It makes you proud. It really does. In a little over two years Oxford's best kept secret have become the hottest buzz band of the year.

As well as packing out venues around the world, they have been voted best new band in poll after poll, feted by the international media, championed by the NME, and billed at all the festivals that count.

This is beyond doubt, the year of Foals. And for this bunch of down-to-earth, if slightly bewildered lads, it is about to get even bigger.

To the excitement of fans everywhere, Monday sees the release of long-awaited debut album Antidotes. The release is backed by an epic tour, which tomorrow sees them play their biggest hometown gig so far, at the Oxford Carling Academy.

Yet, far from letting it go to their heads, the boys are taking world domination with a pinch of salt.

For Foals are far from the product of a music industry in search of the next big thing. Yannis Philippakis (vocals and guitar), Edwin Congreave (keyboards), Walter Gervers (bass), Jimmy Smith (guitar) and Jack Bevan (drums) have got here all on their own.

They honed their individual brand of rhythmic dance-pop-math-rock in sweaty back rooms and boisterous clubs. They have never lost touch with the fans who put them here - with Yannis always eager to launch himself into the crowd, even if, as at last summer's tumultuous Truck Festival performance, that involves a serious mauling and the risk of badly bruised ribs.

The band's rampant success seems to have taken the lads a bit by surprise.

"I've always absolutely loved what Foals do and knew the band would do well - though not on this level," says Edwin, while getting ready for a night out in London.

Foals' newest member, Edwin's connection to the band goes back a stint working part-time at a certain Walton Street bar.

"I was friends with Yannis while working at Freud's," says the former St Hugh's student. "We had a great time ... Kind of!"

He brought with him a love of obscure techno, which helped transform the band's sound.

"Their music was aggressive and obnoxious at the same time, but I loved it. I couldn't possibly say no when I was asked to join."

Yannis has likened the band's buzzy, twitching, chordless wall of sound to a swarm of insects.

Certainly the music comes at you from all directions. Yet far from being chaotic, the effect is obsessively mathematical.

"Yannis does have a unique guitar style," laughs Edwin. "He plays very fast, but lately has also been using lots of reverb - and when he plays it can sound like a cloud of insects.

"Yannis and Jack have this instinctive relationship where they just jam without looking at each other. We've got a drummer who's totally fluid and doesn't need to think about what he's doing, and a guitarist who doesn't need to look at his guitar. They are like two limbs on the same body."

He admits times have not always been so good: "Especially when we didn't have any money. We'd come off tour and not have anywhere to live.

"But playing festivals was always a highlight - especially Truck," he adds, describing how the set had to be hastily moved from a dangerously overcrowded tent to a still-rammed cowshed due to the unexpected crush of fans.

"It's also been good playing in America to people who you'd think wouldn't know us - and have them singing our songs.

"It's thrilling and confusing. Now we just have to stop feeling that we don't deserve it!"

Antidotes is out on Monday on Transgressive.