They were on top of the Brit Pop world 25 years ago when in 1994 they burned a million UK pounds and vowed to disappear for 23 years. As promised performers Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty resurfaced at midnight last night (23 years to the a day after the money bonfire) for a book signing in Liverpool.
More guerilla performance artist than actual musicians, Drummond’s and Cauty’s KLF (also known as The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The JAMS and The Time Lords) strode through the British pop scene a quarter century ago with solid grooves and a sarcastic commentary on the hollow pretentiousness of it all.
I’ve watched a few of their videos and suggest these as a representative sample.
Here’s Tammy Wynette in Justified and Ancient Watch
If you’re a big Dr. Who fan, you’re going to love this Watch
A heavy weight jam, Last Train to Transcentral Watch
More on KLF resurfacing and their controversial history Here
Ann Coulter has just turned NeverTrump!
Never heard of them. I must have been working when this happened.
NO.
What kind of gorillas are they aping in their performance art? I know there are more than one kind, I’m not stupid.
Yea but 23 years ago they use to play this commercial in Great Brittan. No more.
https://youtu.be/HnL-7x4n4d8
It’s “The KLF.” Don’t forget the “The.”
Anyhoo. One hit wonder in my book, that’s 3 A.M. Starts at 1:07 because the one hit wonder band botched the first 1:07 of their one hit wonder.
That really is Tammy Wynette.
Didn’t watch any of this and never heard of these guys. Performance artists huh? Where’d they get a million pounds to burn? Somebody surprise me and tell me it wasn’t a grant from the NEA.
the KLF were one of the earliest proponents of sampling- and were shut down by ABBA of all groups for it. they also wrote a manual for how to construct a hit pop song- which several groups have used to have hit pop songs- including Tubthuming by Chumbawamba. they were extremely influential upon a number of british house and techno artists who blew up the dance charts in the 90s. they’re not so much ‘performance art’ as taking the piss out of the music industry- something they had a lot of behind the scenes experience in managing major groups (like echo and the bunnymen)and working for record companies before their own musical endeavors. Chill Out is a great ambient album and the White Room is one of the best albums to come out of the the 90s electronic dance scene. Jimmy Cauty is married to the female percussionist from the Thompson Twins.
Feel free to disappear for another 23 years.
ducking out for 23 yr after burning a cool mill? wow. Who thinks like that?
anyway, i appreciate music that isnt country music. I’m cool with techno.
Coulter is nothing but a metronome and which way she swings depends on the hand’s direction that lifts the ball.
Wow.. that sucks.
Doctorin’ the TARDIS is one of my all-time favorite songs! KLF, tho’, they’re odd to the point of Dadaism. I could get into their music, but never into their “performance art”.