Klaxons

Klaxons are an English group from New Cross, in London, formed in 2005 by Jamie Reynolds, James Righton and Simon Taylor-Davis. The line-up also includes Steffan Halperin. They are associated with alternative dance, alternative rock, dance-punk, electropop, indie rock and indietronica, and are closely linked with the “new rave” scene.

Early releases and debut album

The band’s first single, “Gravity’s Rainbow”, appears in a limited 7-inch vinyl edition and is decorated by the group themselves. Their first EP, Xan Valleys, follows and includes their first two singles together with remixes. After a run of singles on independent labels, including “Magick” and “Golden Skans”, Klaxons release their debut album, Myths of the Near Future. The album wins the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize.

Style and influences

Klaxons’ music draws on rave culture from the 1990s and reworks it in a post-modern way. Their sound is described in different ways, including “acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk”, and they are also linked with art rock. The band’s approach to the new rave label sits alongside the broader and disputed idea of “nu rave”, a term coined by Joe Daniel of Angular Records, who releases the band’s first single.

Live work and collaborations

After headlining the NME Indie Rave Tour in 2007, Klaxons play festivals and headline tours internationally. They also record “All Rights Reversed” with the Chemical Brothers for the album We Are the Night. Among their cover versions are “The Bouncer” by Kicks Like a Mule and “Not Over Yet” by Grace, the latter issued as “It’s Not Over Yet”.

Status

The band becomes inactive after 2014 and its active period runs from 2005 to 2015.