Based in New Cross, south-east London the Klaxons emerged at the forefront of the "new rave' movement that sprang up in the UK during 2005/6. After their inception in 2005, Simon Taylor-Davis (b. Simon Lee Campbell, 18 June 1982, Warwick, Warwickshire, England; guitar), Jamie Reynolds (b. 1980, Bournemouth, Dorset, England; vocals/bass), Steffan Halperin (b. 12 August 1985; drums) and James Righton (b. 25 August 1983, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England; vocals/keyboards) played a number of chaotic early gigs around trendy public houses in east London, which saw them being dismissed as a comedy act. However, owing to their energetic live shows, and the fact that most, if not the entire crowd were too young to remember the rave scene of the early 90s, the Klaxons" following quickly swelled. Citing influences as eclectic as Can, Madonna, and Green Velvet it may difficult to fathom out how they found replicating the essence of rave in such an all-encompassing way. Using sirens, beefed up bass lines, and even a piano break, the release of "Gravity's Rainbow" in early 2006 bridged the gap between indie and dance much like the Happy Mondays did in the early 90s. With a b-side cover version of "The Bouncer" by rave act Kicks Like A Mule, Klaxons set their stall out to get the new generation of rock kids dancing, joining other acts such as Hot Chip, the Longcut, Justice, Simian Mobile Disco and Shitdisco.
Released in June 2006, the siren-infused "Atlantis To Interzone" managed to capture rave sensibilities while not relying on samplers, and synthesizers alone. The single was released on east London-based Merok Records, the label instrumental in the rise of the new rave scene. The Xan Valleys EP and the major label release Myths Of The Near Future built on the groundswell of hip credibility surrounding the Klaxons, with the latter reaching the UK Top 2 in January 2007. The album comprised their four singles to date, a re-recorded version of the Xan Valleys track "Four Horsemen Of 2012", and a number of excellent new tracks. It was awarded the prestigious Nationwide Mercury Prize in September.
