+23
April 28, 2017 1:46 PM Subscribe
French. Canadian. Bean. Soup.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:09 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:09 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
/throws dead sheep into thread.
posted by Artw at 2:10 PM on April 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Artw at 2:10 PM on April 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
Just going to post this because I love it so much.
posted by lmfsilva at 2:13 PM on April 28, 2017 [13 favorites]
posted by lmfsilva at 2:13 PM on April 28, 2017 [13 favorites]
Every year on my birthday, I post a status update that says, "I am ancient, but not justified."
My friends are mostly of a vintage that they get it and like it.
posted by orange swan at 2:53 PM on April 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
My friends are mostly of a vintage that they get it and like it.
posted by orange swan at 2:53 PM on April 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
I never thought I'd live long enough to know the answer to what time is love.
posted by drzz at 3:00 PM on April 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by drzz at 3:00 PM on April 28, 2017 [5 favorites]
It's always so weird now when I read stuff about KLM because, when they were popular, I was in middle school and in the US and literally all I ever knew of them was 3 AM Eternal, which was a fun pop song but sounded like a lot of other fun pop songs at the time. It's a bit mind-bending to realize how truly bizarre they were.
posted by lunasol at 3:07 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by lunasol at 3:07 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
Now the world they anticipated is here
I guess you could say... the moment has been prepared for.
posted by Artw at 3:11 PM on April 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I guess you could say... the moment has been prepared for.
posted by Artw at 3:11 PM on April 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
It's always so weird now when I read stuff about KLM because, when they were popular, I was in middle school and in the US and literally all I ever knew of them was 3 AM Eternal, which was a fun pop song but sounded like a lot of other fun pop songs at the time. It's a bit mind-bending to realize how truly bizarre they were.
Theyre p derivative imo they mainly just sample old Cathay Pacific 12"s.
posted by Sebmojo at 3:17 PM on April 28, 2017 [6 favorites]
Theyre p derivative imo they mainly just sample old Cathay Pacific 12"s.
posted by Sebmojo at 3:17 PM on April 28, 2017 [6 favorites]
I would really like a followup record titled "2017 (What The Fuck Is Going On?)". I think we need it.
posted by Aznable at 3:22 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Aznable at 3:22 PM on April 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
I, for one, welcome our new Ancients of Mu.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:28 PM on April 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Kitty Stardust at 6:28 PM on April 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
This fan art has been on my 8 year old daughter's wall for the last year. This thread inspired my husband to put on Stadium House Trilogy and she was out of her room and dancing within 30 seconds. Parenting win!
In related news, a friend just named her daughter Eris, which is awesome but maybe a bit fate tempting.
posted by Lapin at 8:09 PM on April 28, 2017 [9 favorites]
In related news, a friend just named her daughter Eris, which is awesome but maybe a bit fate tempting.
posted by Lapin at 8:09 PM on April 28, 2017 [9 favorites]
It's a bit mind-bending to realize how truly bizarre they were.
It was even more fun to find all this out, in the US, as the story unfolded. Where you were thrust from what seemed like a simple pop tune into something deeply weird. I mean, you have this video for a Big Hit Single that's at once ethereal, cool, and effortless - and yet there's all of this goofy stuff going on. Justified Ancients of Mummu, like from Illuminatus? A clarinet solo? These two grizzled white dudes looking perturbed about life in a police car? A model city? What the fuck was going on? I had to know.
But this was 1991. You didn't just type KLF into a computer and have an amusing and seemingly endless story of pop singles and situationist pranks pop up. They weren't getting much coverage in the US print media, so the 3AM video sort of appeared up out of nowhere, sans context. There was no information, anywhere - or at least it seemed that way, sitting around watching MTV on summer break in rural Illinois.
So you buy the CD, and read the liner notes. It lists six other albums released by the KLF, or maybe the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, none of which your local music store can get, has heard of, or even believes exist - even though they carry imports. There's a picture of those two grizzled white guys holding a sheep, with the taunting question "WHY SHEEP?" printed under it. They inexplicably credit themselves in the sample credits for sampling their own "KLF AHA AHA" sample. And, of course, as a young man in the know, you recognize the references to Illuminatus.
Thus began for me the world's greatest real-life ARG, collecting bits and pieces of the KLF's story. Scouring records stores in every new town I visited, never knowing what was to come next, piecing together this strange story of a band who went from chunky Scottish Abba rap to Pure Trance to a nearly-beatless ambient house record to the massive sound of The White Room. Subscribing to British music magazines like Q and NME, who write about them, and slowly learning the news. Grabbing every new 12", pondering the increasingly bizarre symbolism: why Tammy Wynette? Wait, why were they performing as giant ice cream cones?
It was like having a front row seat to the greatest pop music story ever told, and where you could never, ever predict the next step, and you had to stay diligent and keep searching to find the breadcrumbs of the story in import 12"s and music mags, and finally, a really awesome Internet listserv that helped those of us following the pair enjoy every last bit of the journey.
What was great about the KLF is that there was never anticipation. You never knew what you were going to get. They weren't beholden to anybody but themselves. There was no hype machine other than their own, which went out on their own timeline on their own dime. You never thought "I can't wait for this upcoming thing." You always stumbled on something new, and rich and wonderful or weird and shocking and muttered: "They did what??" And then wanted more.
posted by eschatfische at 8:19 PM on April 28, 2017 [32 favorites]
It was even more fun to find all this out, in the US, as the story unfolded. Where you were thrust from what seemed like a simple pop tune into something deeply weird. I mean, you have this video for a Big Hit Single that's at once ethereal, cool, and effortless - and yet there's all of this goofy stuff going on. Justified Ancients of Mummu, like from Illuminatus? A clarinet solo? These two grizzled white dudes looking perturbed about life in a police car? A model city? What the fuck was going on? I had to know.
But this was 1991. You didn't just type KLF into a computer and have an amusing and seemingly endless story of pop singles and situationist pranks pop up. They weren't getting much coverage in the US print media, so the 3AM video sort of appeared up out of nowhere, sans context. There was no information, anywhere - or at least it seemed that way, sitting around watching MTV on summer break in rural Illinois.
So you buy the CD, and read the liner notes. It lists six other albums released by the KLF, or maybe the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, none of which your local music store can get, has heard of, or even believes exist - even though they carry imports. There's a picture of those two grizzled white guys holding a sheep, with the taunting question "WHY SHEEP?" printed under it. They inexplicably credit themselves in the sample credits for sampling their own "KLF AHA AHA" sample. And, of course, as a young man in the know, you recognize the references to Illuminatus.
Thus began for me the world's greatest real-life ARG, collecting bits and pieces of the KLF's story. Scouring records stores in every new town I visited, never knowing what was to come next, piecing together this strange story of a band who went from chunky Scottish Abba rap to Pure Trance to a nearly-beatless ambient house record to the massive sound of The White Room. Subscribing to British music magazines like Q and NME, who write about them, and slowly learning the news. Grabbing every new 12", pondering the increasingly bizarre symbolism: why Tammy Wynette? Wait, why were they performing as giant ice cream cones?
It was like having a front row seat to the greatest pop music story ever told, and where you could never, ever predict the next step, and you had to stay diligent and keep searching to find the breadcrumbs of the story in import 12"s and music mags, and finally, a really awesome Internet listserv that helped those of us following the pair enjoy every last bit of the journey.
What was great about the KLF is that there was never anticipation. You never knew what you were going to get. They weren't beholden to anybody but themselves. There was no hype machine other than their own, which went out on their own timeline on their own dime. You never thought "I can't wait for this upcoming thing." You always stumbled on something new, and rich and wonderful or weird and shocking and muttered: "They did what??" And then wanted more.
posted by eschatfische at 8:19 PM on April 28, 2017 [32 favorites]
The White Room is still a great set of tracks today. Which is one of the really weird things about Drummond et al - they would segue from the insane to the amazing from one project to the next. Sometimes both simultaneously.
Seeing them on TotP was possibly the first time a much smaller me realised that almost everything in mainstream media was to some extent a put on. These guys just put the put on front and centre and made it the entire point, then (if they could be bothered) turned it into something amazing just because.
posted by pharm at 3:51 AM on April 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
Seeing them on TotP was possibly the first time a much smaller me realised that almost everything in mainstream media was to some extent a put on. These guys just put the put on front and centre and made it the entire point, then (if they could be bothered) turned it into something amazing just because.
posted by pharm at 3:51 AM on April 29, 2017 [4 favorites]
(You’ll tear my White Room CD from my ... etc etc.)
posted by pharm at 3:51 AM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by pharm at 3:51 AM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
The White Room is the only CD of theirs that I own. Once I figured out they were Up To Something with the million-pound bonfire and all, I kind of wanted to limit myself to this gem of a set.
I think I will listen to it today, and then follow some of eschatfishe's amazing links tonight with a drink and headphones!
posted by wenestvedt at 4:40 AM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I think I will listen to it today, and then follow some of eschatfishe's amazing links tonight with a drink and headphones!
posted by wenestvedt at 4:40 AM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lapin: That fan art is staggeringly delightfully adorable.
posted by rmd1023 at 5:54 AM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by rmd1023 at 5:54 AM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
I had a tiny KLF party last night which was the real indicator that I am a boring Old - Friday night at Frowner's house, let's listen to "What Time Is Love" while doing chores.
The cat found the KLF slightly more tolerable than Leonard Cohen (she really, really hates Leonard Cohen) but less tolerable than Television. I think she likes more of a rock and roll beat and less arty vocals.
posted by Frowner at 11:13 AM on April 29, 2017 [6 favorites]
The cat found the KLF slightly more tolerable than Leonard Cohen (she really, really hates Leonard Cohen) but less tolerable than Television. I think she likes more of a rock and roll beat and less arty vocals.
posted by Frowner at 11:13 AM on April 29, 2017 [6 favorites]
let's listen to "What Time Is Love" while doing chores.
Of course, the boringness is reversed if midway you cling to the top of a tall shelf, feet on second lowest and headbang violently.
posted by lmfsilva at 2:22 PM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Of course, the boringness is reversed if midway you cling to the top of a tall shelf, feet on second lowest and headbang violently.
posted by lmfsilva at 2:22 PM on April 29, 2017 [2 favorites]
Between the KLF and the works of Grant Morrison, the 90's fucked my head up good and proper.
posted by KingEdRa at 6:24 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by KingEdRa at 6:24 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
In related news, a friend just named her daughter Eris, which is awesome but maybe a bit fate tempting.
"Please stop throwing apples!"
posted by Artw at 7:11 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
"Please stop throwing apples!"
posted by Artw at 7:11 PM on April 29, 2017 [3 favorites]
let's listen to "What Time Is Love" while doing chores.
Oh, HELL, yes.
Poetic AND prophetic.
posted by tantrumthecat at 8:13 PM on April 29, 2017
Oh, HELL, yes.
Poetic AND prophetic.
posted by tantrumthecat at 8:13 PM on April 29, 2017
Fun fact: Dream Time in Lake Jackson from Chill Out = my husband grew up in that small Texas town.
I miss people making random videos and you mail-ordering them out of the back of zines or catalogs. Yeah yeah, YouTube. It's totally not the same, and these guys were masters of this particular art.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:02 PM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
I miss people making random videos and you mail-ordering them out of the back of zines or catalogs. Yeah yeah, YouTube. It's totally not the same, and these guys were masters of this particular art.
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 10:02 PM on April 29, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you are at all interested in the KLF I'd totally recommend The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgs. It's by far the best thing I've read about them (and Doctor Who, but that's another story.
I saw Higgs on a panel at the recent London Worldcon along with Daisy Campbell (the daughter of Ken Campbell) and a guy who knew Robert Anton Wilson (may have also had a character based on him in Illumantus.) Details are bit hazy (due to a) the subject matter b) it being the middle of a v eventful (ie boozy) con) but I do remember it being brilliant. Of course the random DLR train that was the first step of the journey home was carriage '23'.
I was glad I made the effort to go see Cauty's ADP tour when it passed near(ish) to me. It was amazing... being put on at the same time and ahem a stone's throw from that more traditional example of organised anarchy and riot, The Goose Fair. Plus, while I was there, some locals turned and prompted by the artwork started reminiscing about being in the Nottingham riots. The original website is gone now but see lmfsilva's link above... plus the 'trailers'
Not sure if time and finances will allow but I'd love to get over to Liverpool this summer.... Hail Eris and Kick out the JAMS!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:55 AM on April 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
I saw Higgs on a panel at the recent London Worldcon along with Daisy Campbell (the daughter of Ken Campbell) and a guy who knew Robert Anton Wilson (may have also had a character based on him in Illumantus.) Details are bit hazy (due to a) the subject matter b) it being the middle of a v eventful (ie boozy) con) but I do remember it being brilliant. Of course the random DLR train that was the first step of the journey home was carriage '23'.
I was glad I made the effort to go see Cauty's ADP tour when it passed near(ish) to me. It was amazing... being put on at the same time and ahem a stone's throw from that more traditional example of organised anarchy and riot, The Goose Fair. Plus, while I was there, some locals turned and prompted by the artwork started reminiscing about being in the Nottingham riots. The original website is gone now but see lmfsilva's link above... plus the 'trailers'
Not sure if time and finances will allow but I'd love to get over to Liverpool this summer.... Hail Eris and Kick out the JAMS!
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 11:55 AM on April 30, 2017 [1 favorite]
If you are at all interested in the KLF I'd totally recommend The KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds by John Higgs.
It's really great, and I'd say read it even if you're not interested in the KLF. The KLF is really just a jumping off point for a lot of great rambling.
posted by bongo_x at 12:20 PM on May 22, 2017
It's really great, and I'd say read it even if you're not interested in the KLF. The KLF is really just a jumping off point for a lot of great rambling.
posted by bongo_x at 12:20 PM on May 22, 2017
« Older "Besides, there’s also the odd business of bog... | Hissing, knocking, clunking, squealing, screeching... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by infini at 2:03 PM on April 28, 2017