''Sambanova'' is the debut album by Australian

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...

duo

Pnau Pnau, stylised as PNAU, is an Australian Electronic dance music, dance music trio originating from Sydney, Australia, Sydney. The trio, a duo before 2016, consists of the musicians Nick Littlemore (vocals, production), Peter Mayes (guitar, produ ...

, released in July 1999 on the independent Peking Duck

label A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product. Labels are most often affixed to packaging and containers using an adhesive, or sewing when affix ...

. However, the album was pulled from record stores due to uncleared samples;

Warner Music Australasia Warner Music Group (WMG) owns, has a joint share, or is associated with the record labels listed here. Flagship labels *Atlantic Records *Elektra Records *Parlophone Records *Warner Records Atlantic Music Group * 1st & 15th Entertainment * ...

re-released it in August 2001 with a different track listing, and it peaked in the top 40 of the ARIA Albums Chart. The album won an ARIA Music Award for Best Dance Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 2000.

Background

Pnau released their debut album ''Sambanova'' in July 1999 under the small independent Peking Duck

. It was recorded in a bedroom studio and Pnau declared they only expected to sell "a few thousand copies". It was re-released in June 2000 by

however the album was pulled from record stores for uncleared samples and re-released in an altered format by

in August 2001. In a 2003 interview with ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'' newspaper's Andrew Drever, Mayes recalled that they had no understanding of sample clearances due to their naivety in the music business. Pnau toured nationally for the

Big Day Out The Big Day Out (BDO) was an annual music festival that was held in five Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Queensland, Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as Auckland, New Zealand. The festival was held during summer, typi ...

in 2001, 2004, 2008 and 2011.

Track listing

Three full length versions of ''Sambanova'' have been released to the public, one through the label Peking Duck and two through

. Peking Duck version * ''Sambanova'' (1999, CD format, released by Peking Duck, DUCKCD001) 2000 version * ''Sambanova'' (2000, CD format, had video on it, rereleased by Warner Music Australasia, 8573831942) 2001 version * ''Sambanova'' (July 2001, CD format, has 3 bonus tracks, released by Warner Music Australasia, 8573883392)

Personnel

Pnau members * Nick Littlemore – vocals, drums,

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, synthesiser, keyboards, trombone,

melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

, clavi * Peter Mayes – guitars, vocals, bass guitar, synthesiser, keyboards, melodica,

keytar A keytar (a portmanteau of ''keyboard'' and ''guitar'') is a keyboard instrument similar to a synthesizer or MIDI controller that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is held. Overview Though the ...

Additional musicians *Paul Johannessen –

electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument that has a piano-style musical keyboard, where sound is produced by means of mechanical hammers striking metal strings or reeds or wire tines, which leads to vibrations which are then converted into ele ...

(Fender Rhodes) *Gawain McGrath – guitar

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sambanova 1999 debut albums ARIA Award–winning albums Pnau albums