The Attack Of The Klaxons

If you were to somehow inadvertently find yourself in the middle of the rolling maul that typifies a Klaxons' gig, you could be easily forgiven for thinking that you had somehow slipped through some kind of wormhole and had been transported back in time to 1987. Those around would likely be clad from head to toe in the type of mandatory baggy clothing that typified the uniform of the so-called 'Summer of Love' that saw rave music burst on the scene in 1987. Revelers armed with glow-sticks and whistles would make the dancefloor heave as the band belted out anthems characterized by pounding beats, female vocal samples and epic soundscapes.

The latest in a line of bands to be touted as 'the next big thing' by the insatiable beast that is the Britain's burgeoning music media, the Klaxons appear to have all their ducks in a row, despite having released only two singles so far. They have the clever name: 'klax-on' is apparently a derivative of the French verb 'to toot', accordingly rich with sly nods to their whistle-blowers and stoners that populate their gigs. A further variant of the word can evidently be a form of tribal drumming, giving it the perfect symmetry that music journalists love. The band has even been anointed the leaders of a new movement called the "New Rave Revolution' where groups use traditional instruments such as guitars and live drums to approximate a sound that has typically been associated with turntables and computer programs in the past.

Their debut album is not even due to hit stores until January, yet tellingly, there is allegedly a whole new generation of young bands springing up all over MySpace that tout the Klaxons as their sole influence.

The beginnings of the Klaxons lie in the summer of 1992, when Jamie Reynolds and his fellow young boy-scouts, went camping in the hills of Worcestershire. On a distant hillside the kids looked on as a huge crowd of partygoers gathered for the Fantazia Festival, an event that arguably marked the zenith of rave culture. The scene stuck rigidly in his mind and it was that sound, and more importantly that feeling, that he would try to recreate as soon as he picked up a musical instrument. His interest in the music was further induced by the fact that cheaply made mix-tapes were in abundance in his local school as students swapped the very latest in techno music for only a small price, if anything at all. Although he was friendly with Simon Taylor and the suitably named, James Righton, the three had always played in different bands until one day agreeing to get together to rehearse. Instead of finding common ground by jamming through some familiar rock song, they instead attempted to do a version of rave-classic, The Bouncer, by Kick's Like A Mule, and discovered that they thrilled in the music's obvious energy. The formula worked so well in fact that the song remains in their set to this day.

As their reputation and following grew exponentially, record companies began a rigorous pursuit for their signatures. When competition between labels grew, the band soon found themselves being wined and dined on an almost nightly basis, which proved a refreshing escape for three people used to living on the dole. As the pace of the pursuit grew, so too did the almost ridiculous nature of the offers being tabled, culminating with one unnamed label agreeing to send the band to the moon, when Virgin Airways begin their shuttle service in the coming decade, despite the fact that the request had been made thoroughly tongue-in-cheek. In the end, it would be Polydor who ran out winners, and the band's initial two singles, Gravity's Rainbow and Xan Valleys EP, seem to have vindicated their offer if the critics are to be believed, or indeed the swelling number of people packing out their gigs. NME recently gave the Klaxons the much coveted headline spot on their official tour and the UK media has all but named them as the first band to look out for in 2007. The band even called off their hyped US debut, which was slated for this week, so that they could concentrate solely on recording the album.

Personally, I feel the band certainly show promise but I think it is unfair of the media to foist so much hype upon them. Their singles to date show flashes of brilliance and a maturity that belies their experience, but don't' really stray too far from the sonic territory once covered by Pop Will Eat Itself over a decade ago when rock and rave had their first dalliance. Certainly the news that they will be working with hugely talented producer, James Ford, means that they will receive every chance to nail down a sound that has hitherto lacked a little coherence. Ford is famous for his work with

Arctic Monkeys but it his experience as a member of the sadly now defunct, Simian, that makes him the perfect choice to steer their sound. In short, my own jury is still out on the Klaxons but they certainly have a fine attorney in their corner.