Myths of the Near Future | ||||
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Studio album by Klaxons | ||||
Released | 29 January 2007 | |||
Recorded | 2006 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length |
53:35 (UK and Malaysia edition) 36:22 (international edition) |
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Label | Polydor | |||
Producer | James Ford | |||
Klaxons chronology | ||||
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Singles from Myths of the Near Future | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 71/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Blender | |
Entertainment Weekly | B |
Mojo | |
NME | 9/10 |
The Observer | |
Pitchfork Media | 7.5/10 |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
Uncut |
Myths of the Near Future is the Mercury Prize-winning debut album by English band Klaxons. It was released on 29 January 2007 through Polydor Records. Myths of the Near Future contains re-recorded versions of "Gravity's Rainbow", "Atlantis to Interzone" and "Four Horsemen of 2012", along with the singles "Magick", "Golden Skans" and, most recently, "It's Not Over Yet". It is named after Myths of the Near Future, a collection of short stories by British writer J. G. Ballard. It was recorded in Battle, East Sussex.
During promotion of Myths of the Near Future, the band described it as "a concept album about their fantasy vision of the future" and the first in a trilogy of albums, with subsequent releases intending to deal with the present and the past. Upon the week of its release, "Golden Skans" climbed to number seven in the UK Top 40 charts. The album was given a largely enthusiastic review by NME (the magazine named it "album of the year"), although it received more mixed reviews from other critics. The British and Malaysian pressings of the album contain a short instrumental hidden track after 15 minutes of silence at the end of "Four Horsemen of 2012", apparently intended for an art piece by the band. Myths of the Near Future won the Mercury Prize in 2007.
Myths of the Near Future is featured in the musical reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die upon its revision in 2007, but was removed from later editions.
The album charted at number two in the UK Album Chart, behind Norah Jones' album Not Too Late. Since its release in January 2007, the album took a further rise back into the charts, peaking as high as number 19 on 7 July 2007. The album ended the year with sales of 274,000. The last known sales as of September 2011, stand on 340,000 copies.