The KLF
The White Room

THE REVIEW

1991. The lessons of 808 State have been learned, the debut of Orbital with "Chime" and the Orb is on the horizon, and very particular sounds are about to be explained.

Like kraut and colossal suites, ambient techno also begins to adopt the structure of the concept album, producing extremely long lunar trips. "Chill Out," created a year earlier, immediately becomes the emblem of '90s electronic music, thanks to its chameleon-like aspect made up of collages, ancestral landscapes, and plenty of originality.

No one is dependent on anyone, except for the innovations of various Roland 303, 808, and 903 with Detroit Techno and Chicago House. The KLF start from the soulful sounds of the latter, as noticed from the subdued intro of "Justified And Ancient." Immediately, there's a shift with "What Time Is Love," the first masterpiece of the album and the band. Electronic sequences divine themselves in the labyrinth of rhythm, mixing the direct rap of dance with technical artificiality.

Compositions perfectly packaged in a box full of influences, like "Last Train To Trancentral." The tightly packed rhythms find relief in breaks characterized by airy piano interludes, without rendering the structures boring or pointless. The beauty of the KLF is found in the movement of the tracks and the always-surprising sounds. Don't think you have in front of you a bland electronic band, quite the opposite. The drive of the tracks is equal to that of the Prodigy, an unstoppable sequence of electro effects.

"3 A.M. Eternal" is the third peak that consecrates them definitively from both a commercial and artistic standpoint. Sublime is certainly the vocal performance of Maxine Harvey, undoubtedly a singer on par with Neneh Cherry.

"Build A Fire" takes us back to the ecstatic pedal steel of "Chill Out" and to a relaxing, soothing moment. The title track is a pseudo-dub precursor to Tricky and Massive Attack. As always, the bass and the dialogues between male and female vocals seamlessly fuel this crepuscular mantra.

We arrive at "Justified And Ancient," another hit single that closes the album with another important lesson. The pop of Lionel Richie and the chorality of gospel are surprisingly fused without issues, demonstrating the talent of this great band.