim, the crowd went berserk as Pnau slowly emerged on stage. With a complete band set up they opened their set with two tracks from new album Soft Universe. The ‘80s-tinged number Everybody, and new single _Solid Ground. Many of the punters singing along the anthemic lyrics passionately. Quickly following this was the crazy electro-noise number Wild Strawberries, taken from the self-titled album from 2007. The accompanying intense red light show matched the tone of the film clip nicely.

Following all of this bombast, was some much needed light-heartedness. The crowd got down and boogied to the deliciously squirky single Baby. New track Something Special got quite the crowd reaction, and will probably be a big one for them should they release it as a single. Nick looked every bit the rock star as he postured and posed his way around the stage, eating up the crowd’s adoration. Standing in for Ladyhawke, Pnau’s new keyboardist belted out a faithful rendition of massive single Embrace.

After an impressive drum solo by their drummer, it evolved into a full on rock show. Nick pumped his fists and spurred the punters to chant “1, 2, 3, 4, we won’t take it any more!” My sentiments exactly I thought to myself, as I scractched my head in confusion. Coming back for an encore they performed the very MGMT-inspired Twist of fate. Closing out the night, Nick sang in place of Luke Steele on the song that really started it all for Empire of the Sun, We Will Live Forever.

For fans of Pnau who grew up on what now seem to be lost classics Sambanova and Again, it was more than a tad disappointing not to see any track from these albums played live. However, Pnau are obviously going in a more song structured and less dance-oriented direction these days. Soft Universe is clearly the logical progression from Empire of the Sun. Looking at the reaction from the fans tonight, they may even eclipse the popularity of that project. Now we can look forward to a more extensive national tour.