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Music > Albums > The KLF - Chill Out (1993) Retail CD
added on June 19, 2007, at 16:54 by Knobo

After a 1989 of failed films, unreleased trance singles, and one huge commercial disaster (the "Kylie Said to Jason" single), Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty (with help from Alex Patterson of the Orb) began to explore a style of music they termed "ambient house", originally appearing as b-sides and obscure CD single tracks. By January 1990, "Chill Out" was concieved as a "live jam" recorded at the KLF's Trancentral studios, featuring ambients samples and beatless keyboards fading in and out of three main tracks: "Madrugada Eterna" (an improvised guitar piece by the Triffids' Graham Lee), "3 AM Eternal" (originally an ambient piece called "Mommy Don't") and "Last Train to Trancentral" (here renamed "Witchita Lineman Was a Song I Once Heard)". "Chill Out" was recorded live, over a process of about two or three days. Each time, if a mistake were made, the KLF would return to the start of the album and record again from scratch. Some strange alchemy in those sessions produced an album of incredible intrigue and blissed-out beauty, that's as well loved now as it was nearly 17 years ago when first released. Subsequent 1990-1991 ambient pieces, such as Jimmy Cauty's solo "Space" LP and the debut "Ultraworld" by the Orb, were far darker in hue than this imaginary journey through the States. A classic! If the KLF had done nothing else in their who career - no hit singles, no unreleased films, no money burning - "Chill Out" would have been enough. If, however, you want to trace the evolution of the KLF's ambient phase, I would recommend tracking down: "Warehouse Raves 4" (a compilation which includes the original 1989 trance versions of "What Time is Love" and "3 AM Eternal", "Orbsessions 1" (which included the original Orb "Mommy Don't", which evolved into "3 AM Eternal") and "Auntie Aubrey Excursions 2" which includes the "Orbital Blue Danube" mix of "3 AM Eternal". Also, keep your eyes peeled for a bootleg 12" dance mix of "Madrugada Eterna" - a spring 1990 single release that never saw the light of day.

front 1426 x 1408 px

back 1791 x 1398 px

cd 1456 x 1453 px

inside 1418 x 1416 px