Another anticipaed comeback in the making: Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty aka influential and subversive British rave/ art duo THE KLF officially split up in 1994, following the legendary public burning of 1 Million British pound. In the late 80s and early 90s the band played a pioneer role in the commercial breakthrough of rave music although they’ve always been quite critical about the commercial aspect of the business. They once wrote a book called The Manual. How To Have A Number One The Easy Way and also self-banned all THE KLF releases from the record stores in 1992. Aside from those quite unusual methods their music remained truly brilliant and progressive.
Now, 23 years after their split a mysterious 46min long video founds its way into the world wide web, packed with a wild collage and old VHS images. It also comes with the following cryptic description that lists als past incarnations of the duo and also seems to combine the years 1994 with 2017 in some form.
On New Year’s Day 1987 the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu were formed.
On New Year’s Day 1987 were the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu formed?
FOUND
V.H.S. CONCERNING(?) :
LORD ROCK AND TIME BOY
A.K.A. THE TIMELORDS
A.K.A. ROCKMAN ROCK AND KINGBOY D.
A.K.A. THE JUSTIFIED ANCIENTS OF MU MU
A.K.A. THE JAMS
A.K.A. THE KLF
A.K.A. THE FALL
A.K.A. THE FOREVER ANCIENTS LIBERATION LOOPHOLE
A.K.A. THE FRANK AND ERNEST SHOW
A.K.A. K2 PLANT HIRE LTD
A.K.A. THE K FOUNDATION2017 – WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?
On 01/01/1987 Bill Drummond said to Jimmy Cauty ‘LET’S FORM A BAND CALL ‘THE JUSTIFIED ANCIENTS OF MU MU”
On 23/08/1994 The K Foundation burnt one million quid.
2017-1994 = 23.
In the words of THE KLF: WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? We don’t know yet, it could be anything and nothing.
UPDATE 05/01/17
Apparently it really meant nothing as Bill Drummond now confirmed to the NME:
‘I’m aware of a film that has been edited out of old bits of stuff and has been put up on Vimeo and Youtube but it has nothing to do with us.
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.’
Well, but on the other hand a truly mysterious poster found its way into the World Wide Web, together with the following quite cryptic message.
‘It is almost 23 years since the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu announced a self-imposed and self important moratorium. The reasons for the moratorium have now been lost in time, space and a rusting shipping container somewhere near Sizewell B Nuclear Power Station.
What is known is: The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu have zero involvement with any video clips, films, recorded music, documentary productions, biographies, West End musicals or social media chatter relating to the letters K, L or F, now, or at any other time over these previous 23 years.
Futhermore, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu have no interest in anything that seeks to comment on, bounce off, glorify, debunk or resurrect their historical work.
The Justified Ancients Of Mu Mu are currently at work in their light industrial unit. This work will not be made public until the 23rd of August 2017.’
UPDATE 06/02/17
Following the confusion from earler this year, it looks like THE KLF will officially return but not with a musical project. Instead they’ve written a sci-fi novel called 2023. According to a poster they tweeted and an official announcement it is ‘a utopian costume drama, set in the near future, written in the recent past.’ The mysterious August 23, 2017 date is the one where Drummond and Cauty are planning to actual release their novel. Take a look at the cover right here.
—