We knew 2021 was going to be good, but maybe not this good. When The KLF exited the music business in 1992, they deleted their entire back catalogue rendering their entire musical output – save for some remixes, and licenses to labels in North America – unavailable. But at midnight last night, they started to spring back to life.
Eight classic videos have been remastered and were unveiled on YouTube, all with new cover art and including what looks to be a new high-intensity collage for The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu vs. Extreme Noise Terror’s 3AM Eternal (From The Black Room).
At the same time, the fifth in a series of six new compilations has gone live on Amazon HD and other streaming services covering the 7″ mixes of the duo’s classic hits:
- Doctorin’ The Tardis (3:36) as The Timelords
- What Time Is Love? (Live At Trancentral, 3:56)
- 3AM Eternal (Live At The S.S.L., 3:52)
- Last Train To Trancentral (Live From The Lost Continent, 3:52)
- It’s Grim Up North (4:04) as The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu
- America: What Time Is Love? (4:07)
- Justified And Ancient (3:48)
- 3AM Eternal (From The Black Room, 2:48) as The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu vs Extreme Noise Terror
And, yes, this time it’s legit. The KLF’s output has been uploaded to streaming a few times over the years by fans. And we’ve always been amazed that they’ve managed to slip through the net and go live. But, no sooner had they appeared, they were taken down. But this time it’s different.
We know this because the news first appeared via the Instagram of Alannah Currie, the “Modern-day anarcho-artist,” as The Guardian describes her, former Thompson Twin and partner of Jimmy Cauty. “Sneaky stuff happening up Shoreditch tonight #London #NYE2020 #kickouttheyear,” she posted via @sistersofperpetualresistance with images of Sample City Thru Trancentral being daubed across a wall. We also know it to be official as the compilation’s release has been handled by Domino Records.
What’s next? It looks like there are five more compilations to come. Part 2 of Solid State Logik and others focusing on The JAMs, the Pure Trance Series and more. Get the full official statement from the duo under the gallery of new YouTube art below.
Stream The KLF via Amazon HD, and read more KLF on Long Live Vinyl.
KLF exist.
KLF have appropriated the work done between the
1st of January 1987 and 31st of December 1991 by
The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu,
The Timelords
The KLF
This appropriation was in order to tell a story in five chapters using the medium of streaming.
The name of the story is SAMPLECITY THRU TRANCENTRAL.
The five chapters are:
- Kick Out The JAMs,
- Pure Trance Series,
- Come Down Dawn,
- Moody Boys Selection
- Solid State Logik (Parts 1 &2).
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.