Photo: Press
Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty’s band The KLF have shared a documentary called KLF 01 01 2017 WTF FOUND VHS’ with a corresponding cryptic message sparking rumours that the band may be ready to reform in 2017.
The KLF endured a largely successful run in the late 80s and early 90s and had a number one single with ‘’Doctorin the Tardis’.
They also became notorious for some unforgettable actions including firing machine gun blanks into the audience and dumping a dead sheep outside the entrance to the aftershow party at the BRIT Awards 1992 - they received the best band gong that night. A few months later they deleted their entire back catalogue.
They went on to form The K Foundation, who in 1994 set fire to £1million on a boathouse in the Scottish island of Jura, which was then made into the film Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid.
In 1995 and 1997 there were brief KLF reunions – the latter was more substantial as Cauty and Drummond reformed as 2K and made a one off performance at Barbican dressed as Two elderly gentlemen, reeking of Dettol, causing havoc in their motorised wheelchairs. This is not your average band.
The reason for this fascinating, inimitable band’s return is connected to a notion in esoteric literature called 23 enigma.
The 23 enigma is the belief that all incidents and events associated with number 23 (e.g. which happened on the 23rd of any month) are somehow tied into a centuries-old plan. It can be explained in Robert Anton Wilson Robert Shea's The Illuminatus! Trilogy – a book which The KLF are known to have been inspired by.
2017 marks 23 years since burning a million pounds in Scotland. So the excuse is there and we’d be very surprised if we didn’t see any more activity very shortly. The video was shared with the following message:
“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
A.K.A. THE K FOUNDATION
2017 – 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.”
To substantiate, DJ Food posted on his website after seeing the premiere of the above documentary that he was looking forward to seeing new music from The KLF in 2017, perhaps something was said at the event but at the moment we can only be left guessing as to what’s next for The KLF.
