Klaxons

Klaxons

(L-R)Jamie Reynolds,James Righton & Simon Taylor-Davis of Klaxons at the Eurockéennes 2007
Background information
Origin London, England, UK
Genres Dance-punk
Indie rock
New rave
Years active 2005-present
Labels Angular
Merok
Modular
Polydor
Geffen
Ed Banger
Website Official website
Members
Jamie Reynolds
James Righton
Simon Taylor-Davis
Steffan Halperin
Past members
Finnigan Kidd

Klaxons are a British alternative rock band, based in London. Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007. The album won the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize.[1] After playing festivals and headlining tours worldwide (including the NME Indie Rave Tour) during late 2006–2007, the band started working on their follow-up album in July 2007.[2] Klaxons second album, Surfing the Void, was released on 23 August 2010.

Contents

History

Formation (2005–2006)

Jamie Reynolds grew up in Bournemouth and Southampton in his early twenties.[3] He dropped out of studying philosophy at Greenwich University[4] to work in a record shop, before moving to London and being made redundant.[5] Simon Taylor-Davis and James Righton grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon, meeting at Stratford-upon-Avon High School.[6] The trio formed together in New Cross, London, after meeting through Reynolds' girlfriend.[7] Righton had been working as a teacher at the time.[8] Whilst based in New Cross, the band shared a house with members of Pull Tiger Tail, playing a gig together as 'Hollywood Is a Verb' in 2004.[9] Live tracks from the gig are available on the band's MySpace page.[10]

James taught Simon how to play guitar,[5] and with Reynolds' redundancy money they purchased a studio kit.[7] They recorded and performed live under their early guise of "Klaxons (Not Centaurs)", a quote from Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's futurism text The Futurist Manifesto.[11] Initially the band played with drummer Finnigan Kidd in 2005,[12] until Kidd left to play with fellow New Cross band, Hatcham Social. Replacement live drummer Steffan Halperin joined in February 2006,[13] with the band announcing him as an official member in an interview in Prefix Magazine in early 2007.[14] He remains mostly absent from the band's music videos, appearing only in the early video "Atlantis to Interzone" and briefly in the 2007 re-release of "Gravity's Rainbow". Around this time, the band began playing under their new, shortened name of Klaxons.[15]

Myths of the Near Future (2006–2008)

Klaxons' debut single, "Gravity's Rainbow" was released on 29 March 2006 on Angular Records. Only 500 copies were released, and all were printed on a 7-inch vinyl decorated by the band themselves. Radio 1's Steve Lamacq was the first DJ to play the band, and invited them to play a Maida Vale Studios live session on the strength of the single.[16] The band's second single, "Atlantis to Interzone", was released on June 12 of the same year. It was their first release for independent record label Merok Records, and led to further coverage in NME. The song enjoyed radio coverage from Zane Lowe and daytime airings from Jo Whiley, who repeatedly, and mistakenly, called the song "Atlantic To Interscope".[17] Zane Lowe also wrongly credited the song as "Atlantis To Interscope".[18] They released their first EP, Xan Valleys, on 16 October 2006. It was released on Australian record label Modular Recordings, and contained their first two singles alongside various remixes.[19] The band played their first North American dates in New York's East Village in October 2006.[20]

The band signed to Polydor Records in August 2006, following offers from numerous different record labels.[21] Regarding the amount, James Righton said that the fee was "absurdly off the mark", and that the band signed for considerably less on the condition they would be given their own label imprint, Rinse Records. Their first single for the label, "Magick", was released on 30 October 2006 and reached #29 in the UK Top 40 the following week.

In August of that year, Klaxons played at the Reading and Leeds festivals. Fans sounded "Klaxons!" and cheered loudly between songs, brandishing glowsticks, giving credit to the "New Rave" label, coined by Angular Records founder Joe Daniel and later used by NME to describe the scene.

The first single from their debut album, "Golden Skans", was released on 22 January 2007. It reached #16 in the UK Singles Chart on download sales alone, two weeks before the official release of the CD. It climbed to #14 the next week, eventually peaking at #7 after the CD release. On January 24, Klaxons performed on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, performing "Golden Skans" and a cover of Justin Timberlake's "My Love".[22] The band then released "It's Not Over Yet", a cover version of a song originally by Grace. The track included the "My Love" cover as a b-side, and peaked at #13 in the UK Singles Chart.[23]

Their debut album, titled Myths of the Near Future, was released on 29 January 2007. It entered the UK Album Charts at #2, behind Norah Jones's album Not Too Late. Percussion and drumming on the album was provided by the album's producer James Ford,[24] with live drummer Halperin recording on "Atlantis to Interzone".

On 1 October 2007, the band released A Bugged Out Mix, a double album featuring 27 tracks mixed exclusively by Reynolds.

Klaxons singled out a new song that has strong prog influences as a guide to one possible direction the album may go in, revealed recently NME. Guitarist Simon Taylor said: "We wanna make something that's bigger and softer and louder and lo-fi and heavier produced - just lots of contradictions. I think it's gonna be like the last record but swollen. We've been listening to a lot of European prog music and dubstep and dance and folk. A huge broad variety of things really. There's one track we've been playing in soundcheck, it's this massive prog opus."

Klaxons performed with the singer Rihanna on the song "Umbrella" which had "Golden Skans" mixed into the background during the Brit Awards 2008 held in London on 20 February 2008.

Klaxons won 'Best Album' at the 2008 NME Awards held at London's IndigO2 Arena on 28 February 2008. This followed having won 'Best New Band' the previous year. Klaxons also won 'Best International Album' and 'Best International Track' for "Golden Skans" at the first American NME awards, which were held in Los Angeles, California.

Surfing the Void (2007–present)

Talk of a second album began in November 2007, during the band's winter tour of the United Kingdom. Taylor-Davis said influences included dubstep, dance and folk music, mentioning that the band were playing an untitled "prog" track during soundcheck.[25] The band featured on Steve Aoki's debut album Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, contributing the Soulwax remix of "Gravity's Rainbow" for its release in January 2008.[26][27] They made their live return with a series of gigs in Europe and South America during October 2008, debuting two new tracks, "Valley of the Calm Trees" and "Moonhead".[28] In an interview with NME in November, the band confirmed they were heading to France to record with James Ford, aiming to be completed by Christmas for release in early 2009.[29] The band made an appearance at Modular Records's NeverEverLand festival that toured around Australia in December 2008.[30]

At the beginning of 2009, the band played a small club show at Madame Jojo's in London, their first in the capital since the NME Big Gig the previous year. During the set, the band featured new songs "Imaginary Pleasures" and "In Silver Forest", together with the previously aired "Moonhead" and "Valley of the Calm Trees".[31] In March 2009, it was reported that the band had been told to re-record parts of their second album, after it was rejected by label Polydor. The Sun confirmed that the label deemed it "too experimental" for release,[32] with Reynolds stating that "...we've made a really dense, psychedelic record" and that "it isn't the right thing for us [the band]".[33] In an interview with BBC News, Reynolds revealed that "Moonhead" and new track "Marble Fields and the Hydrolight Head of Delusion" were "probably going to make it", and that they were working with "Simian Mobile Disco production" during April-May 2009. Reynolds added that "Valley of the Calm Trees" had been retitled "The Parhelion", to reflect its lyrical content.[34] James Ford - of Simian Mobile Disco - confirmed working with the band later in the year, stating in an interview with Newsbeat that they were "...trying to keep it melodic and vocal because that's one of their great strong points".[35]

On 22 May 2009, the band announced a one-off show at Coventry's Kasbah nightclub, their only scheduled headline UK performance.[36] The concert, to take place on June 3, sparked rumours that the band may feature at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival.[37] The band supported Blur at their comeback show at the Manchester Evening News Arena on June 26,[38] before playing a surprise set at Glastonbury the following day. The set included further new songs "Hoodoo Bora", "Future Memory" and "Echoes".[39] In addition to Glastonbury, the band featured at numerous other festivals including Bestival,[40] Ibiza Rocks,[41] and headlined the Croatian Hartera festival.[42]

It was announced during November 2009 that the band were now working with producer Ross Robinson, with Robinson confirming through his Twitter account.[43] The band stated that work with Ford had gone astray, reaching difficulties with Ford acting as both producer and drummer.[44] Klaxons broke from recording at the end of the year to perform at Get Loaded In the Dark at Brixton Academy on 31 December 2009, featuring alongside Chase & Status and Annie Mac.[45] Recording was completed to the satisfaction of both band and label in February 2010.[43] The following month, it was confirmed that the band would be playing Open'er Festival in Poland as well as the Reading and Leeds Festivals in the United Kingdom, where they are to headline the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage.[46] Taylor-Davies suggested Reading and Leeds would be a UK-exclusive, saying "I think in England it's just going to be Reading and Leeds, in terms of festivals, this summer".[47]

On 25 May 2010, Zane Lowe premiered the track "Flashover" on his BBC Radio 1 show, the band's first new material in three years. The track - not being released as a single - is to be available on the band's new album, provisionally titled Surfing The Void.[43][48][49] In support of the new album, the band have announced an eight date tour of the United Kingdom and France, taking place during May-July 2010. For live performances, they are to be joined by Anthony Rossomando as a touring member.[43]

Musical style

Klaxons in concert, 2007.

HMV describes Klaxons as "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk", a phrase lifted directly from Tim Chester's Radar feature in NME, while their MySpace page touts 'Psychedelic / Progressive / Pop'. However, they are one of the isolated acts being referred to as New Rave, a genre term coined by Angular Records founder Joe Daniel, who released the trio's first single. Though the band's sound is rock-based, they draw upon some less common influences - notably the rave culture of the 1990s, represented in their covers of rave hits "The Bouncer" by Kicks Like a Mule and "Not Over Yet" by Grace. Both tracks have since been released by the band, the first as part of a double a-side with "Gravity's Rainbow" in March 2006 and the latter as a single on June 25, 2007 titled "It's Not Over Yet".

Despite Jamie Reynolds explaining New Rave as something that "started as an in-joke and became a minor youth subculture" [50], the genre has been generally derided by critics [51] [52], leading the band to claim they're not representative of the scene, contradicting their stance in earlier in their career.

Discography

Awards

References

  1. ↑ "Mercury Music Prize: The nominees". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6903225.stm. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  2. ↑ "Klaxons get writing". 6 Music. http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20070724_klaxons.shtml. Retrieved 2007-08-27. 
  3. ↑ "Klaxons - press area - Because Music". Because Music. http://www.because.tv/en/press/klaxons.html. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
  4. ↑ Pacifico, Chris (2007-07-08). "Get Lifted With London's Klaxons". jambase.com. http://www.jambase.com/Articles/10997/Get-Lifted-With-London's-Klaxons/0. Retrieved 2009-06-05. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Klaxons on Kevchino". kevchino.com. http://www.kevchino.com/band/klaxons/1100. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  6. ↑ Lawler, Danielle (2007-09-06). "The Klaxons are horn stars". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/262796/The-Klaxons-are-horn-stars.html. Retrieved 2009-10-28. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Klaxons feeling a little bit Mercurial". thisislondon.co.uk. http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/article-23411069-klaxons-feeling-a-little-bit-mercurial.do. Retrieved 2008-10-13. 
  8. ↑ Abney, Barb (2009-06-05). "MPR: The Klaxons perform in studio". Minnesota Public Radio. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2007/04/18/klaxons/. 
  9. ↑ "Pull Tiger Tail biography". Last.fm. http://www.last.fm/music/Pull+Tiger+Tail. Retrieved 2008-10-13. 
  10. ↑ "Hollywood is a Verb MySpace". MySpace. http://myspace.com/hollywoodisaverb. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  11. ↑ Pareles, Jon. "Pumped Up With an Artsy, Postpunk Jolt of Rave". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/15/arts/music/15klax.html. Retrieved 2007-10-13. 
  12. ↑ "Klaxons". Fasterlouder.com.au. http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/allabout/artist/8254/Klaxons.htm?. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  13. ↑ MacBain, Hamish (2006). "Interview". Dummy Magazine. http://www.klaxons.net/_graphics/press/24zm.jpg. Retrieved 2009-08-21. 
  14. ↑ Ziph, Jen (2008-01-09). "Klaxons: Interview". Prefix Magazine. http://www.prefixmag.com/features/klaxons/interview/16508/. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  15. ↑ Singleton, Simon (December 2006). "Q&A Klaxons". FACT. http://www.klaxons.net/_graphics/press/50zm.jpg. Retrieved 2009-08-21. 
  16. ↑ Adams, Guy Sangster. "Independent Focus: Angular Recording Corporation". theculturalpick.com. http://www.theculturalpick.com/webzine/angularrecordingcorporation/. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  17. ↑ Upmale, Baiba (2007-05-01). "Hot British & International Pop for 2007". Starpulse.com. http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/01/05/hot_british_aamp_international_pop_for_2007. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  18. ↑ "Zane Lowe - Tracklisting". BBC Radio 1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/tracklistingarchive.shtml?20060509. Retrieved 2007-06-26. 
  19. ↑ "Klaxons - Xan Valleys". Drowned in Sound. http://drownedinsound.com/releases/8593. Retrieved 2009-01-06. 
  20. ↑ Jonze, Tim (2006-10-07). "This is going to be MDMA-zing". NME. http://www.klaxons.net/_graphics/press/33zm.jpg. Retrieved 2009-08-21. 
  21. ↑ Duong, Helen (2006-11-01). "Magickal Klaxons". UKMusic.com. http://www.ukmusic.com/features/interviews/magickal-klaxons.html. Retrieved 2009-03-07. 
  22. ↑ "Jo Whiley's Live Lounge Gallery". BBC Radio 1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/jowhiley/983/1. Retrieved 2007-06-26. 
  23. ↑ "ChartStats - Klaxons - It's Not Over Yet". ChartStats. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=3988. Retrieved 2007-08-16. 
  24. ↑ "Klaxons: Myths of the Near Future". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/klaxons-myths-of-the-near-future. Retrieved 2008-10-16. 
  25. ↑ "Klaxons shed light on their second album". NME. 2007-11-28. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/32816. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  26. ↑ "LA DJ calls on Klaxons and Justice for new album". NME. 2008-01-17. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/33721. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  27. ↑ Lindsay, Cam (2008-02-19). "Klaxons Back Rihanna For "Umbrella" At BRIT Awards". Exclaim!. http://exclaim.ca/articles/generalarticlesynopsfullart.aspx?csid1=0&csid2=844&fid1=29805. Retrieved 2010-05-28. 
  28. ↑ "Klaxons - Auditorio Ibirapuera, Sao Paulo, 23/10/08". NME (1 November 2007). 
  29. ↑ "Klaxons: 'New album and festival shows for 2009'". NME. 2008-11-21. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/41201. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  30. ↑ "Nevereverland festival line-up". Triple J. 2008-10-30. http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/musicnews/s2405488.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-21. 
  31. ↑ "Klaxons debut new songs in London". NME. 2009-02-04. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/42518. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  32. ↑ Smart, Gordon (2009-03-12). "Klaxons to lay it again". The Sun. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2314011.ece. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  33. ↑ "Klaxons to re-record second album". NME. 2009-03-13. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/43443. Retrieved 2009-07-21. 
  34. ↑ Rogers, Georgie (2009-04-29). "Talking Shop: Klaxons". BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8023224.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-07. 
  35. ↑ Geoghegan, Kev (2008-08-27). "Klaxons planning 'melodic' album". Newsbeat (BBC Online). http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7583000/7583961.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  36. ↑ "Klaxons Announce Small One Off Show". This Is Fake DIY. 2009-05-22. http://www.thisisfakediy.co.uk/articles/news/klaxons-announce-small-one-off-show. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  37. ↑ "Klaxons announce Coventry show". NME. 2009-05-29. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/44983. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  38. ↑ Colothan, Scott (2009-04-03). "Klaxons, Florence and the Machine To Support Blur". Gigwise.com. http://www.gigwise.com/news/50290/Klaxons-Florence-and-the-Machine-To-Support-Blur. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  39. ↑ "Klaxons play secret Glastonbury show in full fancy dress costume". NME. 2009-06-27. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/45679. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  40. ↑ "Kraftwerk, Klaxons set for Bestival". Newsbeat (BBC Online). 2009-02-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7914000/7914631.stm. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  41. ↑ "Klaxons Bring the Curtain Down on Ibiza Rocks 2009". ibizarocks.com. http://www.ibizarocks.com/events/news/klaxons-bring-the-curtain-down-on-ibiza-rocks-2009/. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  42. ↑ "Klaxons to headline festival". NME. 2009-03-09. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/43314. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 Dee, Johnny (2010-05-26). "Klaxons Make Long-Awaited Return With 'Flashover'". Spinner. http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/05/26/klaxons-make-long-awaited-return-with-flashover/. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  44. ↑ Ship, Jesse (2010-01-19). "Klaxons Sound Off on New Album: 'The Most Violent British Record to Date'". Spinner. http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2010/01/19/klaxons-new-album/. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  45. ↑ "Klaxons to DJ at Get Loaded In The Dark New Year's Eve party in London". NME. 2009-11-27. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/48579. Retrieved 2010-05-27. 
  46. ↑ Murray, Robin (2010-03-18). "Klaxons To Perform At Open'er Festival". Clash. http://www.clashmusic.com/news/klaxons-to-perform-at-opener-festival. Retrieved 2010-05-28. 
  47. ↑ "Klaxons to launch new album at Reading And Leeds Festivals". NME. 2010-05-29. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/50427. Retrieved 2010-03-31. 
  48. ↑ "Klaxons stream new song online and announce live dates". NME. 2010-05-25. http://www.nme.com/news/klaxons/51232. Retrieved 2010-05-28. 
  49. ↑ "Klaxons – “Flashover”". Stereogum. 2010-05-26. http://stereogum.com/385971/klaxons-flashover/mp3s/. Retrieved 2010-05-28. 
  50. ↑ "The future's bright...". London: Peter Robinson, The Guardian newspaper. 2007-02-03. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/feb/03/popandrock.culture. Retrieved 2007-02-03. 
  51. ↑ "New Rave? Old rubbish". London: [John Harris (critic). 2006-10-13. http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/oct/13/electronicmusic.popandrock. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  52. ↑ "God Help Us All: New Rave". London: BigShinyThing. 2006-10-12. http://www.bigshinything.com/god-help-us-all-new-rave. Retrieved 2010-08-21. 
  53. ↑ "Klaxons crowned Best New Band at Shockwaves NME Awards". NME.com. http://www.nme.com/awards/news/26762. Retrieved 2007-07-24. 

External links

Klaxons
Jamie Reynolds · Simon Taylor-Davis · James Righton · Steffan Halperin
Finnigan Kidd
Albums
Myths of the Near Future · Surfing the Void
EPs
Xan Valleys
Compilations
A Bugged Out Mix By Klaxons
Singles
"Gravity's Rainbow"  · "Atlantis to Interzone"  · "Magick"  · "Golden Skans"  · "It's Not Over Yet"  · "As Above, So Below"  · "Echoes"  · "Twin Flames"
Related articles
New rave · Polydor Records · James Ford · Angular Recording Corporation