Reynolds, Righton and Taylor-Davies formed the band in New Cross, London, United Kingdom, in 2005 Their debut single, "Gravity's Rainbow" was released on 29 March 2006 as a 500 copies limited 7-inch vinyl, decorated by the band themselves. Their first first EP, Xan Valleys, was released on 16 October 2006, and contained their first two singles alongside some remixes.
Following the release of numerous 7-inch singles on different independent record labels, as well as the success of previous singles "Magick" and "Golden Skans", the band released their debut album, Myths of the Near Future on 29 January 2007. The album won the 2007 Nationwide Mercury Prize.
After headlining their first tour (the 2007 NME Indie Rave Tour), as well as playing numerous festivals and headlining tours worldwide, the band started working on their follow-up album in October 2007.
HMV describes Klaxons as "acid-rave sci-fi punk-funk", a phrase lifted directly from Tim Chester's Radar feature in NME, while their MySpace page touts 'Psychedelic / Progressive / Pop'. However, they are one of the isolated acts being referred to as 'Nu Rave', a genre term coined by Angular Records founder Joe Daniel, who released the trio's first single. Though the band's sound is decidedly art rock, they draw upon some less common influences - notably the rave culture of the 1990s, which they appropriate and redefine in a post-modern fashion. Their influences are perhaps most represented in their covers of rave hits "The Bouncer" by Kicks Like a Mule and "Not Over Yet" by Grace. Both tracks have since been released by the band, the first as part of a double a-side with "Gravity's Rainbow" in March 2006 and the latter as a single on June 25, 2007 titled "It's Not Over Yet".
While the band are consistently hailed as the defining act of the sparsely-populated Nu Rave movement, Klaxons have worked to avoid being typecast as champions of the disputed genre that may or may not exist. Indeed, it is questionable whether or not the style referred to as "New Rave" is even appreciably different from the older genre dance-punk. Even so, Klaxons member Jamie Reynolds expressed no regrets at the dubious honor, saying that "...it's great that it started as an in-joke and became a minor youth subculture"
Klaxons recorded a song All Rights Reversed with Chemical Brothers on their album We Are The Night(2007).
As Above So Below
Klaxons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the skies and 'round your eyes
And in the pockets of the tide
A meeting place by night
Sequin covered swans
They're used to make their own mosaics
A ceremony comes
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
A whippowil in flight
Turns east towards Westphalia
In search of lost time
With the magic of true light
Tone zodiac in tune
With the fossil of our theme park
And falling from the seams
Sees the steeple, swarm delight
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
Galloping, galloping, beams faster
Galloping, galloping, beams faster
Galloping, galloping, beams faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Onwards past, never and still faster
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
The lyrics of "As Above So Below" by the Klaxons contain references to the cosmos and the supernatural. The opening lyrics "Sailing silver waves through the skies and 'round your eyes" evoke the image of celestial waters moving across the sky, and "in the pockets of the tide a meeting place by night" suggests a hidden, mystical location. The following lines mention "sequin-covered swans" that create their own mosaics, possibly alluding to the idea of creating something beautiful out of chaos. The lyrics then describe a ceremony and an "exponential fate," which could be interpreted as a mystical ritual that leads to a transformative experience.
The lyrics then turn to the natural world, with a "whippowil in flight" searching for lost time, and "tone zodiac in tune with the fossil of our theme park," which could refer to the alignment of the stars with man-made structures. The lyrics then mention "the steeple, swarm delight," which could be a reference to a congregation of people gathering for spiritual purposes. The final lines repeat "the dance of the cosmos shows, as above, so below," which reinforces the idea that the physical world is a reflection of the spiritual realm.
Overall, the lyrics of "As Above So Below" by the Klaxons suggest a connection between the celestial and material worlds, and the possibility of using mystical practices to access a deeper understanding of reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Sailing silver waves
Traveling through space
Through the skies and 'round your eyes
Exploring the universe
And in the pockets of the tide
Sailing through space-time ripples
A meeting place by night
Encounter with otherworldly beings
Sequin covered swans
Celestial entities
They're used to make their own mosaics
Creating their own constellations
A ceremony comes
A cosmic event unfolds
An exponential fate
A destiny beyond measure
The dance of the cosmos shows
The movements of the universe reveal
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The fabric of the universe changing
As above, so below
Connectedness of the universe
A whippowil in flight
A messenger of the universe
Turns east towards Westphalia
Guided by cosmic forces
In search of lost time
Seeking knowledge of the universe
With the magic of true light
With the power of cosmic energy
Tone zodiac in tune
Harmony in the universe
With the fossil of our theme park
Preservation of cosmic history
And falling from the seams
Breaking apart the universe
Sees the steeple, swarm delight
Observes celestial bodies
Galloping, galloping, beams faster
Cosmic radiation accelerating
Joining together and still faster
Bodies coming together at greater speeds
Onwards past, never and still faster
Moving forward towards the unknown universe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JAMES NICHOLAS RIGHTON, JAMIE OLIVER JACK REYNOLDS, SIMON LEE CAMPBELL TAYLOR-DAVIES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexbenz370
Lyrics
Sailing silver waves, through the skies and 'round your eyes
And in the pockets of the tide, a meeting place by night
Sequin covered swans that are used to make their own mosaics
A ceremony comes: An exponential fate
[Chorus]
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
[Verse 2]
A whippoorwhill in flight turns east towards westphalia
In search of lost time, with the magic of true light
Tone zodiac in tune, with the fossil of our themepark
And falling from the seams, is a steeple swarmed in light
[Chorus]
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
[Bridge]
Galloping, galloping beams faster
Galloping, galloping beams faster
Galloping, galloping beams faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Joining together and still faster
Onwards past never and still faster
Onwards past never and still faster
Always past never and still faster […]
[Chorus]
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
The dance of the cosmos shows
The stitches of space that slowly come and go
The dance of the cosmos shows
As above, so below
@funkyfinger82
Who is still enjoying this in 2023?!
@andyvilla3655
Havent heard these guys since 6th grade im 22 and let me see this is like meeting up with an old friend
@rafaaaaaaa1
Me too
@SaigesZone
Haven't heard this since 12th grade. I'm 30. Just as good as I remember,
@NatKatnails
Wow literally same, I’m 23 but I liked them a lot in middle school and I’m having a major nostalgia trip rn
@shanec9672
An old friend I've lost touch with recommended me this album way back in 2009, when I was 20. I listened to it, liked it, and forgot it pretty quickly. I looked it up again almost 2 weeks ago now when a melody I couldn't place popped into my head, before I remembered it was gravity's rainbow. Been listening to it off and on again ever since; I have no idea how I ever put these guys aside. This album is at least 70% bangers, and utterly unique.
@fiufiufi
The justice remix of this tracks is hot AF
@tanekrune5873
I'm like 1000, but we're all together in this. 1000 strong, you're not alone.
@TheeCocoShea
This song was so advanced
@guiabramides
I still think it is