Topic: The KLF Are Back (Maybe)

[matjam13]

https://open.spotify.com/album/1kJY7mRPwF5eJOf8DMZdwa?si=WsEFOu-6SmC4mQPvMlzV2Q&nd=1
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCbsEHtpoQxyWVibIPerXhug/videos

[Captain Z]

Looking forward to finding out what else they'll do other than make any new music.

[edon]

From the channel description:

If you need to know more about the work done by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords or The KLF, you can find truths, rumours and half-truths scattered across the internet.

From these truths, rumours and half-truths, you can form your own opinions.

The actual facts were washed down a storm drain in Brixton some time in the late 20th century.

Further information can be found on a poster, fly posted under a railway bridge on the Kingsland Road in London on the 31st of December 2020.

Is it really them though or another fan hoax?

[Rich Uncle Skeleton]

Looks like it's them and they're making a proper go of it judging by the HD videos on the youtube channel[1] some of which do look pretty great!

I don't care what wanky story they might spin instead of just saying  "hi we changed our minds here's the back catalogue". As long as this means everything ends up available to stream in decent quality then great.

1.	sorry is that the channel you were already referring to, edon?

[edon]

The quality of the videos and number of pages set up does give the whole thing some credence, but I didn't think Drummond and Cauty were still much bothered about doing anything with their old material, certainly not with quotes from the former like this from a few years ago:

“We do understand that there are two documentaries being made about The KLF – both of these are nothing to do with us. Jimmy Cauty and I have always remained very close but we have no plans to reform The KLF or exploit our back catalogue in any way.”

https://www.nme.com/news/music/bill-drummond-responds-klf-reunion-rumours-1935404

[matjam13]

The Posters From Kingsland Road.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ReactionsTo2023/status/1344858107101511680

[Wet Blanket]

Very excited to see this. No doubt they’ll only be available for 23 hours/days/years or something. I wonder if it’s a necessary fundraiser after 2020 destroyed the market in travelling the globe shining shoes or crafting intricate cityscapes to keep in shipping containers. I’m hoping it’s a first step in some wider scheme

[purlieu]

Yeah, this is very surprising, given how they're always stuck to their guns in the past. Curious to see how it all pans out.

[Captain Z]

The Posters From Kingsland Road.
https://mobile.twitter.com/ReactionsTo2023/status/1344858107101511680

Now can someone please go and take pictures where we can actually read the text.

[Ambient Sheep]

Just happened across this on Twitter, and came here to spread the good news:

https://twitter.com/KLF_Online/status/1344925846629457920

KLF Online
@KLF_Online

As the first in a series of The KLF's back catalogue selections officially hits streaming services on January 1st, this year has already proven to be much better than 2020.

#kickoutthejams

Solid State Logik 1 - The KLF    open.spotify.com

8:38 · 01 Jan 21 · Twitter Web App

Seems pretty official. :-)

[Ambient Sheep]

From the channel description:

If you need to know more about the work done by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords or The KLF, you can find truths, rumours and half-truths scattered across the internet.

From these truths, rumours and half-truths, you can form your own opinions.

The actual facts were washed down a storm drain in Brixton some time in the late 20th century.

Further information can be found on a poster, fly posted under a railway bridge on the Kingsland Road in London on the 31st of December 2020

Is it really them though or another fan hoax?

This tweet has a longer and more informative version of that (in picture form), as well as that poster pic and two more pics:

https://twitter.com/ReactionsTo2023/status/1344979571259678722

[Ambient Sheep]

Has even made the front page of the BBC News website, sixth item down as I type.  Surprisingly well-researched too.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55507226

Someone even heard it on Radio 4!

Slow news day though, granted.

[NattyDread 2]

Aye, it was on the Radio 4 news earlier as the last piece. They managed to wedge in a bit about the fact R4 put out a play about the money burning on Jura.

They also pointed out that it marks the last of the big names to be absent from streaming services. Is that right? Seems a bit of a shame they didn't hold out if they were indeed the only ones not having it.

[edon]

Genuinely does seem to be legit, I'll be damned. Nice and all to see the videos for the big singles in good quality, but much more interested in what's to come soon from what's been said so far.

I do wonder what the motive behind this is though - it can't just be money considering how shit the pay is for artists from Spotify and the like.

[Pearly-Dewdrops Drops]

Kind of disappointed in part, since the "deleting the catalogue" thing was a nice bit of their mythos. But in the main it's good to have some of the songs easily accessible.

An official high-quality version of Chill Out would be fantastic.

[buzby]

I'm slightly disappointed they didn't stick to their guns too really, particularly as I have no interest in subscribing to any streaming services just to hear them.

One thing about the videos uploaded to youtube - the Doctorin The Tardis, Kylie Said to Jason, the Stadium House Trilogy videos and the ones that followed (It's Grim Up North, America:WTIL?, Justified & Ancient) were all shot on film (see the making of Justified & Ancient). Only the initial 'Cornfield' promo for WTIL? was shot on video. The versions they have uploaded to youtube appear to be the video transfer masters (presumably on BetaCam SP) of them though.

[Better Midlands]

An official high-quality version of Chill Out would be fantastic.

Might that be problematic cos of all the samples?

[buzby]

Might that be problematic cos of all the samples?

AFAIK they were all cleared. The notes on the rear sleeve state as much:

The KLF would like to thank Evil Graham Lee, Elvis Presley, Nick Coler, Jesus Loves You, Fleetwood Mac, Acker Bilk and all other communicators around the world who contributed to this album.

They learned their lesson on the uncleared sample front after the JAMs period (apart from Wanda Dee on Last Train, of course). The album was still on sale up to the point they deleted their back catalogue. The only issue is if the clearances at the time did not account for future exploitation in other formats, as happened with De La Soul's clearances.