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Klaxons

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Klaxons
Company typeBand
IndustryMusic
Founded2005 in London, England
Headquarters
London
,
England
ProductsMusic albums, singles

Klaxons were a London-based English rock group. After issuing several 7-inch singles on independent labels and achieving success with the tracks "Magick" and "Golden Skans", they released their first album, Myths of the Near Future, on 29 January 2007. This debut earned them the 2007 Mercury Prize. Following extensive festival appearances worldwide and headline tours—including the NME Indie Rave Tour—the band commenced work on their second album in July 2007.[1] Their follow-up album, Surfing the Void, was released on 23 August 2010, with their third studio effort, Love Frequency, arriving on 16 June 2014.[2] Since 2015, the band has been on an indefinite hiatus.

Formation (2005–2006)

Jamie Reynolds grew up in Bournemouth and Southampton.[3] He abandoned his philosophy course at University of Greenwich to take a job in a record store in Southampton before moving to London, where he was eventually made redundant.[4] Simon Taylor-Davis and James Righton, who had met at Stratford-upon-Avon School, joined Reynolds in forming the trio in New Cross, London, introduced through Reynolds' girlfriend.[5] At that time, Righton was employed as a teacher.[6] James taught Simon how to play guitar,[4] and using redundancy money, they invested in studio gear.[5] Initially calling themselves "Klaxons (Not Centaurs)"—a name derived from Filippo Tommaso Marinetti's futurist manifesto The Futurist Manifesto[7], the band performed with drummer Finnigan Kidd in 2005,[8] until Kidd departed to join Hatcham Social. Steffan Halperin took over drumming duties in February 2006,[9] officially becoming a member by early 2007.[10] Halperin makes limited appearances in their music videos, notably featuring in "Atlantis to Interzone" and briefly in the 2007 reissue of "Gravity's Rainbow".[11]

Myths of the Near Future (2006–2008)

In March 2006, Klaxons released their debut single, "Gravity's Rainbow", through Angular Records, limited to just 500 hand-decorated 7-inch vinyl copies. Radio 1 DJ Steve Lamacq was the first to play their music and invited them for a live session at Maida Vale Studios. Their follow-up single, "Atlantis to Interzone", came out on 12 June via Merok Records, receiving attention from NME and airplay from DJs such as Zane Lowe and Jo Whiley. The band’s initial EP, Xan Valleys, was issued on 17 October 2006 by Australian label Modular Recordings, compiling earlier singles along with remixes. They made their North American debut with performances in New York’s East Village during October 2006.

By August 2006, Klaxons had signed with Polydor Records after considering several offers, securing their own imprint named Rinse Records. Their first single under Polydor, "Magick", released on 30 October, reached number 29 on the UK Top 40 chart.[12] That same month, they performed at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, energizing the nascent "New Rave" movement—a term coined by Jamie Reynolds and popularized by NME. Additionally, they played an acoustic set at Ibiza Rocks for BBC Radio 1, hosted by Zane Lowe.

The lead single from their debut album, "Golden Skans", was released on 22 January 2007 and initially reached number 16 based solely on downloads; it later peaked at number seven following its physical release.[12] On 24 January, they appeared on the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, performing "Golden Skans" alongside a cover of Justin Timberlake's "My Love". Subsequently, they released a cover of Grace's "It's Not Over Yet" as a single—with "My Love" as its B-side—which climbed to number thirteen in the UK charts.

Their debut album, Myths of the Near Future, launched on 29 January 2007 and debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart.[13] Producer James Ford contributed percussion and drums, while live drummer Halperin performed specifically on "Atlantis to Interzone".

On 1 October 2007, Klaxons unveiled A Bugged Out Mix, a double album mixed by Reynolds featuring twenty-seven tracks. Guitarist Simon Taylor revealed intentions for their next album to incorporate wider musical influences including progressive rock, dubstep, dance, and folk elements—aiming for a more expansive and varied production approach.[14]

At the London-based 2008 Brit Awards, Klaxons performed alongside Rihanna during her hit "Umbrella," which included segments of "Golden Skans".[15] They received 'Best Album' honors at the 2008 NME Awards, following their 'Best New Band' win from the previous year. Furthermore, they secured 'Best International Album' and 'Best International Track' for "Golden Skans" at the inaugural American NME awards held in Los Angeles.

Surfing the Void (2008–2011)

Discussions about a follow-up album started during the band's UK winter tour in November 2007, with inspirations drawn from dubstep, electronic dance music, and folk genres. In January 2008, the band contributed to Steve Aoki's first DJ mix compilation Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles. They resumed live performances in October 2008 across Europe and South America, introducing new compositions such as "Valley of the Calm Trees" and "Moonhead". The band confirmed plans in November to record in France alongside James Ford, targeting an early 2009 release. Additionally, they took part in Modular Records' NeverEverLand festival held in Australia that December.

Early 2009 saw Klaxons performing at a London club where they presented fresh tracks including "Imaginary Pleasures," "In Silver Forest," "Moonhead," and "Valley of the Calm Trees". However, Polydor Records rejected the album in March, leading to a decision to re-record. Reynolds described the initial cut as a "dense, psychedelic record" that did not align with their vision. Between April and May, they collaborated with Simian Mobile Disco's production team, renaming "Valley of the Calm Trees" to "The Parhelion". James Ford confirmed efforts to preserve melodic vocal elements.

On 22 May 2009, Klaxons announced a headline performance at Coventry's Kasbah nightclub scheduled for 3 June, sparking rumors about their participation in the 2009 Glastonbury Festival. They supported Blur at Manchester Evening News Arena on 26 June before delivering a surprise Glastonbury set featuring new songs like "Hoodoo Bora," "Future Memory," and "Echoes". Their festival appearances also included Bestival, Ibiza Rocks, and headlining Croatia’s Hartera festival.

In November 2009, Klaxons began collaborating with producer Ross Robinson after experiencing challenges with James Ford juggling roles as producer and drummer. Recording was temporarily halted for a New Year's Eve show at Brixton Academy’s Get Loaded In the Dark event. By February 2010, recording sessions were completed. The band confirmed slots at Poland’s Open'er Festival as well as Reading and Leeds Festivals in the UK, where they headlined the BBC Radio 1/NME Stage. Taylor-Davies mentioned that Reading and Leeds would be their sole UK festival appearances that summer.

On 25 May 2010, Zane Lowe debuted "Flashover" on BBC Radio 1—their first new track in three years. Although not released as a single, it featured on the upcoming album Surfing the Void. An eight-date UK and France tour was announced for May through July 2010, with Anthony Rossomando joining as an additional touring member.

Surfing the Void was officially released on 23 August 2010, preceded by the single "Echoes" a week earlier. Unlike their debut album’s UK sales of approximately 350,000 copies, this release sold only around 30,000 units and marked their final project with Universal/Polydor. On Christmas Day 2010, Klaxons issued a free EP titled Landmarks of Lunacy, comprising tracks recorded during sessions from 2007 to 2008.

Love Frequency and break-up (2012–2015)

In January 2012, Klaxons announced via Twitter that recording for their third studio album would commence on 30 January. Reports from NME suggested a release later that year featuring collaborations with James Murphy and The Chemical Brothers. At Berlin Festival in 2013, they premiered several new songs including "Children of the Sun", "Invisible Forces", "Love Frequency", "Rhythm of Life", and "New Reality", all of which appeared on their 2014 album.

The lead single "There is No Other Time," created in collaboration with British duo Gorgon City, debuted on BBC Radio 1 in February 2014 and was designated Track Of The Day. Released as an AA-side single alongside "Children Of The Sun," produced by Tom Rowlands of The Chemical Brothers on 30 March 2014, it preceded a brief four-date UK tour. The single reached number 42 on the UK Singles Chart. Their album Love Frequency, released on 16 June 2014, entered the UK Albums Chart at number 38.

In October 2014, Klaxons announced what they described as their final headline tour covering dates across the UK, Europe, Japan, and South America; however, no formal announcement of disbandment was made.

By June 2022, James Righton shared in an NME interview that while reunion invitations had been extended over time, a return seemed improbable. He expressed admiration for their past work but conveyed reluctance to revisit it casually.

Artistic Style

Klaxons have been characterized by NME as embodying an "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk" sound, positioning them as pivotal figures within the New Rave scene. Although critical opinions were divided, Jamie Reynolds described New Rave as initially a playful concept that ultimately developed into a distinct youth subculture. On their Facebook profile, the band identifies their music style as "Psychedelic / Progressive / Pop."

Members of the Band

  • Jamie Reynolds – bass guitar, vocals (2005–2015)
  • James Righton – keyboards, vocals (2005–2015)
  • Simon Taylor-Davies – guitar (2005–2015)

Touring Personnel

  • George Latham – drums (2013–2015)

Former Members

  • Steffan Halperin – drums (2007–2013)

Albums

Honors and Recognitions

Award Year Category Work Nominated Outcome Ref,
BT Digital Music Awards 2007 Best Rock/Indie Artist Template:Nom
Q Awards 2007 Best New Act Template:Nom
Mercury Prize 2007 Best Album Myths of the Near Future Template:Won
MTV Europe Music Awards 2007 Best UK & Irish Act Template:Nom
NME Awards 2007 Best New Band Template:Won
Vodafone Live Music Awards 2007 Live Breakthrough Act Template:Won
Brit Awards 2008 Best Live Act Template:Nom
2008 Breakthrough Act Template:Nom
Ivor Novello Awards 2008 Best Contemporary Song "Golden Skans" Template:Won
NME Awards 2008 Best Album Myths of the Near Future Template:Won
2008 Best British Band Template:Nom
2008 Best Video "Golden Skans" Template:Nom
2008 Best Dancefloor Filler "Atlantis to Interzone" Template:Nom
NME Awards USA 2008 Best International Track "Golden Skans" Template:Won
2008 Best New International Band Template:Won
2008 Best New International Live Act Template:Won
2008 Best International Album Myths of the Near Future Template:Nom
Best Art Vinyl 2010 Best Artwork Surfing the Void Template:Won
NME Awards 2011 Best Album Artwork Surfing the Void Template:Won
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  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Klaxons New York Times
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