When Klaxons burst on to the UK music scene in 2006, they took everyone by surprise. They were edgy, bold and daring and critics scrambled as they tried to box them into one particular genre. They failed to do, as Klaxons fit into neither the indie rock or dance punk genres, and soon the "nu rave" term was coined. Forever arrogant and avant-garde, Klaxons tried unsuccessfully to distance themselves from the nu rave label, but the more they tried, the more they became champions of the scene.
Their debut album Myths of the Near Future was one of the strongest debut albums to hit the English indie music scene in years. It featured 10 energetic and manic tracks that were massive hits on dance floors across the country. Klaxons live shows were legendary, with the band performing in increasingly bizarre outfits, while their surreal lyrics had fans rushing to read the works of Richard Brautigan and J. G. Ballard.
The accolades and awards began to stream in during 2007 as Klaxons won Best New Band at the NME Awards, XFM’s Live Breakthrough Act, and the 2007 Mercury Music Prize for Myths of the Near Future. By early 2008, Klaxons were kings of the indie rock scene, as they won the NME Award for Best Album for Myths.
Shortly thereafter, Klaxons virtually disappeared from the scene and began to record their next album. A couple of new tracks began to surface at live gigs and fans generally liked the edgy sounds of the tracks, including “Valley of the Calm Trees”. Disaster struck in March 2009 however, when NME reported that the label had shelved the sophomore Klaxons album and forced them to re-record it. Vocalist and frontman Jamie Reynolds was quoted as saying, "Yes [we were asked to re-record part of the album]. Because we've made a really dense, psychedelic record. We've made a really heavy record and it isn't the right thing for us, I understand and know that. First and foremost we're a pop band. I haven't thought about that for a long time, and now it's in the forefront of my mind."
Article comments