Album Review: Elton John Vs. PNAU - Good Morning To The Night

The love affair between pop royal Elton John and local electronic duo Pnau has evolved beyond the mentoring stage to an album of remixes that is not as strained as you might expect. Much has been made of John's admiration of the young Aussies that he signed to his management company, particularly in the UK, so it seems Nick Littlemore and Peter Mayes are capitalising on the connection by remixing a selection of the legend's more obscure tracks from the 1970s.
Fans of either artist initially may have seen the project as an unlikely pairing, but it is instantly evident from the opening and title track that they have much more in common than you may first have thought. As soon as you hear John's vocals over Pnau's signature sound you realise that the legend has probably been inspiring Littlemore for many years, particularly in his Empire Of The Sun work. The standout tracks are Good Morning To The Night and Telegraph To The Afterlife, showing clearly why this collaboration works. The psychedelic vibe of John's '70s sound and Pnau's chilled, moody and often trippy vibe complement each other perfectly.
The two downsides to this release are the sometimes repetitive nature of the sound and the fact that it has a strong summer feel, which is ideal for its European release and recent Ibiza performances, but may restrict its wider appeal at home for the meantime. Good Morning To The Night is an excellent example of how music of different generations can be morphed seamlessly and respectfully into a completely new sound, without either artist losing their identity or credibility.