Klaxons: Myths of the Near Future
Klaxons have been heralded as the founders of the New Rave scene
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Monday, 29, Jan 2007 10:44
Polydor, January 29th.
In a nutshell.
Acid-rave, psychedelic, innovative, pop
What's it all about?
New Rave - the scene which has reinvigorated the acid-rave movement with a new, arty feel - was partly spawned by Klaxons. It's all glowsticks and bright yellow hoodies with flash videos and psychedelic beats. Klaxons deliver all of these things, but Myths of the Near Future sheds its New Rave skin regularly to reveal what this band is really all about: addictive and catchy pop.
Current single Golden Skans is filled with radio-friendly ooh la choruses and frenetic, fast backing beats that make most people nod their heads enthusiastically. Two Receivers, the opening track of Myths, shows why Muse are such big fans as it gradually builds from an apocalyptic stomp into a shout-a-long anthem. Isle of Her, another standout track, is so beautifully weird that you can't help but fall for Myths from the very first listen.
If Klaxons have set about to plan an upward trajectory in the mould of the Stone Roses or Primal Scream, Myths is a fantastic foothold. It brings together the quirkiness and intelligence of New Rave, without overdosing on the side carnage hyped up by the various spin offs and club nights that claim to represent the movement.
Who's it by?
Klaxons are fresher than home-cooked bread and have followed a crazed path since the release of their first single Gravity's Rainbow in April last year. After being heralded as the founders of the New Rave scene, Klaxons began gigging and continuing to release further singles on Angular Recordings and then Merok, before being signed by Polydor.
Over the coming months it became obvious that New Rave had a formidable following and could overlap into the pop mainstream. At Reading and Leeds, Klaxons were treated to the kind of chants and support that Arctic Monkeys received the year before, complete with blanket radio play and recognition for the movement that had seemingly begun. Party kids replaced the indie crowd, with finesse and dancing pushing out the pint-wielding javelin throwers that are common place at large gigs.
As an example.
"And in Space! Two receivers turn away/Just in case! Two receivers turn away/To Displace! Two receivers turn away/And in space!" The simplicity of Klaxons lyrics is hidden behind the complex makeup of their songs, with Two Receivers best demonstrating the band's awesome ability to create floor fillers.
Likelihood of a trip to the Grammys
Myths is a big contender for UK awards nominations and will rank as one of many people's top albums of 2007.
What the others say
"Myths of the Near Future will remain one of the most dynamic, intense and totally lunatic pop records of the early 21st century" - NME.
"No American listener would be likely to identify this tumult as a tribute to rave culture. But then, those dance tracks that once ruled Britain were never more than obscure import singles over here." - New York Times.
So is it any good?
From the word go, it is obvious that Klaxons have created something special with Myths. It seems to offer the very best of the New Rave scene - the acid-rave and sci-fi punk beats behind the psychedelic lyrics and pop choruses - without compromising the legitimacy of the music with cheap gimmicks.
Klaxons mean business; Two Receivers is a cocksure opening to a record and is rip-roaringly good, setting an almighty standard for the rest of the record. But when Klaxons are confronted with a challenge, they simply come up with something else completely different to blow the brightly coloured ear muffs right off the New Rave scenesters' heads. Gravity's Rainbow is such a song, with its distortion and multi-faceted beats seeming to convulse inside your eardrum.
Myths is one of those records guaranteed to be bouncing around your room for months on end. Its strength is in its diversity and exploring this album's various avenues is a rewarding task. There are no weak tracks on here and each one is so frighteningly fast and furious that you can't help but play them over and over again.
Golden Skans and Magick are both thunderous efforts at reaching the pinnacle of a pop rave, blending the kind of fast musical elements reminiscent of the early 1990s with long indie choruses more like Blur or Oasis. Myths is without doubt one of the strongest albums to have emerged from the UK music scene since the Monkeys' debut or Kasabian's follow-up and will rightfully claim its place on the top of your CD pile.
9/10
Karl Pike