Surfing the Void
Encyclopedia
Surfing the Void is the second studio album
by British indie rock
band Klaxons
, released on 23 August 2010 through Polydor Records
. The album was produced by Ross Robinson
, and was recorded in Los Angeles
, California
. The album was preceded by lead single "Echoes
" on 16 August.
Following the release of the band's Mercury Prize
-winning debut Myths of the Near Future
in 2007, Klaxons began working on their second effort the following year. The band returned to working with original producer James Ford
, aiming for release in early 2009. In March 2009, it was reported that the band had been told to re-record parts of their second album, with initial efforts rejected by Polydor for being "too experimental for release". The album was eventually recorded between November 2009 and February 2010 with producer Ross Robinson
.
Surfing the Void reached number ten on the UK Albums Chart
, as well as multiple charts worldwide. The album marked Klaxons' first entry into the Australian market at the time, debuting at number 15 on the ARIA Charts
. Critical reception to the album was generally favourable, with many reviewers commenting on the band's progression from their debut.
doom" album. Later in the year during the band's November–December tour of the United Kingdom, Simon Taylor-Davis told NME that the band were currently playing an untitled prog track during soundcheck
. Later in the year, the band confirmed they were heading to France
to record with James Ford
, aiming to be completed by Christmas for release in early 2009.
In March 2009, it was reported that the band had been told to re-record parts of their second album, after it was rejected by label Polydor
. The Sun
confirmed that the label deemed it "too experimental" for release, with Reynolds stating that "...we've made a really dense, psychedelic record" and that "it isn't the right thing for us [the band]". In an interview with BBC News
, Reynolds revealed that "Moonhead" and new track "Marble Fields and the Hydrolight Head of Delusion" were "probably going to make it", and that they were working with "Simian Mobile Disco
production" during April–May 2009. Reynolds added that "Valley of the Calm Trees" had been retitled "The Parhelion", to reflect its lyrical content. James Ford - of Simian Mobile Disco - confirmed working with the band later in the year, stating in an interview with Newsbeat
that they were "...trying to keep it melodic and vocal because that's one of their great strong points".
It was announced during November 2009 that the band were now working with producer Ross Robinson
, with Robinson confirming through his Twitter account. The band stated that work with Ford had gone astray, reaching difficulties with Ford acting as both producer and drummer. Recording was completed to the satisfaction of both band and label in February 2010.
The band released some of the material from the original sessions on a free EP titled "Landmarks of Lunacy" via their website on 25 December 2010.
On 22 May 2009, the band announced a one-off show at Coventry
's Kasbah nightclub, their only scheduled headline UK performance. The concert, to take place on June 3, sparked rumours that the band may feature at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival
. The band supported Blur
at their comeback show at the Manchester Evening News Arena
on June 26, before playing a surprise set at Glastonbury the following day. The set included further new songs "Hoodoo Bora", "Future Memory" and "Echoes". In addition to Glastonbury, the band featured at numerous other festivals including Bestival
, Ibiza Rocks, and headlined the Croatian Hartera festival.
In March 2010, it was confirmed that the band would be playing Open'er Festival
in Poland
as well as the Reading and Leeds Festivals
in the United Kingdom, where they are to headline the BBC Radio 1
/NME
Stage. Taylor-Davies suggested Reading and Leeds would be a UK-exclusive, saying "I think in England it's just going to be Reading and Leeds, in terms of festivals, this summer". The band have also announced an eight date tour of the United Kingdom and France in support of the new album, taking place during May–July 2010. For live performances, they are to be joined by Anthony Rossomando (formerly of Dirty Pretty Things
) as a touring member. Further festival performances include Spain's Benicàssim Festival
, Pohoda
in Slovakia, and EXIT
in Serbia.
, naming the track his "Hottest Record in the World" for 25 May 2010. From 8pm the same day, the track was made available to listen to from the band's website. The album's first official single was announced as "Echoes
", which was released on 16 August 2010. The track peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
. Surfing the Void entered the UK Albums Chart
upon its release, peaking at number ten in the week beginning 29 August 2010. Worldwide, the album reached number fifteen in the Australian ARIA Charts
, as well charting on the Irish, Swiss and Belgian (Wallonia) Album Charts. Second single "Twin Flames" was released on 25 October 2010.
reported a normalised
rating of 68 based on thirteen positive and ten mixed critical reviews. Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
awarded the album three stars out of five, applauding the band's efforts to stand out from conventional indie music. BBC
reviewer Andy Fyfe noted the band's move away from their new rave
labelling, comparing the band favourably to The Prodigy
and Depeche Mode
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by British indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band Klaxons
Klaxons
Klaxons are a British indie rock band, based in London. 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....
, released on 23 August 2010 through Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. The album was produced by Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
, and was recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The album was preceded by lead single "Echoes
Echoes (Klaxons song)
"Echoes" is the first single to be released by British indie rock band Klaxons from their second studio album, Surfing the Void. The song was released through Polydor Records as a digital download on 15 August 2010, with a vinyl and CD single release the following day. The single was added to BBC...
" on 16 August.
Following the release of the band's Mercury Prize
Mercury Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize and currently known as the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for sponsorship reasons, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album from the United Kingdom and Ireland. It was established by the British Phonographic Industry and British...
-winning debut Myths of the Near Future
Myths of the Near Future (album)
Klaxons' French label Because released "As Above, So Below" as a limited edition clear vinyl 12" in November 2007. The 12" features two versions of the track, a French language version and a remix by Justice....
in 2007, Klaxons began working on their second effort the following year. The band returned to working with original producer James Ford
James Ford (musician)
James Ford is an English musical composer, record producer and musician.-Biography:Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and currently a member of their spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco...
, aiming for release in early 2009. In March 2009, it was reported that the band had been told to re-record parts of their second album, with initial efforts rejected by Polydor for being "too experimental for release". The album was eventually recorded between November 2009 and February 2010 with producer Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
.
Surfing the Void reached number ten on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, as well as multiple charts worldwide. The album marked Klaxons' first entry into the Australian market at the time, debuting at number 15 on the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
. Critical reception to the album was generally favourable, with many reviewers commenting on the band's progression from their debut.
Production and recording
In July 2007, bassist and vocalist Jamie Reynolds stated that the band were to begin writing parts of their second album individually, aiming to compile at the conclusion of their then-current touring schedule. Reynolds would go on to described the work as a "progProgressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
doom" album. Later in the year during the band's November–December tour of the United Kingdom, Simon Taylor-Davis told NME that the band were currently playing an untitled prog track during soundcheck
Soundcheck
A soundcheck is the preparation that takes place before a concert, speech, or similar performance, when the performer and the sound crew run through a small portion of the upcoming show on the venue's sound system to make sure that the sound in the venue's "Front Of House" and stage monitor sound...
. Later in the year, the band confirmed they were heading to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
to record with James Ford
James Ford (musician)
James Ford is an English musical composer, record producer and musician.-Biography:Ford was a founding member of the group Simian and currently a member of their spin-off duo Simian Mobile Disco...
, aiming to be completed by Christmas for release in early 2009.
In March 2009, it was reported that the band had been told to re-record parts of their second album, after it was rejected by label Polydor
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
confirmed that the label deemed it "too experimental" for release, with Reynolds stating that "...we've made a really dense, psychedelic record" and that "it isn't the right thing for us [the band]". In an interview with BBC News
BBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, Reynolds revealed that "Moonhead" and new track "Marble Fields and the Hydrolight Head of Delusion" were "probably going to make it", and that they were working with "Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco
Simian Mobile Disco are a United Kingdom-based production and remix team formed in 2005 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production...
production" during April–May 2009. Reynolds added that "Valley of the Calm Trees" had been retitled "The Parhelion", to reflect its lyrical content. James Ford - of Simian Mobile Disco - confirmed working with the band later in the year, stating in an interview with Newsbeat
Newsbeat
Newsbeat is the flagship news programme on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra. Newsbeat is produced by BBC News but differs from the BBC's other news programmes in its remit to provide news tailored for a specifically younger audience....
that they were "...trying to keep it melodic and vocal because that's one of their great strong points".
It was announced during November 2009 that the band were now working with producer Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
, with Robinson confirming through his Twitter account. The band stated that work with Ford had gone astray, reaching difficulties with Ford acting as both producer and drummer. Recording was completed to the satisfaction of both band and label in February 2010.
The band released some of the material from the original sessions on a free EP titled "Landmarks of Lunacy" via their website on 25 December 2010.
Promotion
In October 2008, Klaxons made their live return with a series of gigs in Europe and South America, debuting new tracks "Valley of the Calm Trees" and "Moonhead". These were the band's first performances since NMEs Big Gig eight months prior. The band would then join Modular Records's NeverEverLand festival, which toured Australia throughout December 2008. The band made their live return to the United Kingdom at the beginning of 2009, playing a small club show at Madame Jojo's in London. During the set, the band featured new songs "Imaginary Pleasures" and "In Silver Forest", together with the previously aired "Moonhead" and "Valley of the Calm Trees".On 22 May 2009, the band announced a one-off show at Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
's Kasbah nightclub, their only scheduled headline UK performance. The concert, to take place on June 3, sparked rumours that the band may feature at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival 2009
The 2009 Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts was held from 24–29 June 2009.- Registration :In a similar way to previous festivals, tickets for the 2009 event required pre-registration through the festival website...
. The band supported Blur
Blur (band)
Blur is an English alternative rock band. Formed in London in 1989 as Seymour, the group consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing...
at their comeback show at the Manchester Evening News Arena
Manchester Evening News Arena
The Manchester Evening News Arena is an indoor arena situated in Manchester, England. It is adjacent to Manchester Victoria station near Corporation Street...
on June 26, before playing a surprise set at Glastonbury the following day. The set included further new songs "Hoodoo Bora", "Future Memory" and "Echoes". In addition to Glastonbury, the band featured at numerous other festivals including Bestival
Bestival
Bestival is a four-day music festival held at the Robin Hill country park on the Isle of Wight, England. It has been held annually in late summer since 2004. The event is organized by DJ and record producer Rob da Bank and is an off-shoot of his Sunday Best record label and club nights. The initial...
, Ibiza Rocks, and headlined the Croatian Hartera festival.
In March 2010, it was confirmed that the band would be playing Open'er Festival
Open'er Festival
The Heineken Open'er Festival is a music festival which takes place on the North coast of Poland, in Gdynia. The first edition of the festival was organized in Warsaw in 2002 as Open Air Festival. The main organizer of the festival is the concert agency Alter Art, but the performance took its name...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as well as the Reading and Leeds Festivals
Reading and Leeds Festivals
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend, sharing the same bill. The Reading Festival is held at Little John's Farm...
in the United Kingdom, where they are to headline the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
/NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
Stage. Taylor-Davies suggested Reading and Leeds would be a UK-exclusive, saying "I think in England it's just going to be Reading and Leeds, in terms of festivals, this summer". The band have also announced an eight date tour of the United Kingdom and France in support of the new album, taking place during May–July 2010. For live performances, they are to be joined by Anthony Rossomando (formerly of Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things (band)
Dirty Pretty Things were an English band fronted by Carl Barât, a member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Barât and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004. Barât had worked with Vertigo Records and had...
) as a touring member. Further festival performances include Spain's Benicàssim Festival
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim is an annual music festival which takes place in the village of Benicàssim, province of Castelló, Valencian Community in Spain. It focuses mainly on pop, rock and electronica artists, as well as having other elements besides music like short films,...
, Pohoda
Pohoda (music festival)
Pohoda festival is an open-air summer music festival in Slovakia, first organized in 1997 in Trenčín. It is one of the biggest Slovak music events organized annually...
in Slovakia, and EXIT
EXIT (festival)
Exit is an annual summer music festival in the Petrovaradin Fortress of Novi Sad, Serbia. It is staged annually since 2000 and usually lasts four days ....
in Serbia.
Artwork
In January 2011 it was announced that the cover had won a prize for the best album artwork of 2010.Release
The album's title was revealed on 25 May 2010. Zane Lowe premiered the promotional track "Flashover" on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, naming the track his "Hottest Record in the World" for 25 May 2010. From 8pm the same day, the track was made available to listen to from the band's website. The album's first official single was announced as "Echoes
Echoes (Klaxons song)
"Echoes" is the first single to be released by British indie rock band Klaxons from their second studio album, Surfing the Void. The song was released through Polydor Records as a digital download on 15 August 2010, with a vinyl and CD single release the following day. The single was added to BBC...
", which was released on 16 August 2010. The track peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. Surfing the Void entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
upon its release, peaking at number ten in the week beginning 29 August 2010. Worldwide, the album reached number fifteen in the Australian ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
, as well charting on the Irish, Swiss and Belgian (Wallonia) Album Charts. Second single "Twin Flames" was released on 25 October 2010.
Reception
Media response to Surfing the Void was generally favourable, with many professional reviews commented on the band's progression from their debut album. Aggregating website MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported a normalised
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating of 68 based on thirteen positive and ten mixed critical reviews. Dorian Lynskey of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
awarded the album three stars out of five, applauding the band's efforts to stand out from conventional indie music. BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
reviewer Andy Fyfe noted the band's move away from their new rave
New Rave
New rave is a term applied to several types of music that fuse elements of electronic music, new wave, rock, indie, techno, bastard pop, breakbeat hardcore and electro house...
labelling, comparing the band favourably to The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
.