8 ms·
I loved the KLF. After reading the The Illuminatus! Trilogy I was facinated with the idea of how much freedom you could have in our society if you just stopped
by ferentchak 11y ago
I loved the KLF. After reading the The Illuminatus! Trilogy I was facinated with the idea of how much freedom you could have in our society if you just stopped following unenforced cultural norms.
Bands like the KLF were a huge part of my early 20's.
The entire "Andy Kaufman" method of turning society and the media into your own private playground always seemed like the highest form of humor to me.
I am beyond jealous of your experiences!
- ilamont 11y agoIt was quite amazing to see some of the stuff they pulled. For instance, bringing country music legend Tammy Wynette into the studio with a rapper to do a club dance song ("Justified & Ancient") seems absolutely bonkers but it worked. (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_ajdd99CM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7_ajdd99CM ) I highly recommend reading Bill Drummond's 1988 book "The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way)." It seemed like brilliant satire (The KLF was releasing experimental trance music at the time) but he and Jimmy ended up at top of the charts on multiple occasions in the years that followed.
- m-i-l 11y agoThere's some advice in The Manual which I've sometimes wondered could (or should) apply to the startup scene: "having no money sharpens the wits".
- davidgerard 11y agoThe complete text of The Manual is online in several places, e.g. http://freshonthenet.co.uk/the-manual-by-the-klf/ http://freshonthenet.co.uk/the-manual-by-the-klf/ It is hyperspecifically about the UK indie music industry in 1988. But it communicates the attitude you need to take on to try this sort of thing: specifically, it teaches you how to become the KLF. This translates to all fields in all times and places.