#The KLF’s Chill Out Finally Comes to Streaming—Sort Of

The KLF’s gradual entry to streaming continues. Today (February 4), the pop provocateurs’ landmark ambient album Chill Out, originally released in 1990, appeared on streaming services, albeit retitled as Come Down Dawn and stripped of some distinctive samples. Reached for comment, the band’s management pointed to a note on the group’s website, which describes Come Down Dawn as a “pre-mix of Chill Out released by The KLF on the 5^th of February 1990. Come Down Dawn was released the day before Chill Out, but 31 years later.” Listen below. 

The samples and sampling technique the KLF employed are a large part of Chill Out’s mythos. Notably absent from Come Down Dawn are the prominent Elvis Presley samples. Below is the full statement from the website (minus the tracklist, which you can find in the embed).

Come Down Dawn was released on the 4^th of February 2021.

Come Down Dawn is a Drive by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu.

A Drive is a journey in the head.

The Drive took them from the Reverend Doctor Wade’s tabernacle in Brooklyn, New York to the Mesoamerican Pyramids near Mexico City.

The Drive lasted just over a period of 43 hours.

The Drive ended as dawn began to break on Sunday the 4^th of February 1990

Come Down Dawn by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu is also a pre-mix of Chill Out released by The KLF on the 5^th of February 1990.

Come Down Dawn was released the day before Chill Out, but 31 years later.

All tracks were recorded live at Trancentral in late 1989 by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, featured guests include Evil Graham Lee on the pedal steel guitar, the Unknown Tuvan Shepherd on throat singing and the Reverend Doctor Wade on spiritual guidance.

The news follows the arrival on January 1 of Solid State Logick 1, a compilation (including some songs released as the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu and the Timelords) that marked their first legally streaming release. They also released a film, Welcome to the Dark Ages, about their efforts to build a pyramid out of 34,592 dead people. 

Read the bizarre story of Chill Out in Pitchfork’s Sunday Review of the album.