The KLF [extended]

• The History of the JAMS [TVT, 1988] B+
• The White Room [Arista, 1991] A-

See Also:

• The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu

Consumer Guide Reviews:

The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu: The History of the JAMS [TVT, 1988]
Though the results are more interesting than compelling--not to mention postsignificant, prerevolutionary, better than hip-hop, and whatever else Britcrits claim--the drum-machine cut-and-paste of these white rappers cum dance-music guerrillas definitely deserves its footnote in the annals of sampling. Announcing themselves with "All You Need Is Love" as AIDS protest, they rob the BBC, rip off hunks of Sly, kidnap Whitney Houston, construct the ultimate Eurodisco homage, and do whatever else they can to give copyright lawyers apoplexy. Of enduring artistic originality and importance for sure, judge. B+

The White Room [Arista, 1991]
"They're justified/And they're ancient/And they like to roam the land," croons anonymous disco soulgirl P.P. Arnold. "They don't want to upset the apple cart/And they don't want to cause any harm/But if you don't like what they're going to do/You'd better not stop them 'cause they're coming through." Whereupon follows a famous sample from the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams" and a welter of pop-industrial body grooves. These voracious smarty-pants Brits--a/k/a the Timelords, the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, the Jams--are sampling less and copycatting more these days, and whatever they mean or don't mean, deconstruct or reify or exploit, they like everything I like about house and are canny enough to can the boring parts. Somebody at the label that brought us Snap has an ear for the rap-Eurodance cusp. A-